June brought an end to the mild temperatures, and we climbed over 100 degrees on eleven days.  Still, there were a few cloudy and relatively cool days when we were able to continue the trail maintenance.

The first order of business was to clear a temporary bypass around a huge, mature Texas Red Oak that finally succumbed to the drought over the past decade.  It probably had the largest girth of any of the Red Oaks on the Sanctuay and was a sore loss.  The massive trunk snapped about chest high blocking the trail and the northeastern access gate on Little Beaver.  Because nesting season was well underway, we trimmed only what was necessary to get the trail open.  The major process of removing it will take place in the fall, but by the middle of the month the trails were once again open and ready for the June Birding by Ear class.

Mikael’s class was a sellout.  The birding highlight of the day was watching Ash-throated Flycatchers feeding their young in a nest box in the Chimney Swift Glade.

Because the 12-year-old HVAC system died and was resurrected on life support in May, much of our attention turned to getting bids for a replacement once the Birding by Ear class was done.  Access was going to be difficult due to subsequent construction and vegetation growth around the compressor.  After meeting with several companies, we realized we were going to need to correct the access problem, so we started construction on steps on the north south of the house going down the hillside from the mobility access ramp to the compressor slab.  Fortunately, the work was in the shade for most of the day.

The Chimney Swifts in the three towers we can monitor with video cameras all did extremely well with all eggs hatching and all the nestlings surviving.  Several of the young had fledged by the end of the month, and we delighted to see them soaring overhead with the adults.  The adults are molting and have a rather ragged appearance due to the missing feathers, but the wings of the young are sleek and dark with smooth trailing edges.  The swifts are clearly having a much better year than 2023, and we hope it continues through the summer breeding season.

Paul and Georgean Kyle
Sanctuary Stewards