Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
leekle2mane

To protect or not to protect.

This weekend the kids will be building a pair of Bluebird houses. I have done the cutting and predrilling, so they just need to do the assembly.

But the hard part is going to be finding places to mount them. Two sites I am considering are along the chain-link fence that runs along my 'back' yard. Mounting in these spots will give the houses the best sun, good spots for the adults to scout out food and multiple choices for the youngs' first flight destinations. It also gives fairly easy access to any snakes that might take notice.

I am on the fence here (pun intended!). On one hand, I want to give the bluebirds nesting opportunities (and finally fulfill all the requirements for a NWF Backyard Habitat certification). But I like balance. And snakes are a part of that balance. So finding different spots or protecting the nesting boxes might ensure that a nesting pair have a successful brood, but should I really be favoring one animal over the other? Do I go ahead and find new places so we get to see the entire process from egg to chick to first flight? Or do I just let nature take its course and we get to see the cycle of egg to chick to lunch? On the up side, I have only seen a few black racers and one coachwhip in my yard. And I think the coachwhip may have lost an argument with a car just down the street from me.

Comments (8)

  • zzackey
    10 years ago

    I think they have to be higher up. They nest in our big oak trees out front in full shade. I'm sure they fly around and find plenty to eat. Ours just came back last week. We put a big bird bath outside the kitchen window. They sure do love to bathe.

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    They sure do. Every afternoon when the shadows are at just the right spot, my yard gets invaded by bluebirds and pine warblers. At the beginning of the season it is somewhere around 5:15 - 5:45. By December or January it will be around 3:00 - 3:30. And yeah, mine just returned last week also.

    As far as height goes, specs suggest 5 -15 ft. The chainlink behind me is a 6 ft one. So addind a 3-4 ft extension should put the box in a good spot.

    This post was edited by Leekle2ManE on Thu, Nov 7, 13 at 16:29

  • zzackey
    10 years ago

    I don't know what a warbler looks like. We have tiny finches that get just a little bit of yellow on their chests, doves and mourning doves. I just tried to google the bluebird house height. My computer is dong something wierd. I used to be able to just go to the site, Now it is asking me who sent it to me or just blocking me from getting on. 5 feet would be handy for you to check on it and to clean it out at the end of the year. We had 8 bluebirds a few years ago. They didn't migrate in time. They stayed two whole years before they finally migrated. What a treat!!

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Pine Warblers are smaller than bluebirds, have brown on their back and a yellow patch near the tail. Mine seem to hang out with the bluebirds though. When they hit the field behind me before coming to the birdbath, the bluebirds hop from spot to spot around the ground and the pine warblers flit from the trees. They seem to flit out a few feet and then zip back to the trees. But looking really closely, I can sometimes make out the insects they're grabbing during these flights. Both birds come to the bird bath at the same time, but the warblers are usually the first to approach and test the water. As soon as the first warbler hops into the water the bluebirds descend. When they're done, they leave as a group and head in the same direction, usually somewhere east of my house. Also, the bluebirds and warblers are very keen on the sunken birdbaths. My other birdbath is on a short pedestal and they will all but ignore it in favor of the one I have sunken down in the ground.

    This post was edited by Leekle2ManE on Thu, Nov 7, 13 at 16:27

  • zzackey
    10 years ago

    we use a large cooler lid we found along the road with two bricks in it for them to sit on. It is right on the ground. Kinda rednecky, but it works!

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    10 years ago

    Leekle, in my opinion, this is a no-brainer. I do believe in "letting nature take its course" is when nature builds its own nest. But when you build and provide nesting/housing for these songbirds, you have an obligation and responsibility to protect them from predators. If you are going to have a nest box, the onus is on you to properly locate it and install baffles or other appropriate protection from snakes, racoons and other predators. Building a box and then watching a snake destroy the family inside is not an appropriate learning experience for your children. It is akin to setting up a trap. Please let bluebirds nest elsewhere if this is your plan. However, I think your children will get great enjoyment and a wonderful education from learning how to build and set up appropriate nesting sites, watching the eggs appear and the babies hatch, and then watching the parents - both parents! - feed the babies nonstop until they fledge. My nesting boxes have given me great enjoyment for the past several years and recently, I had three-to-four broods within the same season! (Two broods per season is most common.) You will love this if you take some care to do it right.

    Please read the following links as they are full of great information

    My GardenWeb posting about putting up a bluebird house:
    Got the Blues

    THE definitive Bluebird site with lots of info about where/how to put up a nestbox:
    Sialas (Bluebirds)

    Some of my bookmarks about making your own baffle:
    Baffle
    Conical Baffle
    Cone Baffle

    Carol in Jacksonville

    Here is a link that might be useful: Sialas (Bluebirds)

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Love, I guess I see your point. It would be a bit like me telling my Michigander friends, "Yeah, come on down and bring the kids," and then sitting back and seeing if they got attacked by the Florida Panther that prowls the area (I don't have one in my area, that I know of, just using the example). I should be able to devise a baffle to discourage snakes (as well as cats since I saw one strolling around my yard today).

  • Irma_StPete
    10 years ago

    Cool! Let us know what worked for your baffling!

Sponsored
Landscape Concepts of Fairfax, Inc.
Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars17 Reviews
Northern VA's Creative Team of Landscape Designers & Horticulturists