Sounds like time well spent. Now let's hope that House Wren stays away. You haven't gone off the edge, just dedicated and doing the best you can. We have to make sure they accept the changes we make. Most of them learn pretty quickly.
They do teach one another. I love to share this story from my backyard:
An older female (with us for years) took a young male, probably his first adult year, as her new mate after her mate was lost. The nest was complete with eggs, and they both knew how to use the mealworm feeder. Evidently, he was ready to feed the youngsters already and kept taking beakfuls of mealworms to the nestbox, and dropping them on the eggs!
Well, each time he did that, she would follow him, retrieve the mealworms from among the eggs, and return to the feeder to feed HIM! It was priceless. Eventually, he got the idea, and fed her. Many of us have seen their courting behavior, when the male feeds the female as she begs like a fledgling, wings all fluttering. But this was a first for me!
BlueBars

How did you fashion your wren gaurd? Or did you purchase one? We all still need help in this area, so please respond!
Rebecca

BB, that is the funniest bird story I have EVER heard! I can just picture him in there wondering WHAT IN THE WORLD is wrong with those eggs that they aren't eating!!!

Jane, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I'm sorry you had to sit out there in the cold, but it must have been fun to watch them learn.

Rebecca, I think you're asking Jane about her guard, but I'll tell you about mine too. When I make a guard I use cardboard from a cracker or cereal box. It needs to be as wide as the front of the box. Mine cover the entire front and then wrap partially around the sides so the birds enter from the bottom. I fold the cardboard and secure the folds with duct tape and then thumbtack it to the roof. There are other ways to attach it that also work well, but the tacks work for me. A cardboard guard will hold up through lots of rain.

I also have a funny bird story. We called our female our "guard" bird. Whenever someone would come up our drivway, our dogs would bark and the female would ALWAYS stick her head out of the hole to see who was coming up the drivway. She was so hilarious to watch. I sure hope she comes back!

I love these BB stories...it just brightens my day..thanks for sharing...

I really really REALLY needed to hear those stories.
Thanks
Cathy

Our little mamma bird had such an acute sense of hearing. We watched out the window as I would turn the lock on the patio door, her little head would pop up into the opening and she'd start watching for me. As soon as I stepped into view she would come half way out of the hole to see if I would be coming to the box. If she saw that I was, she would fly to the top of my neighbor's house and wait for me to leave the goodies in the feeding tray. I wouldn't even get back in the house until she'd be at the feeder. It was probably mean of me, but occasionally when I just needed a smile, I'd turn the lock in the door just to see her little face pop up. That was also my way of checking to see if she was on the nest.

Rebecca,my husband just took a piece of board the width of the box and we screwed it onto the edge of the roof.Mine does not wrap around the sides.It has worked in years past so I am hoping for the best.Mine gives them 2 inches to get under it.I was not home all day today,but she came off the nest when I checked for those nasty sticks in my other boxes.So far,I have only heard that horrible sound from HOWR,not seen them and no sticks yet.I know when I fist started having bluebirds and found this forum,I also found how to put on the wren guard from a member called vonyon a few years ago.I have received lots of help over the years through good times and bad.Good luck.My eggs should hatch in the next couple days. Jane

My little Blueman is all mixed up. HE and the Missus are checking out boxes again for a possible second brood, but they seem more interested in the box they didn't use last time. Anyway, he was sitting on top of the house and Mrs. was inside. I whistled to them both and they came swooping over for mealworms. He stuffed his beak full and then went back over to the empty, never before used box and stuck his head in the hole. Upon discovering no babies inside, he sort of did a double take and then hopped up to the roof. There he sat with the funniest expression on his face, head cocked to one side, worms wiggling like a possessed moustache until he finally got that "LIGHTBULB" look and flew off out of the yard to find some of his fledglings to feed. I think for a second there he actually went back in time. So cute!

Hatching occured sometime today.It's sort of hard to see into the box easily because of the wren guard,but I know they need that to be safe.The blues aren't eating the mealies,but the orioles and the catbirds think they are just great.Happy birding.....Jane