Post by mike692 on Jul 28, 2006 14:31:21 GMT -5
Anyone erect and maintain BB boxes? I put up my first two in the spring of '05 on my wife's clothesline posts. One box was unused and a pair of tree swallows used the second. Lesson learned; Do NOT place bird boxes on wooden posts. A coon got the brood of TRES one night.
This spring I put the two boxes on metal fence posts about 30 yards apart. A pair of TRES used one box and filled the other with nesting material. They successfully raised a brood this time.
In early June I noticed a male BB hanging around, so I put up a third and fourth box. One with a slotted entrance instead of the traditional round one. The male chose this box and him and his mate successfully raised 5 young.
I gave them a week to see if they would raise another but a house wren moved in and started to fill the box with sticks. Not sure where this guy went to but the box remains empty.
I found a nest of deer mice in the box the tree swallow's used.
Which is fine...better there than the fur shed. ;D
Another thing I've found is that to have any success with bluebirds, you need to control the house sparrow population. I built a cage trap and have caught and killed over 60 house sparrows this year. I tossed them, but I imagine they would make a fine trapping bait. Filthy vermin.
This spring I put the two boxes on metal fence posts about 30 yards apart. A pair of TRES used one box and filled the other with nesting material. They successfully raised a brood this time.
In early June I noticed a male BB hanging around, so I put up a third and fourth box. One with a slotted entrance instead of the traditional round one. The male chose this box and him and his mate successfully raised 5 young.
I gave them a week to see if they would raise another but a house wren moved in and started to fill the box with sticks. Not sure where this guy went to but the box remains empty.
I found a nest of deer mice in the box the tree swallow's used.
Which is fine...better there than the fur shed. ;D
Another thing I've found is that to have any success with bluebirds, you need to control the house sparrow population. I built a cage trap and have caught and killed over 60 house sparrows this year. I tossed them, but I imagine they would make a fine trapping bait. Filthy vermin.
