Volunteer Spotlight: Annie Huidekoper
How did you get started?
My father was a big Bluebird fan. Seeing those lovely birds and their activity alongside him, made me fall in love with Bluebirds. Bluebirds can be a challenge to attract to your back yard feeder if you’re not near open land or prairie. Live meal worms are the best food to attract them. I also see them in my birdbath from time to time. Actually, one of the best ways to attract birds to your yard is with bird baths. There are nine birds in the bath right now as I look out the window (I have heated birth baths obviously). Working with the birds along the Eastern Bluebird Trail makes me look forward spring even more than usual.
I got started as a volunteer by reaching out to Val Cunningham who managed the Bluebird Trail at the Como golf course. I got assigned to the trail near by house (where I can avoid any flying golf balls). I got to train with Sharon Shinomiya for two years. She had managed this trail for 11 years.
What is a year on the Bluebird Trail like?
Exactly when the nesting boxes go out depends on the weather. I’m learning the sweet spot of when to put the boxes on their posts in March or April as the birds return. I’ve been leaving a few boxes up through the winter and have actually seen birds in them, which makes me thrilled.
After the boxes are up, I check them once each week. I open up each box to take a look. Before I take a look, I tap the box so if anyone in there needs to fly out, they have the chance.
When it gets really hot in the summer, I put cold wet rags or umbrellas over the boxes to keep them cooler.
The birds literally fly the coop in Aug. At the end of nesting season, I take down the boxes, clean them out and store them in my garage.
We use three different styles of nesting boxes, including the Peterson style (the traditional triangular wooden box). I’ve found that the new PVC models, which are round, are really easy to look inside without disturbing the nest.
Do other birds use the boxes?
Chickadees often get into the houses in the early spring to nest a brood before the Bluebirds appear. We’ve also had some house wrens in the boxes. I love their beautiful call.
Sparrows will sometimes claim a nesting box. We do try to discourage House Sparrows from nesting in the boxes because they are invasive and already crowd out Bluebirds. If I see a House Sparrow nest with no eggs yet, I’ll pull it out and leave the door to the box open to find encourage the birds to find another spot to nest in.
There is a citizen science aspect to this job to help nurture the declining Blue Bird population whose habitats have been reduced. Tell us about that part of the work.
As a monitor, I report activity in the boxes to both Saint Paul Natural Resources and to the Blue Bird Recovery Program of Minnesota. They collect from multiple sites across the state.
More than 40 Bluebirds hatched and fledged last year along my trail. I just pulled out the chart and in 2023 across more than 4,100 sites in Minnesota, over 14,000 eggs were reported. Of those, more than 12,000 hatched and 11,636 birds fledged. Here in Ramsey County, this trail is one of 132 sites that reported 406 eggs 363 hatches and 332 fledged birds. I realized that means that just this trail fledged 12% of the recorded Bluebirds.
What do you enjoy most about your work as a Blue Bird Trail monitor?
While I’m working along the trail, I meet all kinds of people. Kids will ask “what are you doing?” I love their curiosity and they often ask questions I’ve never thought of before.
And I grew up with Silent Spring [the book by Rachel Carson which documented the environmental harm caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides]. I love seeing all the different ways nature says “we’re going to thrive.”
On a personal level, I was encouraged to work on mindfulness. So, I started taking photos during my work. When I’m with the birds, observing them and taking photos, that is complete mindfulness for me.
And I have to give a shout out to Tricia Wherle, the Volunteer Coordinator for Saint Paul Natural Resources at Parks and Rec. She has been so supportive. When I asked if we could add houses closer to my home, she helped get the approval. So now there are a couple of new houses. I can almost see one from my house. Those new boxes attracted birds for the first time last year.
Inspired? Volunteer in Saint Paul parks! From Wildlife Monitors to Park and Garden Stewards, there are ways to make a difference that connect you to nature. Learn more
