UGLN Nest Box Project (Part 2)

An important part of our nest box project is the monitoring, maintenance and record keeping of all nest boxes we’ve installed.

Emerald College students inspecting boxes at Marysville

Of the 475 nest boxes we’ve installed I annually monitor 373 often with the assistance of the Kinglake Scouts and Yea High School students.
The other 102 boxes are monitored by the landowners who occasionally send me reports.

Yea HS students inspecting nest boxes at the Yea Wetlands

Recently we have been finding different native birds using the boxes including Eastern and Crimson Rosella’s and the White-throated Treecreeper.

Eastern Rosella at Kinglake West

White-throated Treecreeper at Kinglake West

To check the nest boxes we use a nest box inspection camera which saves us lugging a ladder around the bush and is less intrusive to the animals inside the box.

Ringtail Possum at Yea Wetlands

Brush-tailed Possum at Yea Wetlands

Approximately 2/3rds of all our boxes have been used by wildlife including the following species:
Ringtail Possum, Brush-tailed Phascogale, Sugar Glider, Agile Antechinus, Brush-tailed Possum, Crimson Rosella, Eastern Rosella, White-throated Treecreeper and Owlet Nightjar.

Sugar Gliders at Strath Creek

The monitoring is also a good chance to remove any unwanted residents and carry out any maintenance that may be needed to the boxes. Over the last few years we have had 2 active bee hives which I have asked a local bee keeper to remove and so far only 2 nests of the introduced Indian Myna, which were removed and the contents provided a good meal for the local Kookaburra and Magpies.