Over the past few months, Ruisseau Jackson Protected Natural Area (RJANP) has been identifying sites for nesting boxes for two endangered bird species, the wood duck and the tree swallow, in line with the spirit of our mission of nature conservation and raising community awareness of the biological diversity in the area around Ruisseau Jackson.
New tenants wanted
Yesterday, four wood duck and ten tree swallow nests were installed on the banks of the creek. Moreover, Ruisseau Jackson now has a five-year membership in Développement ornithologique Argenteuil (DOA) [website in French only].
Our goal is to provide nesting sites for bird species that nest in cavities, but rarely breed in the area because of the lack of natural spaces. A number of these species have been declining for many years now in Quebec, and this initiative will mainly foster their recovery locally and regionally. For Ruisseau Jackson, the initiative also illustrates the importance of protecting natural habitats and wetlands.
Our goal is to provide nesting sites for bird species that nest in cavities, but rarely breed in the area because of the lack of natural spaces.
Martin Gauthier, Vice-President of RJANP, led the project. The installation was completed in one morning, but took many weeks of preparation, all of which was made possible by Martin Picard, Ornithologist and Director General of DOA.
Martin Gauthier, Vice-President of RJANP, led the project. The installation was completed in one morning.
Réseau de nichoirs Argenteuil (RNA) [network of nesting boxes]
Our initial collaboration with DOA involves a 10-year commitment in which we will help maintain the nesting boxes we installed in the fall. The organization has been working with the Argenteuil RCM (website in French only) for over 15 years protecting endangered bird species. Through the RNA, DOA is helping various bird species (including the tree swallow, the eastern bluebird, the barred owl and the wood duck) find good nesting sites to increase their populations locally and regionally. Each nesting box is numbered, pinpointed on a map, monitored and maintained by DOA. The information collected in the nests will help DOA closely follow the targeted species. So far, the RNA has over 450 nesting boxes and structures for many bird species.
Ruisseau Jackson Nature Reserve
Four of the fourteen identified sites are in the Ruisseau Jackson Nature Reserve owned by the Municipality of Morin-Heights, which supported the initiative. The sites were chosen along the riparian strip where the birds usually nest and where they can best be protected in that environment. There were no other easily accessible spots where we could maintain the boxes. Moreover, the stream bank is an ideal location for nesting boxes for both the wood duck and the tree swallow.
The poles for the nesting boxes were carefully installed using a minimal amount of environmentally responsible materials, thus preserving the riparian strip’s ecological integrity. The Ruisseau Jackson team was pleased to see that there was no need to dig or otherwise disturb the soil in placing the poles. Three damaged nesting boxes that had been installed in the 1990s were removed from the site. The new boxes will be inspected twice a year, first by the Ruisseau Jackson team, then by the DOA team, thus ensuring that the boxes are maintained and that any damaged boxes—a rare occurrence—get repaired.
Sustained collaborations
This iniatiative would not have been possible without the generous financial contribution of a donor: Mr. Mathieu Filion. Mr. Filion was also a key collaborator in the creation of the Ruisseau Jackson Nature Reserve in 2019.
Ruisseau Jackson has been working with Développement ornithologique Argenteuil (Facebook page in French only) for a long time. In 2016, DOA published an inventory (in French only) of the birds on a property in the area. It also organized a segment of the 2018 RuisseauBlitz (in French only). During this birdwatching activity, we identified 52 bird species in under two hours! The same year, following a popular vote, RJANP announced its new emblematic bird: the northern waterthrush. Three species were in the running for this contest.
Please note that the nesting boxes are not visible and cannot be accessed from any trails. We will let you know next summer as soon as the new winged tenants have arrived.
Photo gallery (the day of the installation)
The project took many weeks of preparation, all of which was made possible by Martin Picard, Ornithologist and Director General of DOA.
Martin Picard, Ornithologist and Director General of DOA, hard at work.
The nesting boxes are not visible and cannot be accessed by any trails.
We will let you know next summer as soon as the new winged tenants have arrived.
Each nesting box is numbered, pinpointed on a map, and monitored and maintained by DOA.
Four nesting boxes for wood ducks and ten for tree swallows were installed on the stream banks.
The Ruisseau Jackson team was pleased to see that there was no need to dig or otherwise disturb the soil in placing the poles.
The poles for the nesting boxes were carefully installed using a minimal amount of environmentally responsible materials, thus preserving the riparian strip’s ecological integrity.
Our goal is to provide nesting sites for bird species that nest in cavities, but rarely breed in the area because of the lack of natural spaces.
For Ruisseau Jackson, the installation of nesting boxes is also a symbolic gesture illustrating the importance of protecting natural habitats and wetlands.