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CURRENT COORDINATOR NOTES
Hennepin County Update – May 31, 2026
Kathy Meinhardt reported – “I spoke at the Masonic Home again which is where my trail is located. Apparently they liked my speech last year as a number of residents of both the nursing facility and the independent living homes had requested that the program director bring me back. I do personalize this one including a map of the grounds showing them where boxes are located. They were very interested. The following week one of the residents who is in a motorized wheel chair came out with me to one of the boxes that is accessible and was able to view newly hatched chicks. He loved it. The following week he returned to the vicinity of the box and said he watched the comings and going of mom and dad for an hours, I took a picture of him holding the box, and gave that to him with a picture of the chicks. I was also stopped at another box in the independent living houses and chatted with 3 women about the trail. There were about 40 people at the presentation.”!
Anoka, Bemidji & Carver Counties early reports – April 19 & 20, 2026
Richard Shreva reported – “First eggs last week, April 12”. Brian Hiller reported – “Bluebirds are back in Bemidji this week! Had two females and a male checking boxes in my back yard today.” Mary O’Neil – “Just checked my trail in Chaska, some boxes had eggs”!
Anoka County UPDATE – November 29, 2025
Anoka County CorrdinatorJeanne Wilkinson had bluebirds, finches and robins at her heater water – SPA through the end of November. She hopes the last of them left before the snow and cold!!
Hennepin County UPDATE – August 11, 2025
Hennepin County CorrdinatorBob Hursh has been working with members of Friends of the Roberts Bird Sanctuary to establish a bluebird trail in Lakewood Cemetery. Stephen Greenfield submitted the 2025 Lakewood trail report, their 3 pair of boxes fledged 16 chicks, not bad for a first time trail! In the summary of his report he had this to say “Surprising and gratifying results in Friends of Roberts’ first year. Thanks so much to Bob Hursh for assistance.” Photos by Gregg Severson and Stephen Greenfield
Pierce County Wisconsin – June 24, 2025
“I monitored my EABL boxes today and found another nest with a Brown-headed Cowbird egg in it! A friend from church also found a BHCO egg in one of his EABL nests. In 36 years of monitoring, I have found one or two BHCO eggs and now in June, have found 3! I wonder what is going on? BHCOs are not supposed to be able to get in an EABL nest box so there is speculation that they back up to the hole and deposit an egg inside it. If this is true, they might be learning from each other. It seems like I learn something new about EABLs every year, even after monitoring as many years as I have.” Mary Roen
Dakota County UPDATE – May 31, 2025
“MYBirdClub.org”
Dakota County coordinator David Schmidt partnered with MYBirdClub to lead 10 youth and 6 parents from their organization on a ninety-minute bluebird trail hike monitoring and learning about bluebirds and other cavity nesters. They checked paired nest boxes at 6 sites on an Inver Grove Heights trail, finding 6 active nests among the sites visited. One with bluebird eggs, two with tree swallow eggs, one with 7-day old bluebird chicks and one with newly hatched tree swallows chicks. Everyone learned the proper way to approach a nest box and how to warn ‘mama’ bluebird they were about to open her box to check the nest. Additionally, many other bird species were sited on the hike. Lisa Keitel, a MYBirdClub volunteer, plied her vast bird ID skills to help everyone identify many other birds along the trail.
Hennepin County UPDATE – May 27, 2025
Welcome to Lauren Gimmestad, a new monitor for the Catholic Cemetery and the Jewish cemeteries in New Hope. There are bluebirds on both trails for a great start. Cheryl Batson at Chamonix Golf Course lost a pair of tree swallows, likely to a house sparrow, her first in three years of monitoring. Both tree swallows were found dead. Lisa McIntire at Dawn Golf Course lost a tree swallow nest with six eggs, likely chased away by a house sparrow. The nest is completely gone, and a house sparrow nest is in its place. No dead birds were found, however. Also, the first five bluebird chicks at Dawn Golf Course fledged last week. Another four chicks are expected to fledge this week.
Kathy Meinhardt observed at Masonic Homes in Bloomington a bluebird repurposing a chickadee nest, but it used moss to build its own nest. Picture attached. I’ve only seen moss used by a bluebird once in the past 10 years that I can remember.
Dan Hawkins has expanded his trail at Sunset Memorial Cemetery and has bluebirds adopting the new houses already. Dan has been Bluebirder of the Year for our group for 3 years in a row with this trail. (Winners are limited to three wins, so the top spot is now open for 2025.)
Not about bluebirds, but news about Jack’s house designs: Jack’s kestrel house at the Landscape Arboretum has attracted a kestrel for the second year in a row. Cris found five eggs there last week.
Lisa McIntire – assistant Hennepin County coordinator
Hennepin County UPDATE – May 13, 2025
Hennenpin County Coordinator Bob Hursh has this to share from the newly established bluebird trail in Lakewood Cemetery. “I stopped there this morning to show how to wax the pole and add a vanilla air freshener. 5 eggs in one box, 2 eggs in another. Pair of bluebirds checking out boxes at 3rd site. Pretty impressive…and surprising.” Addtionally, one of the trail monitors reported this for that trail. “Constance Pepin reports that there are 4 bluebird eggs in another one of the Gilbertson PVC boxes.”
Ramsey County UPDATE – April 2, 2025
Ramsey County CorrdinatorGeorge Brown installed 22 bluebird boxes at the White Bear Yacht Club golf course this spring. Check out this article from the White Bear Press about his adventures, click here.
