Browsing by Author "Russo, Anthony"

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    A Study to Determine the Preference for Nesting Box Design of Sialia sialis (Eastern Bluebird), Tachycineta bicolor (Tree Swallow) and Poecile atricapillus (Black-capped Chickadee): Comparison of the Traditional Nesting Box and the Peterson Box, Year 3
    Burkart, Carol A.; Russo, Anthony; Adkins, T.; Blanton, A.; Burke, K.; Calhoun, H.; Crabtree, M.; Deaton, S.; Etter, S.; Fields, M.; Franklin, D.; Garrett, C.; Green, K.; Hall, L.; Hatley, K.; Hobbs, L.; Hofemeister, A.; Honaker, K.; Megen, M.; Key, J.; Kyle, A.; Lawson, K.; Lyke, L.; Maggard, R.; Mead, B.; Miles, M.; Price, S.; Sandhu, N.; Smith, J.; Stanley, A.; Stapleton, A.; Sturgill, W.; Taylor, K.; Tippett, J. (Virginia Tech. Powell River Project, 2014)
    The 2014 nesting season was the third and final year of our study comparing the Peterson box to the traditional rectangular bluebird nesting box. Unlike the traditional boxes, Peterson boxes are wedge shaped, decreasing the internal volume of the box and the amount of material required to build a nest. The idea behind the Peterson design is that the number of young fledged per nest will be higher over the traditional design. By reducing the energy required for nest building, more energy would be available for rearing young. As during the previous season, bluebirds, tree swallows and chickadees utilized the Peterson boxes. During the 2014 season, nest building activity was equally distributed between the two types of boxes (8 and 9 partial or complete nests in traditional and Peterson boxes, respectively). However, the pattern of egg laying activity shifted from the first season, with bluebird only laying eggs in Peterson boxes; while chickadees and tree swallows laid eggs in both box types. The number of eggs laid, hatching success and fledging were not enhanced by the Peterson design. Three seasons of data was pooled by species and across species. Differences were not found to be significant, with the exception of bluebird egg production. Average bluebird clutch size was higher for the traditional box than for the Peterson box. As in previous season, student volunteers from Mountain Empire Community College performed maintenance along the trail and assisted in the monitoring of nesting activity.
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    A Study to Determine the Preference for Nesting Box Design of Sialia sialis (Eastern Bluebird): Comparison of the Traditional Nesting Box and the Peterson Box
    Burkart, Carol A.; Russo, Anthony; Baker, W.; Belcher, M. H.; Brown, B.; Collins, J.; Crouse, N.; Dickenson, A.; Dotson, H.; Evans, T.; Funk, B.; Goforth, A.; Hall, L.; Helbert, S.; Hobbs, L.; Ingle, K.; Jessee, S.; McDaries, J.; Mullins, B.; Odle, C.; Orndorff, E.; Page, C.; Pillkenton, K.; Price, T.; Smith, S. (Virginia Tech. Powell River Project, 2012)
    For the 2012 nesting season along the trail at the Powell River Education Center, nesting preferences were studied comparing the traditional box design and the Peterson box. Peterson boxes differ from the traditional boxes in that they have a lower internal volume, requiring less material for nest construction. By decreasing the amount of energy that the parents would have to put into nest building, they would have more energy available for rearing young, hence increasing fledgling success. The Peterson box was found to be an acceptable design by the three species that nest along the trail. Bluebirds, tree swallows and chickadees utilized the Peterson boxes; however, bluebirds built most of their nests in the traditional boxes (six clutches in traditional boxes to one in a Peterson box). Chickadees produced four nests, three of which were in traditional boxes. Both tree swallow clutches were in Peterson boxes. Egg and chick loss due to predation was high this season (11 eggs and 8 chicks) making it difficult to conclude whether the design of the Peterson box affected fecundity. Student volunteers from both the general biology and human anatomy and physiology classes at Mountain Empire Community College assisted in the installation of the Peterson boxes and the monitoring of nesting activity during the course of the breeding season.
