Good for you for taking on this project. My best advice is to ask questions on this forum. You will get great advice. I will tell you my story in hopes that it will help you. About 3 years ago my son gave me 2 bluebird houses for Christmas. We put them up over the holidays. We had bluebids in both houses the next season (since bluebirds are in my area all year, we saw a male looking at one of the houses the day we put it up). That next year I also made some of my own houses, found some that had been on the property for years that I did not know about, and bought some houses. I am in my 3rd year and am monitoring 17 houses. The increase in bluebirds over the past 3 years has been amazining. We've gone from hardly ever seeing a bluebird to seeing one every time we walk out the door. I have tried to cover the basics with each of my houses. All but 3 of my houses are on a metal or PVC pole that is 1 to 1 1/2 inch in diameter (and those 3 will be soon). They all are NABS approved houses. All of these houses have a predator guard on the poles. I always attach a sparrow spooker to each house as soon as the first egg in layed. I try to check each house at least once a week. I keep detailed records on each house for each check. I rely on this forum and the web site "sialis.org" for information and questions that I may have. Over the past 3 years I have lost very few blues (although each lose will affect you). On my first nesting this year I have about 65 eggs/babies/fledglings. I am going into my second nesting on some of my houses this season. It will take up a lot of your time, but believe me, it will be worth your efforts. Keep us posted on your experiences.

Phil

Thank you so much for the info, Phil. I plan on making my own nestboxes to replace the old ones. I believe the plans I have are NABS apporoved. If not I will find plans that are. I hope to make the universal box that can be turned around in the fall/winter to be a roosting box. I live in southern GA by the coast and have never seen a HOSP in this area or a House Wren. So that is a good thing. The poles that the houses are mounted on look to PVC but they do not have any baffles. Its gonna be alot of work the next few weeks to get the boxes cleaned out, repaired or replaces and brush cleared out around some of the houses. But I am really excited and plan to take lots of pictures to document this new journey! :-)

I agree with Phil,
Take lots of notes,things get confusing once all the boxes get occupied,even with notes LOL!

Matt

You've received some very good advice. You can find nestbox designs online. One source is Texas Parks & Wildlife. Here is the link. You'll have to copy and paste since I don't know how to post a live link. Pg 16 has plans.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0512.pdf

Linda C

Thanks so much! I plan on getting a little notebook to keep in my car so I can stop and check on things. Thank you all for the help and suggestions. I am really excited and scared.