The Great American Backyard Campout!

Campfires, stargazing, fireflies...there's nothing more summer-y than a good ol' fashioned campout. Whether it be in a backyard, park, beach, treehouse, or whatever, the feeling of falling asleep under the stars with a slight nighttime breeze and open air is...well, awesome.

With school just ending, and the official start of summer fast approaching (Tuesday June 21st, at 1:15 pm to be exact), there's no better way to appreciate the season in all its glory than by shaking out those old tents and spending a night outdoors. 

Ah, but there's always excuses. The family tent is 3 generations old, and pitching it one more time to shake out the mold might just be the last thing it ever does...the backyard can barely fit the flower garden, let alone a horde of people overnight...the neighbors don't want to be woken up at all hours of the night by excited camping kids...one more trip to the store for cooking and s'more supplies is one trip too many...ya, we get it.
Lucky for everyone, there's an opportunity to put all excuses aside and participate in:

The Great American Backyard Campout!

On Saturday, June 25th, all are invited to participate in this event, funded by the National Wildlife Federation. It can be alone in a backyard, or with a community in one of the many sponsored campsites. To find an area - or find out more information, check out the NWF website: http://online.nwf.org/site/PageNavigator/gabc_2010_home.

Honey Hollow is a registered campsite, with the fun starting at 7pm. ( http://www.bcas.org/BCASEvents.htm) Please call ahead to register.

May Rains

(This blog has temporarily been taken over by a summer intern. Please bear with the change in pace)

Welcome to the middle of May where yes, it's raining. Again. In fact, the forecast for the next ten days = more scattered showers and thunderstorms.

But this hasn't deterred the folks at Honey Hollow, nor the awesome school groups who have been visiting daily. This week so far has seen students from 3 different schools, with ages ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade, who partake in educational programs and enjoy the outdoors here in Bucks County.

The weather also hasn't deterred the Canada Geese; one pair of which welcomed a small group of students yesterday with a brand-new nest of goslings. They are located besides Audobon Pond - within relatavely close range of the Visitors Center. Watch out though, the parents are mighty protective of their newborns, so feel free to have a look, but keep a distance.

The rains still provide many opportunities for critter-watching, hiking, and education, which are continuing at Honey Hollow in full force during the end-of-school-year. Looking foward, the next few months should bring even more exciting educational events. But in the meantime, enjoy the week, enjoy the storms, and look for more updates coming soon.

Time for Spring Cleaning!

Did you know that most song birds will not re-use a box that has an old nest in it?  It is not certain why this is, but it may have to do with parasite and/or disease control.  Now is a good time to get outside and clean out your bluebird or other nest boxes.  If you were monitoring your boxes last spring, you probably know which species called your box home, but if you did not monitor you can tell by the type of nest they left behind.  Bluebirds make a nest 1 - 4 inches tall built of fine grasses with a relatively deep cup.  Tree swallows also use grass, but it is more coarse and the nest cup is not as deep. It may contain feathers or bits of paper.  House wrens make a nest of sticks that will nearly fill the box. The nest will have a deep cup lined with feathers or fine plant fibers.  They are less likely to use a box if it is 200 feet from wooded or brushy areas.  House sparrow are an undesirable, non-native species that should be discouraged.  Their build a tall nest of coarse grasses, often with pieces of scrap paper, cellophane, or other garbage. The nest forms a canopy with a tunnel-like entrance.  If your box had a house sparrow, you should consider removing it.

Remove the old nest material and discard it in your compost or just toss it into the woods.  If the box contains mouse droppings or looks un-appetizing due to mildew or other issues, it can be wiped out with a weak (10%) bleach solution and air-dried.  This is also a good time to complete any repairs: replace broken boards, tighten screws and nails, make sure closures are tight and so on. 

While you are cleaning and repairing, you may be pleasantly surprised by an unexpected occupant!  visit our Facebook page to see what Jen B. of Reading found in her wood duck box...