The Seabrook Island Bluebird Society was started on Seabrook Island to help the Eastern Bluebird (see our “Bird of the Week” blog from 2016 to learn more about the Eastern Bluebird). The 2018 nesting season has come to an end.
If you didn’t know, the Eastern Bluebird is a small member of the thrush family that inhabit fields and clearings. Although pesticides and competition from house sparrows in the early and mid-20th century negatively impacted bluebirds, they have recovered well in recent years and are stable or increasing both as breeding birds and wintering birds. Much of this recovery is thanks to concerned citizens who put up bluebird boxes in their fields for these birds to nest in.
Seventy-three bluebird boxes were installed and are located along Crooked Oaks and Ocean Winds golf courses, the Lake House and Sunset Pier. Melanie Jerome took over the leadership of the Bluebird Society in 2018 from
Dean Morr. The main focus is to monitor nesting of bluebirds and any other bird species using the boxes. This is done from March through August by a group of 13 hard working volunteers. They check the boxes once a week, keeping track of activity of all birds documenting by box the number of eggs laid, hatched and fledged. Once fledged, the boxes are cleaned of all nesting material so they available for another brood of birds.
The 2018 statistics for our Seabrook Island Eastern Bluebirds are:
- 99 nests built
- 389 eggs laid
- 246 eggs hatched
- 226 fledged
This is a 58% fledge success. We also have had 21 nests from Carolina Chickadees, with 74 eggs laid, and 55 fledged. We had a predation problem from snakes and raccoons this year and the 2019 goal is to obtain baffle guards on some of the poles to prevent the predation issue.
To compare to results from previous years, see the chart below:
| Trail Name | Bluebird | Carolina Chickadee | ||||||||
| 2018 RESULTS | # Boxes | No Activity | Nest Attempts |
Eggs | Hatched | Fledged | Nest Attempts |
Eggs | Hatched | Fledged |
| 2018 Totals | 73 | 6 | 99 | 389 | 246 | 226 | 21 | 74 | 55 | 55 |
| 2017 Totals | 73 | 5 | 89 | 318 | 183 | 175 | 26 | 98 | 82 | 82 |
| 2016 Totals | 73 | 3 | 99 | 386 | 360 | 359 | 28 | 126 | 106 | 106 |
| 2015 Totals | 73 | 7 | 76 | 318 | 259 | 259 | 39 | 136 | 104 | 102 |
| 2014 Totals | 67 | 10 | 63 | 252 | 219 | 203 | 28 | 113 | 85 | 83 |
I would like to thank all of our volunteers for their help, we couldn’t do it without you. If you are interested in helping with the bluebirds, please contact Melanie at seabrookbluebirds@gmail.com.
-Submitted by Melanie Jerome