MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD NESTING HABITAT PROJECT

Mountain Bluebird, Photo Ginny Waples

When Curtis Phipps donated the Diamond X Ranch to the City of Billings, it had in place a number of established Mountain Bluebird nesting boxes. In 1993, George Mowat of YVAS volunteered to maintain and monitor the Bluebird boxes. In 2017, a formal agreement with the City of Billings was enacted with YVAS committing to maintain the Mountain Bluebird nesting habitat in what has become known as Phipps Park.

Jim Wiggins took over management of this project in 2017. At that time, there were ten established nesting boxes, a fourth of which had successfully fledged in recent years. Following the guidelines published by the Mountain Bluebird Trails and North American Bluebird Society, Jim rebuilt the nesting boxes including those destroyed by vandals, weather, and fire, then placed them on Posts designed with predator guards. He added the YVAS website address on the guards in the event that someone would need to contact us.

Mountain Bluebird Box at Phipps Park

Carolyn Jones and Sue Weinreis have been monitoring the thirteen nesting boxes since 2019. Beginning in late March through mid-July, each box is monitored regularly and data about the success and loss of fledglings is recorded. Part of the monitoring involves taking photos of the nest, eggs, and nestlings. Weather and predators play a large part in the annual fledgling success, as well as other bird species, who claim over half of the nesting boxes.

In 2023, YVAS volunteers began leading spring bird and flower hikes along the Phipps Bluebird Trail in an effort to promote interest and appreciation for Bluebirds and prairie habitat.

YVAS is collaborating with other volunteer groups in the city (Boy Scouts of America, Montana Audubon Center, Yellowstone River Parks Association, City of Billings, BLM, and private landowners) to expand Bluebird nesting habitat and that of other birds in the area.

If you are interested and would like information on the YVAS Mountain Bluebird Nest Monitoring, contact Sue at granpeak47@gmail.com or Carolyn at carolyn684@gmail.com.