Prairie Moraine Friends Inc, Verona, Wisconsin
Prairie Moraine Friends, Inc. added approximately 20 new nesting boxes to the park in 2022 with the support and generous gift from the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW). Thank you BRAW!
Prairie Moraine Friend Jay Brooks is in charge of monitoring and otherwise attending to the Prairie Moraine Bluebird Trail (both parts: Ice Age Trail and Dog Park). If you would like to volunteer to assist Jay with this valuable work, please let him know. All of our Prairie Moraine Friends group members can be reached using our Info@prairiemorainefriends.org email address.
In 2022 the youth volunteers removed old fencing from the 12-acre park expansion area, cleared invasive plants, and also enjoyed sessions on a variety of topics. Here, parks volunteer Jay Brooks teaches the group about the new bluebird nesting boxes in the park.
George Brown is their adult mentor and group leader.
New signage was recently added to the park to provide visitors with more information about our bluebird residents. The bluebird interpretive signs were obtained through a grant from the Foundation for Dane County Parks. Check out some of the amazing work the Foundation does:
Prairie Moraine Friend and bluebird monitor Jay Brooks came up with a wonderful proposal and received one of the Foundation for Dane County Parks 2021 grants!
May 18th - First Bluebird brood of the season.
Photo credit to Jay Brooks.
These fledgling Bluebirds will all leave their nest within a few hours of each other, just 16-20 days after hatching. (Any time now.)
The fledglings, almost the size of an adult Bluebird, will fly 50-100 feet on their maiden flight. Usually to nearby shrubs or trees.
Their parents will continue to raise them, provide food and teach them the way of the Bluebird.
They will join the flock as they get ready to move to their southern territories in the Fall.
Photo credit to Jay Brooks.
The Bluebird monitor reports the number of nests, eggs, and successful hatchlings, to help monitor the population.
This is a Tree Swallow rather than a Bluebird, but we're not going to kick her out. Not only is she a native species, protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but an adult Tree Swallow eats an average of 2,000 flying insects (including mosquitoes!) in one day.