What are the AKP suggested practices for maintaining and especially monitoring AMKE boxes? // I am a bird bander (primarily passerines, woodpeckers, and doves) who has been recruited by an Interpretive Naturalist to band AMKE. Mike Havlik (Dallas County Conservation) began tending, repairing, and monitoring 30 boxes about three years ago. // Mike is stunningly energetic, dedicated, and knowledgeable about raptors, yet he has very many other job duties and limited time. I live over 130 miles away from Mike's boxes. I have volunteered to research how best to tend and monitor and we will seek a local recruit/volunteer to follow up. // Can you provide us with on-line info regarding spring cleanup, monitoring, etc.? How often should boxes be checked? What are relatively non-invasive monitoring methods? Does anyone use a stick-mounted camera, inserting it through the entrance hole while on the ground? (Our boxes seem to average about 10 or 12 feet above ground, on roadside utility poles, adjacent to corn and soybean fields.) Does the AKP value AMKE banding? What traits are used to age nestlings? // On May 7, we checked 20 boxes. 75% occupancy, 61 eggs, 5 nestlings. One male was brooding, the rest female. // Do not know how to compare this data with others, nor do I have any further data regarding survivorship, etc. We will monitor for nestlings sometime aroung June 10 and might be able to collect some body feathers. // We are novices and need more info. // Thanks!