Community members and service groups, working with the Napa/Solano Audubon Society, are assembling bird-nesting boxes today at the California Native Plant Society’s Wildflower Show at Skyline Park in Napa. The nesting boxes, made from kits, will be placed in the field in locations provided by the Audubon Society.

Next week the activity will be part of Napa Earth Day activities at Napa College.

Individuals may adopt nesting boxes to place on their own property, where they will monitor them, keep records of nesting activities and report to the Breeding Bird Atlas coordinator. An adoption fee of $20 includes a one-year membership in the Napa-Solano Audubon Society.

The Wildflower show is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bird box construction is 1-3:30 p.m. Informational displays and plant material for attracting birds to the garden will be available throughout the day. Max Hunter of Western Dovetail has donated his time to produce the nesting box parts.

Every year birds build nests to lay their eggs and raise their chicks. Some birds rely on other animals such as woodpeckers to create nesting cavities, others on natural ones such as holes in trees and stumps created by nature. Unfortunately, natural nesting habitats are disappearing. New housing developments and industry are reducing the amount of natural habitat and agriculture is changing from orchards to vineyards. This puts some species of birds at risk of disappearing or at least population decline, especially affecting owls.

Nesting boxes are sized to cover several species of birds, small ones for wrens and similar small birds, to larger ones for owls. Nesting boxes offer conditions under which some bird populations may increase. Owls give back to farmers who put up nesting boxes, keeping rodents and other pests in check.

Anyone interested in helping their feathered friends is invited to join the Napa/Solano Audubon Society, which is compiling data on breeding birds of Solano County. The Napa/Solano Audubon Society meets monthly on Tuesday evening for educational programs on birds and other natural history subjects, and enjoys monthly field trips, as well as several more distant outings throughout the year. Additionally there are weekly walks in various communities, youth education opportunities, citizen science projects and birding and environmental events throughout the year. For details see our Web site at www.napasolanoaudubon.com. Info, e-mail nsas_birdboxes2007@pacbell.net.