This last March, several CKAS members placed several Prothonotary Warbler (PROW) nest tubes at various locations along streams, ponds, and lakes in central Kentucky. PROWs, sometimes called "swamp warblers," like marshy waterside areas where they can nest in cavities and find ample insects as food to raise their young. Such nesting cavities are increasingly limited by competition from other bird species, most notably from European Starlings who tend to live near people, not swamps, but who take over the cavities PROWs prefer whenever habitat near water is developed.  Consequently, PROW populations are in serious decline, a 14/20 Conservation Concern Score from the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (12+ is considered "Watch List").

The tubes CKAS made and placed are specifically designed to exclude larger cavity nesters, making them particularly attractive to swamp warblers. Still, we still weren't sure we'd get a PROW living in the first dozen tubes we placed; the tubes we made and donated them to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources a few years ago had an initial acceptance rate of about 15%. But as we approached the spot we'd set out tubes on Lake Reba, we distinctly heard the "Sweet! Sweet! Sweet!" song of Prothonotaries and we were able to locate both a male (who posed for us nicely as pictured below) and a female. Our next "big purchase" will likely be a peeper camera so we can look inside the tubes and see/count eggs/chicks with minimal disturbance.
 

---

CKAS has received requests to pass along two studies that might be interesting to our members—not studies of birds, but studies of birders and their birding habits. We've long known that birders' contributions to the local economy and that birding's health and wellness benefits are frequently overlooked. Here's two chances to help researchers get a better handle on what we do:

1) Discovering the link between between the attributes of individual birders in the United States and the type and intensity of bird conservation action they take. Survey (10-12 minutes of your time) here. Results will be used to improve public policies for bird conservation.

2) Discovering why Audubon resonates amid the din of hundreds of nonprofits. Survey (3-5 minutes of your time) here. Results will be used to hone Audubon's message to expand the group's wingpan, direct advertising dollars, and guide Audubon policy and conservation work.

Your participation in these two surveys is greatly appreciated. As we know, the more data we, as birders, can provide, the better our understanding of birders, birding, and how policy makers can help support us in protecting the birds we love.
 

---