Science Diary: NestWatch – TV
Ambience: Bird song
Music
JM: Watching TV may not be the best way to connect with nature. But for Joni James, a participant in Cornell’s NestWatch program, her own private nature channel can shed light on the nighttime behavior of nesting birds. Welcome to Pulse of the Planet’s Science Diaries, a glimpse of the world of science from the inside.
JJ: “I am now going to check one of my tree swallow nests. I have installed a nest cam, a camera into the nest. I put the camera in and run a cable through my window to the television. And I have a channel selector that allows me to switch back and forth to the different channels to view the different cameras that are in various gourds or boxes. It’s really fun to view the activity that goes on in the box or the gourd, and see the behaviors and also to see what they do at night.”
JM: The NestWatch program enables bird enthusiasts to report back to Cornell’s Laboratory of Ornithology, which compiles and archives observations made nationwide.
JJ: “I’m checking this gourd out. I suspect there may be an egg in here, because the behavior of the female tree swallow I’ve been watching on the television, right before they lay eggs, the bird will sit in the nest in the mornings, rather than of course, going out foraging for food, and they will do a shake or a tremble sort of movement over and over and over. And to me that always signals they’re going to lay an egg. So I’m checking this.” (sound of nest box opening) “It’s a beautiful nest. Yes, there’s one beautiful white egg in this tree swallow nest. So I was right.”
JM: To read Joni James’ blog, and to see images from her nest cams, please visit our website, pulseplanet.com. Pulse of the Planet’s Science Diaries are made possible by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.