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The Box, or the Location?

wwwonderwhiskers

14 years ago

Hello. With all your help, we are awaiting the 2nd hatching so far this season - 5 eggs first time, 5 eggs this time.

After writing a little background info below, my question will be, are the birds more devoted to the Box? Or to the Location?

We moved into our new construction last September, picked up two different brands of BBird boxes in November, and put both of them up early March this year. The birds immediately moved into the one closest to the house, which (IMHO) is an optimal place for protection, and proximity to shade, staging trees, water, and food.

Not knowing anything yet about much, just for the convenience of the mounting preparation, we put the Audubon box closest to the house, and the Bailey's house at the back of the lot. Blues moved into the Audubon box immediately, and this is their 2nd clutch. Carolina Chickadees moved into the spacious Bailey box at the end of the lot, and produced 6 chicks.

After watching, reading, learning, and studying so far both sialis and the actual birds, we are thinking that after this next group fledges, that we might remove the Audubon box, and replace it with a little more spacious Bailey box. We're considering this because the Bailey box has round vent-holes in the top for this warmer weather, a metal roof, and is almost an inch more spacious inside.

I am wondering if the new box will spook them away? Or are they more dedicated to the same location?

All opinions appreciated. By "Bailey" box, I mean the Homes For Bluebirds boxes originally done & designed by Jack Finch out of Bailey, NC (it's so confusing to call them Finch houses, LOL, so I call them Bailey house).

Thx, Les.

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Comments (3)

lisa11310
14 years ago
I would leave the box they are happy with . A metal roof scares me, is it over a wooden roof?
dzyg
14 years ago
I'm with Lisa on the metal roof? If it isn't over a wooden roof, I would think it would heat the box up an awful lot. What are the floor dimensions of each box?

Personally I think it is both the box and the location for the BLues when they choose. I have had the same female Blue for three years now (they don't overwinter here either) she always chooses one of two boxes on the east side of our house. Last year by the time she got here both of those boxes were taken by Tree Swallows. So she chose the only empty box we had on the west side of the house. By the time the first nesting fledged the Tree Swallows had also already fledged and she took the box on the east side for her second nesting. This year she came back before the TRES and she chose the same box as she had for her second nesting last year. She was in a NABS box on the east side for her first year here, then her second year she was in an XBox on the west side for her first nesting and a Gilwood on the east side for her second nesting. This year she chose the Gilwood for both first and second nestings so far. So she does prefer the east side of the house but she has taken two different kinds of boxes over there too. The nestboxes are about 30 feet apart on the east side. This is just my observation of one female though so no clue how they really decide.

Donna
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wwwonderwhiskers
Original Author
14 years ago
It's just tin-wrapped to protect the wood more:

http://www.danfinch.com/birds.htm

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