May 21 nauvoo

After my Sunday School group hike I went to Nauvoo. This sunday afternoon we had our graduation picnic for Sarah Beth. One Blue bird box now holds a second clutch of 5 eggs. I also found a cavity in a vertical limb of an old walnut tree and observed male and female bringing food to the nest. One box held a few sticks and what I think were two carolina wren primary feathers and some sticks but no nest. The last box put up held no indication of nesting. House wrens are occupying at least three boxes in the yard area and front field. Boxes that were easily opened proved to be packed tight with sticks. One also held a colony of ants. Here too I saw many waxwings. I don't know why the waxwing population seems so high this spring. Kingbirds, kestrel, red eyed and yellow throated verios, yellow throats, yellow warblers, and woodpeckers all were seen or heard.
*A special note is high activity of orchard orioles. I saw many times the male maintaing position in one of three locations within a 30 yard square. I believe I saw the female on several occassions as well coming from one of those locations. I believe they are nesting and will have to confirm. If they are in safe dates its definitly a nest site.
The rest of the party had a quick veiw of a bobcat moving through.

May 21 Grandvue

Took the sunday school group of kids to Grandvue and walked part of the trail. Tree swallow in nest box would not flush. In fact I moved feathers and pretty much touch the bird. She remained on eggs so any day we should see young. Also flushed the flicker from her hole and the sparrow nest still has no eggs. It may have been abandoned as a mower came within 6 inches of the nest.
I counted 32 cedar waxwings in one small berry tree. A yellow throat, indigo bunting, baltimore oriole, red eyed and yellow throated verios, and blue birds were good birds on this day. We heard a turkey and many wood thrush.