The refuge recently welcomed the Central Ohio Chapter of the Ohio Young Birders Club. This group of ornithologically inclined youth traveled from Columbus to install Tree Swallow houses throughout Stange Prairie.
After some finishing touches adding predator guards to the houses, the group headed out into the grasses. They positioned the boxes along a grid system, giving each an identifying number. Once the swallows move in next spring our monitors will move through the prairie systematically recording their population.
Interested in becoming a nest monitor, learning more about these incredible birds, and spending some quality time outdoors? Give Heidi Hughes, the Executive Director of the refuge’s Friends Group, a call at 419-898-0014.
The parking lot served as our makeshift construction site. Power tools in hand, the kids quickly attached the predator guards to the boxes. (Photo by the author)
Tree Swallows thrive in open grassy areas like Stange Prairie. This field is connected to the rest of Ottawa NWR, but is most easily accessible from Stange Road a few miles west of the main entrance. (Photo by the author)
The Central Ohio Chapter of the Ohio Young Birders Club proudly displays their bird houses. (Photo by the author)
Tree Swallows like this one will move into their new homes in the spring. These cheerful birds are extremely agile flyers and feed off insects they catch mid-flight. (Photo by Heidi Hughes)
There And Beak Again 
I enjoyed this article and photos. When you next write, could you include information about what a predator guard is and what predators it guards against please. Also, it’s interesting that Tree Swallows like grassy areas!
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