In 2021, I began experimenting with nest box camera systems. My inspiration sprang from an on-line presentation by Doug Tallamy, an entomologist who studies the importance of native trees in maintaining healthy ecosystems. What fascinated me about Dr. Tallamy's discussion was the sheer number of soft-bodied insects (caterpillars) necessary to sustain birds during the nestling season. Without sufficient caterpillars, bird life is unsustainable.
After the presentation, I followed up with Dr. Tallamy, and developed a plan to assemble and install cameras in a black capped chickadee nest box. The initial plan was to use the cameras to identify the caterpillar species that the chickadees were feeding their nestlings and to determine the total number caterpillars eaten each day. Ultimately I began focusing less on the counting of caterpillars and more on the behavior of the nesting birds. However, I did reach the conclusion that the chickadee adults on Hogsback Acre deliver between 300 and 350 soft bodied insect meals to their young each day. That means that during the 20-day nestling period (time between hatching from the egg and leaving the nest) the chickadees capture and consume 6,000 - 7,000 caterpillars. Amazing eating machines!
This year I am expanding my nest box cameras to focus on a wider range of species, including eastern bluebirds, wood ducks, and eastern screech owls. Below is a video overview of a new nest box camera system that I will be deploying on the hillside at Hogsback Acre later this month.
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