How to Use Project Nestwatch

1. How to Use Project Nestwatch Your (hopefully) helpful guide to Project NestWatch

2. Why use Nestwatch • Project Nestwatch is a wonderful bird monitoring program run through the Cornell Ornithology Institute that brings together citizens bird-monitoring observations into one database so that this data collected from all over the country can be used to give us more accurate information about the species we are studying. • In short: the data you collect will be important for the success of a much larger, more long-term project

3. Step 1: Become a certified Nestwatch Monitor • Visit www.nestwatch.org • Select “join now and count” • Create an account for your class • Read the Nestwatch Code of Conduct • Take the SHORT quiz and become certified!

4. Step 2: Add your Bluebird box location on Nestwatch Now that you have placed your bluebird box near your school, enter the box onto the website. Information you will need: • Name • Description of the immediate site • Orientation of the box hole • Width of the box hole • Description of the habitats close to the site • Site elevation (you can google this) • Nest height above ground

7. Step 3: Begin monitoring your bluebird box • Review the Code of Conduct with your students • Begin making observations a week after installing your bluebird box with your “NestWatch Multiple Visits Data Sheet” • Visit your box once a week, at the same time every week- preferably in the afternoon

8. Step 4: Enter your data on the NestWatch website • Log on, and go to the “Your data” tab • Select your nest site • Select the blue notebook • Enter your data

10. Suggestions for Monitoring • Take one small group each time (rotate these groups during your observational time) • Other students can stay back and make habitat observations • In your small group assign students specific roles • Observe nest status, observe adult status, observe young status. • If possible enter the data together as a class • If not, enter the data with the small group you observed with

11. How to Explore Data • The point of using NestWatch is so that the data you collect can be a part of a larger bluebird monitoring program. You have access to the information from other nests across the country through this website.

12. NestWatch Map Room • Shows you the distribution of blue bird nests across the country

13. NestWatch Project Wide Data Downloads • Allows you to download Excel spreadsheets with information on • Species summary: total number of nesting attempts, eggs, nestlings, and fledglings • Reproductive success • Raw Nesting Attempt Data- shows all of the data that has been reported for every nesting attempt submitted

14. Resources http://nestwatch.org/ http://www.allaboutbirds.org- bluebird facts http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/eastern-bluebird/- bluebird facts http://www.sialis.org/basics.htm- bluebird nesting cycle NestWatch Monitoring Manual (I can email this to you all or you can google it, it is the first link to come up) As always feel free to contact any of us with questions or concerns: Smith Center: 301-924-3123 Bill Kraegel: William_Kraegel@mcpsmd.org Jay Handzo: Jay_Handzo@mcpsmd.org Kiri Brenner: Kiri_M_Brenner@mcpsmd.org