Actually Kendra,I've seen them here in winter. A flock flew over my head last February (could hear them communicating) I just don't feed them in the winter. Too much else to worry about, haha. And when they are ready to mate, they won't nest for weeks! They check out boxes every day and stay together but don't start building nests until the end of March/April. The blues either know there's a Hosp claiming it, wait, or don't realize it and I end up trapping it before the blues are ready to nest.

Well, bluebirds are funny. Even though we build them "perfect" boxes, they will nest in strange places, and I think we all wish we could get inside their heads sometimes! Some people will either put out mealworms, sprinkle nesting material around the base of the box (usually pine needles), or even put a blue ribbon on the top (take down when bluebirds come, as it reminds the male of the wing-wave of another bird). However, despite best-laid plans, nature has a way of forging its own path. I saw a similar situation with tree swallows last summer - they chose a cheap decorative birdhouse with holes on both sides, totally odd size and layout to the house, hanging unsteadily on a branch. They built a nest and I believe had eggs, but later abandoned it (too many children around). I can still peek in and see the nest/feathers because there's no way to open it! I can only imagine how discouraging it is that your blues aren't nesting in your box, but look on the bright side: you can still see them coming and going, and since bluebirds often come back to the same vicinity next year (or even for their next brood) perhaps you can entice them to your box with some yummy mealworms. :) Best of luck!

Tim, I am so sorry this has happened. This is the third incidence this season that I have heard of a HOSP going in a nestbox with a spooker attached. I have no clue what the other spookers look liked but what does yours look like? Does it have the dowels that come over the roof of the box with streamers hanging down touching the roof of the nestbox all the way from the back to the front of the nestbox? Do you have two dowels coming out over it or just one? That is the only thing I can think of is that the spooker wasn't as scary as it should be. However....HOSP seem to be really bad this year all over the US. I am having way more of them interested in nestboxes than usual this year and so are many others. I am worried about a pair of TRES right now that haven't started laying eggs yet. A HOSP pair is hanging around them...this is at a park where I have a small trail. I have trapped five down there this Spring already.

I took out a hosp in my bluebird house about a month ago. Tree swallows had nested and were just completing the nest when a hosp was sticking his head out the box, chirping that gawd awful sounding chirp. Like he was excited he took over their nest. One pellet from 10 yards away, went into the box to collect my bounty. I've done the passive route, doesn't work. They kill anything and everything. So, I remove them. What I have learned is, trapping them with a repeating trap only brings them in to another food source. If you aren't killing them, you are encouraging them. I've noticed that once you start shooting them, they will get the hint. They are still prevalent in my neighborhod, but clearly avoid my yard, houses and feeders. A small pump pistol pellet gun with scope was under $75 bucks and for me it works great. Its small enough for me to target hosp, without my neighbors knowing what I'm doing. Its quiet enough for them to not hear a shot ring out and lethal at 10 yards from my shooting rest that I can make a quick kill. And, on weekends or winter, its safe and quiet to shoot indoors in my basement at 10 yards into a pellet trap.. perfect to keep me accurate. Its not for everyone, but these are an invasive species... no different than the round gobie that has taken over the Great Lakes. DEC says its illegal to release you must kill them. I see hosp as no different. Good luck to all of you in your BB and TRES nest sites this season.