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    A Study to Determine the Preference for Nesting Box Design of Sialia sialis (Eastern Bluebird): Comparison of the Traditional Nesting Box and the Peterson Box, Year 2
    Burkart, Carol A.; Russo, Anthony; Meade, C.; Hubbard, D.; Phillips, C.; Yates, T.; Lipps, H.; Lambert, E.; Moles, C.; Flanary, K.; Head, S.; Williams, D.; Engle, C.; Huneycutt, A.; O’Quinn, L.; Owens, L.; Steele, M.; Reinhard, J.; Maine, A.; Dean, C.; Croley, F.; Gaiger, C.; Younce, T.; Bourn, A.; Short, M.; Mullins, S.; Fields, A.; Stidham, A.; Hamilton, D.; Green, K.; Nash, A.; Cooper, Z.; Tate, H.; DeBoard, M.; Adams, A.; Kern, S.; Turner, T.; Greer, C.; Beaver, W. (Virginia Tech. Powell River Project, 2013)
    The 2013 nesting season was the second year comparing the Peterson box to the traditional rectangular blue bird nesting box. Peterson boxes have a lower internal volume, requiring less material and parental effort for nest construction. It has been suggested that by freeing up energy for rearing young, fledging success could be improved over that of the traditional box. As during the previous season, bluebirds, tree swallows and chickadees utilized the Peterson boxes. However, unlike the 2012 season, more nests were built in Peterson boxes than in the traditional boxes. Of the 11 nests built in Peterson boxes, eggs were laid in 8 boxes of which only 4 successfully fledged chicks. Eggs or chicks were lost to predators from 3 of the Peterson boxes, while one clutch of 3 chicks was found dead in the nest. Five nests were built in traditional boxes, of which three fledged chicks. Hatching and fledging success were higher for eggs laid in traditional boxes than in the Peterson boxes. However, the paucity of clutches (2 of the 3 clutches in traditional boxes were in the same box) makes it difficult to draw a conclusion about hatching of fledging success. Student volunteers from both the general biology and human anatomy and physiology classes at Mountain Empire Community College assisted in the monitoring of nesting activity during the course of the breeding season, as well as maintenance along the trail.
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    A Study to Determine the Preference of Nesting Box Entrance Hole Size of Sialia sialis (Eastern Bluebird): Year 2
    Burkart, Carol A.; Russo, Anthony; Aldridge, A.; Aldridge, N.; Collins, D.; Fitzgerald, N.; Franklin, J.; Fraley, B.; Greer, A.; Hall, L., IV; Johnson, T.; Kilgore, R.; Lawson, J. D.; Lindsey, M.; McKnight, G.; Skeens, M.; Slemp, S.; Townsend, R.; Woods, N. (Virginia Tech. Powell River Project, 2011)
    For a second breeding season, nesting box preference was tested between boxes with large entrance holes and boxes with the traditional entrance hole diameter. As in the previous season, birds (Eastern Bluebirds, chickadees and tree swallows) nesting along the trail at the Powell River Education Center, preferred the boxes with the traditional sized holes; however, there was limited activity in the large holed boxes with one pair of bluebirds successfully fledging four chicks. Bluebirds, tree swallow and chickadees were active in field 1, while only chickadees were active in field 2. Chickadees were the most successful during the 2011 season fledging sixteen chicks, while bluebirds and tree swallows fledged nine chicks each. Chickadees built two nests in field 2, but one nest was abandoned and the second was lost to predation, resulting in the loss of four eggs. By mid-June, the grass in the field 2 has grown tall, and nesting activity ceased. Student volunteers from the general biology classes at Mountain Empire Community College assisted in the replacement of weathered boxes and the monitoring of nesting activity. A student from Lee High School assisted in the placement of the pan traps fulfilling part of his service requirement for an AIMS Scholarship.
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    A Study to Determine Whether Natural Camouflage Will Increase Usage of Artificial Nesting Boxes by Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow and Chickadees
    Burkart, Carol A.; Russo, Anthony; McConnell, N.; McNew, J.; Valentin, T.; Richardson, D.; Looney, A.; McGonagill, M.; Penley, A.; Williams, K.; Sluss, G. (Virginia Tech. Powell River Project, 2015)
    Previous studies at the Powell River Project Education Center Bluebird Trail have involved comparisons between standard nesting boxes and open topped design, boxes that were modified by enlarging the holes to 2.75 inches, and most recently, the wedge shaped Peterson Box. The one factor that all these boxes had in common was that they were made of plain hewn wood. For this study, one box at each site was covered with tree bark to determine whether the three species of birds common along the trail (Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow and Chickadee) had a preference for naturally camouflaged nesting boxes over the hewn lumber boxes. Birds built nests and laid eggs in both camouflaged and hewn lumber boxes; however, only one clutch laid in an unadorned box successfully fledged.