This spring a group of avid nature enthusiasts introduced a new Bluebird Nestbox Program to the Fairmont Hot Springs area.

Since the 1960s naturalists’ clubs and environmental groups worked to reverse the decline of our native cavity nesting birds caused by land use changes, the use of DDT pesticide and invasive bird species. These groups provided an alternative to natural sites by building nestbox trails for Bluebirds and other cavity nesters.

The Fairmont team has now joined this effort operating under the umbrella of the Rocky Mountain Naturalists Club which has been involved with the nestbox program for over 30 years monitoring over 350 nestboxes along 24 routes, involving about 30 volunteers in the Cranbrook and Kimberley area.

The Fairmont Hot Springs team is managing two existing nestbox trails in the Fairmont Hot Springs area: One located in the Fairmont Meadows, and one on the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Columbia Lake—Lot 48 Conservation Area, along the Spirit Trail.

The team, called Monitors, started the season by cleaning out all the nestboxes and fixing any damage, to ensure that they were ready to welcome the new lodgers. The boxes were visited weekly throughout the nesting season to check the species using the boxes, the number of eggs laid, and the overall health of the birds.

This work is done to help give our native cavity nesting birds the best chance at raising their young.

In the East Kootenay we have two species of Bluebirds: The Mountain Bluebird and the Western Bluebird.  They arrive from their wintering grounds in the south earlier than most birds and begin hunting for a suitable nest site in early April.

Our focus is on Bluebirds, but also includes other cavity nesting birds such as Tree Swallows, Violet-green Swallows, Chickadees and Nuthatches.

This first year was a successful one on the new trails. The 13 boxes on Columbia Lake—Lot 48 produced 18 new Mountain Bluebirds and 19 Tree Swallows.

The 18 boxes along the Fairmont Meadows’ trail added 89 Tree Swallows helping to reduce the number of harmful flying insects in the community.

Throughout the season, the volunteer Monitors had the pleasure of seeing them develop from eggs to hatchlings, to fledglings, joining their parents as they learned to stretch their wings, fly, and become self-sufficient.

Anyone interested in learning more about these beautiful birds and the Nestbox Program are welcome to contact Claude Rioux – Fairmont Bluebird Trails, at 250-351-5445 or [email protected]

Photos courtesy Claude Rioux

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