Few of the summer bird experiences on our property have topped
the doubly successful nesting of eastern bluebirds in a new type
of bird house, or nest box as I prefer to call it, that I built
this early spring. The first clutch of four eggs hatched in
later June and the young birds fledged very nicely. Not long
after they left, the second clutch of eggs was laid. As of
yesterday, July 17, three of the eggs had hatched.
Fortunately the location of our place would be considered very
good bluebird habitat. The nest box is located along the edge of
our west boundary line bordering a five-acre field. The entrance
of the box faces north toward some of the shrubs and small trees
that line the boundary. To the east of the nest box lies our
open field and adjacent to that is our large fenced in garden.
I do mow around the inside perimeter of the garden as well as
the outside of the fence. Bluebirds favor perches close to short
vegetation that the mowing provides. The continuous 320 feet of
76-inch-high fence wire provides them with excellent hunting
perches from which insects can easily be seen and caught. Also,
the birds’ flight distances to the nearest roads, south and west
of the nesting site, are only around 800 feet. There the power
lines also provide the birds with good hunting perches.
On several occasions, especially shortly after the bluebirds
arrived last spring, the pair came to the bird baths in our front
yard which is located approximately 400 feet from their nesting
area. I can’t emphasize strongly enough the importance of
providing water for the birds throughout the year.
We obtained the idea for the successful nest box last
September at the annual meeting of the Bluebird Restoration
Association of Wisconsin, Inc. (BRAW) at the Mosquito Hill Nature
Center near New London. What an impressive group of people they
are, highly dedicated to helping the bluebirds and other birds as
well, strictly on a volunteer basis.
You will read in their excellent quarterly newsletter,
Wisconsin Bluebird, "The mission and purpose of the
bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin, Inc. (BRAW) is to
monitor and increase the production of Eastern Bluebirds and
other native cavity-nesters through a coordinated statewide nest
box construction and monitoring program."
One look at BRAW’s elected officers, directors, committee
chairpersons and BRAW liaisons will quickly convince you of the
highly-motivated, hard-working people and a smoothly-running
organization. The annual meeting chair, data collection and
analysis, county coordinator, funding, membership, nest box
designs, public relations, student and youth outreach committee,
and nominations are included in the various responsibilities and
activities of the group.
This year’s annual meeting, including various research topics
and other educational programs, will be held on September 20 at
the James Williams Jr. High in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. In case
you are interested in attending the meeting, learning a lot more
about bluebirds and meeting some wonderful people, drop a note to
Don L. Bragg, Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin,
Inc., 4303 Timber Lane, Rhinelander, WI 54501. Don is both
membership chairman and the editor of the newsletter. Dues are
$10 per year.
Our successful nest box design, learned at last year’s
meeting, is simply called the Kentucky Nest Box. There are
several features of the box that are different than most other
designs. The floor area is 4"x 4". The person who
highly recommended this plan suggested that the floor area of
bluebird boxes should never exceed 16 square inches.
Instead of there being a round entrance hole measuring one and
a half inches in diameter, this plan calls for a U-shaped slot
that is one and a quarter inches in diameter. I drilled the
initial hole with the center being one and five-eighths inches
from the top of the front and then simply used a coping saw to
extend the sides of the hole to the very top of the front panel.
This in turn made the entrance into a U-shape. Obviously the
adult bluebirds enter the hole very easily.
The front panel of the box is only six and quarter inches
high, and the roof is flat, so you can imagine that the nest box
is really quite small. I hinged the top opening at the back so
the box is very easy to monitor. The secret of eliminating
raccoons, snakes and other predators from climbing to the box
lies in the way it is mounted. I pounded a five-foot section of
half-inch "rebar" (concrete reinforcing rod) into the
ground about one foot. Over this I slid a five-foot length of
half-inch metal electrical conduit pipe to which the box is
easily mounted using C-shaped conduit clamps.
I’ll do an in-depth story in the near future providing more
complete plans for this great little house so you’ll be all ready
by early next spring. In the meantime enjoy the bluebirds of
happiness!
The female eastern bluebird lays – what else?
– blue eggs.
This column appeared in the Door County Advocate
on 07/26/2003.
© Copyright 2003 Roy Lukes. All rights reserved.
