Forever Bluebirds Volunteers Sought to Help Monitor Nests, Perpetuate Life

By Tracy Yoshida Gruen Daily Herald Correspondent

They are blue, beautiful and in need of protection.

Residents throughout Lake County volunteer their time to protect bluebirds by monitoring their nesting sites and keeping them safe from non-native birds and other potential dangers.

The Lake County Bluebird Trails consist of nesting boxes that are placed in such areas as golf courses, forest preserves and farms in Lake County.

There are about 1,000 boxes, and volunteers are still needed to monitor 100 of them.

The Lake County Audubon Society has also donated 20 bluebird nest box kits to the Lake County Forest Preserve District, and the Boy Scout Troop 188 of Lake Villa assembled the kits into nest boxes.

“The number of bluebirds fledged in Lake County has steadily increased,” said Walt Sivertsen, the bluebird administrator for the Lake County Forest Preserve.

Last year was a record year, in with a total of 1,120 bluebirds fledged from boxes monitored by volunteers in Lake County, ranking Lake County as third in the state.

Although they are not on the endangered species list, there are many threats to bluebirds, Sivertsen said. The birds can be killed by house sparrows or starlings, their eggs could be eaten by raccoons or snakes, and black fly larva can suck the blood out of the baby birds.

Without the help of the volunteers the bluebirds would be in much greater danger.

So, what does it take to be a volunteer?

“Interest is the primary thing,” said Sivertsen.

“People have to decide if this is something they can do at least every 10 days.”

In general, monitoring the boxes involves counting the number of eggs and the number that have hatched and fledged. It also involves keeping records and submitting them at the conclusion of the nesting season. Sometimes it may involve removing house-sparrow nests and cleaning out the boxes.

Mary Bastien of Wauconda has been monitoring boxes at the Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda for the past 17 years and says she loves it for many reasons.

“You never know what you’re going to see,” she said.

“It’s a great hobby.”

Bastien said one of the most amazing things she has seen while on a bluebird trail was a deer giving birth in the field right in front of her.

“She just gave birth right as I was walking by,” she added.

In 1998, Bastien found some baby bluebirds whose parents were most likely killed. While working with a wildlife rehabilitator, she fed the birds worms every 20 minutes from dawn till dusk, and played recordings of bluebird songs. The babies were later put in another nest with other baby bluebirds.

Bastien said the experience was memorable.

Glen and Elaine Dolmar of Waukegan have been monitoring nesting boxes at a golf course for the past five years. Their daughter, son- in-law and grandson also volunteer.

“The weather is beautiful and you’re out in the fresh air,” said Elaine Dolmar. “I drive the golf cart and he does the work. I take the notes and keep records.”

“Once they find there’s beautiful life outside the box you can’t keep them in the box,” said Sivertsen.

Those interested in volunteering to help protect the bluebirds in Lake County can contact Sivertsen at (847) 244-4373.

Some of the trails involve more walking, and others, such as on the golf courses, do not.

(c) 2007 Daily Herald; Arlington Heights, Ill.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.