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Field Observation Terminal · Nest Box Alpha · Installed April 10, 2026
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Project Avian Stream
Marston Station · Littleton, Colorado · Located on Denver Water Property
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39°37′N · 105°05′W · Elev. 5,478 ft · Hardware by Kevin Van Slycke · Solar-Powered
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Nest Box Phenological Record · Poecile atricapillus · April 10 – June 1, 2026 · Marston Station
Est. Temperature
Actual Temperature
Est. Humidity
Actual Humidity
90°F incubation threshold
Dashed lines represent phenologically modeled estimates derived from Denver ambient climate data (April avg low 33°F, high 62°F; May avg low 42°F, high 72°F) and published cavity microclimate research — interior nest box temperature rises 12–15°C above ambient during incubation, reaching 95–100°F at the egg surface. Interior relative humidity rises from ambient (~50%) to ~76–82% as Dee Dee's cutaneous water loss humidifies the moss foundation. Solid lines are actual DHT11 sensor readings from the nest box, updated every 30 minutes. The convergence of actual data onto the estimated curves marks each phenological transition.
Nesting Season Timeline · Dee Dee & Petey · Poecile atricapillus · Marston Station Alpha
Species Profile
Dee Dee and Petey represent one of the most cognitively sophisticated small birds in North America — built to endure the Rocky Mountain Front Range's punishing spring climate through physiology, architecture, and memory.
Order: Passeriformes / Family: Paridae
Length: 12–15 cm · Mass: 9–14 g
Lifespan: up to 12 years
Front Range status: year-round resident
Entry hole: 1⅛″–1¾″ (this box: 1½″) ✓
Single-brooded per season
Cache memory: up to 500,000 items/year
Hippocampus expands seasonally with cache demand
Petey's stress hormones triggered by harsh weather paradoxically improve his memory retrieval. During a spring blizzard he can locate thousands of cached food items to sustain himself and Dee Dee.
Dee Dee's Microclimate Engineering
Dee Dee engineers a sealed internal microenvironment that defeats Denver's semi-arid climate. The rising curves on the chart above mark the moment this engineering becomes visible in the sensor data.
Environment
Avg RH
Denver ambient (May)
53%
Artificial nest box
76–78%
Natural tree cavity
~90%
Dee Dee's brood patch: 38.5°C constant
Target incubation: 37.5–38.0°C
Cavity warmth advantage: 12–15°C over outside air
Petey provisions Dee Dee at the entry hole during incubation
Denver Climate Hazards
The Front Range spring poses severe threats to this nest. The average last freeze date is May 4–5 — but history shows freezes can extend deep into the nestling period.
Month
High
Low
RH
April
62°F
33°F
46–50%
May
72°F
42°F
53–56%
June
81°F
50°F
40–48%
Historical last freezes: June 8 (2007) · May 22 (2019)
A late freeze during nestling week 1 (est. May 12–18) can cause complete clutch failure through insect suppression.
Chart incubation signature: actual temp line crosses 90°F overnight and stays there. Begin 12–13 day countdown.
Questions & Comments
Questions about the project, the hardware, or Dee Dee and Petey? Reach the administrator: