Programs
Sandy Morrissey: My Journey with Eastern Bluebirds
From the First Nest Box to Banding Research
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
7 PM Refreshments, 7:30 Talk
Lenoir Nature Center
19 Dudley St, Yonkers, NY
Licensed bird bander Sandy Morrissey will take the audience on her journey into the world of Eastern Bluebirds—from her first nest box to a countywide project involving thousands of bluebird enthusiasts. She’ll share how her passion for bluebirds grew into the Bronx River-Sound Shore Audubon Society’s Eastern Bluebird Project, inspiring volunteers to build, install, and monitor hundreds of nest boxes.
Drawing on more than a decade of bird banding and recapture data, Sandy will explore what she has learned about the lives and habits of these beautiful birds. How long do bluebirds live? Do they mate for life? Do they return to the same nest box year after year? Do fledglings return to the area where they were born? And do bluebirds nesting on golf courses have the same nesting success as those in other habitats?
Sandy Morrissey is the past president of the Bronx River-Sound Shore Audubon Society and founder of its Eastern Bluebird Project. Since 1998 the project has grown to more than 300 nest boxes, monitored by over 50 bluebird enthusiasts at more than 60 locations throughout Westchester County and beyond.
After years of hearing questions such as, “How long do bluebirds live?” Sandy decided to find out for herself. She became a licensed bird bander in 2011 and has since banded more than 5,000 bluebirds, using banding and recapture data to learn more about their movements, survival, and nesting habits.
A lifelong Girl Scout, Sandy relies heavily on Girl Scout troops to build many of the project’s nest boxes—giving young people a hands-on opportunity to contribute to bluebird conservation while connecting with nature.