Thank you, Susan Broderick, for a generous and thoughtful in-kind gift that is already capturing the imagination of our youngest birders!
It all started with a conversation at the send-off picnic for Brad Andres and Heather Johnson in May. I had previously joined Rachel Hutchison on a nest box monitoring expedition at Alderfer/Three Sisters. It was a fascinating experience, opening nest boxes for a peek inside and recording the nesting activities. As I shared the experience with Susan, she had an idea that would make monitoring easier–a specialized handheld camera.
(Photo: Susan Broderick and Linda Engelhart)
When the Teslong camera arrived, Susan and I met at Three Sisters for a training session. First, we practiced on some nests we knew to be empty. Then we felt that we were ready for a live nest. We could see a mountain bluebird mother near the intended nest box as we approached but it just took a short time to insert the extension arm and camera lens through the portal and take several photos of the adorable nestlings. Mom was attentive but didn’t seem too concerned and went right back to tending her brood as we walked away.
Susan, a long-time chapter member, has a background in biology. In her professional life, she served as a fish and wildlife biologist for the Bureau of Reclamation, working on water projects throughout the western US. She has a Master’s degree in Wildlife Management and an undergraduate degree in fisheries science. During her work monitoring wildlife populations, she used handheld cameras to monitor nest boxes. It was her inspiration to ask if we could use such a camera, and if we could, she offered to donate one.
Then I took the camera home to practice on my nest boxes before sharing the camera with Emma Vasicek for use at the Nature Center and during other programs.
Emma was excited to learn how to operate the camera and subsequently shared it with her elementary campers, the Playful Pikas. The children thought the camera was very cool!
Our heartfelt thanks to Susan for sharing this wonderful gift and her expertise with Evergreen Audubon!