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Summer 2013
MBS Washington County Coordinator, Jenny Hendershot, captured this amazing shot of a male bluebird. This photo, along with many other incredible captures, can be seen on the Maryland Bluebird Societys Facebook page.
Upcoming Events
MBSs 7th Annual Membership Meeting and Picnic: Saturday, September 7th from 2 to 6 p.m. at Black Hill Regional Park, Shelter C. All are welcome to attend. Hot dogs and drinks will be provided. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. Donated items for our Silent Auction are welcome. RSVPs are appreciated by not necessary. 36th Annual North American Bluebird Society Conference: October 3rd-5th, in Aiken, S.C. Theme: The Art of Bluebirding For more information, visit www.mdbluebirdsociety.org, and click on our Events page. MBS Bluebird Chatter Page 1
Bluebirds Forever Festival 2013 The 3rd Annual Bluebirds Forever Festival was held on Sunday, May 19th at Black Hill Regional Park and, as in past years, was a huge success. Though the event started slowly, probably due to the threat of rain, attendance picked up and the nature center experienced capacity crowds! Visitors were treated to face painting, games and music, story times, crafts and trail hikes. MBS volunteers were on hand to answer questions and give advice as well as to pass out information to enthusiasts. Presentations were given on Planting for Native Birds, Homeland Security-Bluebird Style, and Beautiful Bluebirds. Thanks to the Friends of Black Hill, volunteers from Black Hill Regional Park .and Maryland Bluebird Society volunteers for making this event a success. Special thanks to MBS Vice President, Stan Fisher, for his amazing organization.
Attendees at the 2013 Bluebirds Forever Festival at Black Hill Regional Park could accompany MBS Secretary Bonnie Bell on a trail walk. This nestbox located at the rear of the Nature Center housed a nesting of tree swallows.
Salisbury Bluebird Festival by Janice Ward On Saturday, March 9, 2013, the most comprehensive wildfowl carving museum in the world invited the public to join them in celebrating the bluebird. The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury, Maryland, hosted its inaugural Bluebird Festival, featuring nature-themed music, art, entertainment and information. Janice Ward, Worcester County Coordinator for MBS, along with Kim Check, Education Director of the Ward Museum, organized the event. Both are long-time advocates of the bluebird. The event began with a performance by the Snow Hill Middle School Glee Club. Abundant information about bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds, wildlife conservation was available for adults. MBSs Ed Escalante presented a lecture entitled Beautiful Bluebirds and the Maryland Bluebird Society was on hand to answer questions and offer advice to bluebird enthusiasts. Additional kid-friendly events included bluebird story times, face painting, bluebird painting, mask making, cookie decorating, crafts, puzzles and coloring activities related to bluebirds. Varieties of bluebird-themed and bird-related items were given as door prizes and were also available for purchase. The event was well attended and hopefully all left with a greater appreciation for the Eastern Bluebird.
Above: The Snow Hill Middle School Glee Club performs at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Arts Bluebird Festival in March. Below: Children enjoy arts and crafts activities offered for their enjoyment.
Leucistic Bluebirds
After 20 years of monitoring bluebird nestboxes, MBS member John Collier got to see something new this nesting season leucistic bluebirds! Albinism is a genetic (inherited) condition resulting in the complete absence of melanin pigmentation in eyes, skin and feathers. True albinos are extremely rare. Leucism is a type of partial albinism and is a rare genetic mutation, though not as rare as albinism. Leucistic birds have faintly colored markings and dark eyes. Both parents must have the recessive albino gene for their young to be albinos. Since each egg in a nesting has its own set of genes (and indeed, could have different parentage if the female mates with more than one male) not all young in a nesting will be albino or leucistic. This year, 2 nestboxes at Johns home had leucistic bluebirds. The top photo on the right shows 5 young bluebirds that came from a clutch of blue eggs. The bottom photo shows 4 bluebird young from a clutch of white eggs. There is no connection between egg color and leucism. John has had bluebirds lay white eggs on many occasions and the hatched young were completely normal. For more information on white bluebirds, visit this link: http://www.sialis.org/leucistic.htm
To the Bluebirds News Press By Emeline Smith From the moment Bonnie (MBS Secretary Bonnie Bell) started leading me on the bluebird trail, I knew it was extraordinary. Not many places offer free trails in nature for anyone to see. Everything about the trail was lovely. Bird songs filled my ears, fresh morning dew filled my nostrils and bird poo filled my touch. Looking around I could barely tell man had interfered with the trails. It was nice for me to see, but mostly nice for the birds. I saw lots of beautiful plants and eye-striking birds. Bonnie was an outstanding guide as she pointed out nearly everything there and filled my brain with knowledge! It was not a boring experience and I couldnt find one negative thing about the trail. The best compliment I can offer is that it was worth waking up early-and I am a teen-ager after all! I saw lots of birds, bees and plants. Thank you, Bonnie, for giving me an experience I will surely never forget!
Emeline, age 13, and her sister, Clara age 9, were visiting from Texas recently. Along with their grandmother, they visited MBS Secretary Bonnie Bells bluebird trail. Emeline wrote an article for MBS newsletter about her experience. Both girls sent Bonnie lovely thank-you notes. Claras note is pictured above.
If you do not see your county in the above listing it is because we do not have a volunteer from your county. Please contact us if you would like to serve as County Coordinator from your area of our beautiful state.
MBS Bluebird Chatter Page 5
Nesting data and news from founding member, past president and current board member Fawzi Emad, in Southern California:
Of course here in Southern California we have Western Bluebirds (WEBL.) Last year I had the first nesting and the pair had four babies. This year they nested twice, first nesting produced four babies and one infertile egg (which was removed after four hatchlings were around for several days) and in the second nesting they had five very healthy babies (total of nine babies this season.) The babies of the first hatching (I call them the teenagers) were feeding the second-generation babies and helping the parents to take care of the younger babies I have never seen this before; it is so amazing to see one baby feeding another! I have heard about this happening in other places including the East (EABLs,) but this is the first time I was able to see it happen in my 25 years of bluebirding! The two pictures below show the nest box and the feeder I use. The nest box is the so-called Mansion designed by Linda Violett and myself in 2001. See this link for the design and construction of this nest box: http://md.fpemad.com/p2/mansion.htm . Here the female is bringing in straws to build the nest. The mealworm feeder design and construction are on this web page: http://md.fpemad.com/p2/feeder.htm . The male is on the feeder taking mealworms to the nest box to feed the mother and babies.
Dear MBS Members: Please check with MBS Treasurer Diane Seward trina65@verizon.net to be certain you are current with your membership. You can renew using the form below or online at www.mdbluebirdsociety.org If you know of someone who is interested in bluebirds, please feel free to pass this newsletter on to them.
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