Please do not touch or open the boxes, and please do not touch the birds
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Here at Creamer's Field, the refuge is a haven for migrating as well as year-round residents. Birds, mammals and even frogs rely on this space as their home. The refuge is also a place for scientists to perform research and collect data on the inhabitants of the fields and forests.
One of the projects currently going on at the refuge is the Alaska Songbird Institute's branch of the Tree Swallow Monitoring Network. This is a state and nationwide program working to track the nesting progress of Tree Swallows. Both the adults and chicks are banded, so their migration patterns and nesting location habits can be tracked.
Out in the fields, you can see a scattering of nest boxes on posts. Each year, about 1/2 to 1/3 of the boxes are occupied by Tree Swallows, who stay from around mid-May to mid-June, building nests, laying eggs and raising chicks.
Through a community outreach and involvement initiative, ASI has both high school internships and youth mentoring programs that work to engage and inspire interest in science and conservation efforts. Interns and mentors get to help to collect data and learn about the birds, and you may see them walking around the fields from time to time.
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