Chris started building Bluebird nest boxes shortly after we moved here 10 years ago. We love watching the birds nest each year. He adjusts positions as we watch the bird behavior and assess the best locations. We have found that the birds have the best survival opportunity if we place the nest boxes about 10 feet or more from the areas that we let grow natural. If the box is in the natural areas the baby bluebirds most often become snake dinner. We now have 3 bluebird boxes. Two of them are pretty reliable for bluebirds and one is most reliable for Tree Swallows.
This year he added boxes for Chickadees, Wrens and Wood Ducks. We are going to try to post frequent photos of the activity in the boxes. First, I'll show you where he placed the nest boxes.
We live on a 10 acre lot. This first photo is taken in front of the house looking toward the road. All three Bluebird boxes are in the front. There are two on the right and one on the left, just beyond the garden.
Here's the view from the furthest box looking back toward the house. There is a pond to the left of the house (behind the guest house) and the river runs behind the house.
Here's Bluebird Box #3. It's the closets to the house. All three boxes are position so that the front (opening) of the box is 10 - 15 feet from a tree so that the Bluebirds have a place to perch while guarding the nest.
He put up two Wood Duck boxes. We are are only "moderately hopeful" that we will get any Wood Ducks to nest but it was worth a try!
The first one is in the pond. This pond is just behind the guest house. See the second photo above for a point of reference.
He put the second one down by the river.
The next two boxes are the Chickadee and Wren boxes. There are several types of birds that might nest in these boxes. We've named them just based on the box pattern name.
This is the Chickadee box. If you are looking at the front of the house, it's to the right behind the garage. I can see this one from my "TV/Internet chair". That tree at the right edge of the photo is one of our bird feeder stations. We have seen Chickadees checking this one out already!
This is the Wren box. It is behind the house. Chris placed it so that I would be able to see it from my sewing room.
Now you have the settings. Here are the first photos of the 2008 birding season!
The early birds are building in Bluebird Box 1
But Bluebird Box 2 is also starting. The other properties are still vacant.
(I hope my friends D & C from New Hampshire will come to visit me again this year to see all of the birds nesting.)
