Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Blue Bird Nesting Boxes

I use old license plates for a roof. Folded 45 degrees and screwed on.

Love my bluebirds, I’ve got several boxes on mine and the neighbors farm’s. Lots of good advice on here..I like to face my boxes northeast and place them where they tend to get some evening shade.

Do three or four boxes if one can disperse them a bit. Had a pair do three broods one summer. Lost the first in box one to rain and cold, success in box two, and success again when they returned to box 1. Tree Swallows seem fond of the same boxes as well as the English Sparrows that I either toss out or shoot. If placed in some fairly dense cover House Wrens will use them as well. They have a habit though of filling nearby available haunts with twigs to retard competition.

I build quite a few out of PVC board and wife paints for people! Stainless screws and not rot! This was for my brother-in-law who’s retired from UNCW baseball coaching position after many years

Tagged.

growing up in PENN I had a friend who was big into building blue bird boxes and purple martins. Said starlings and English sparrows were the enemy to both of them. I believe he belonged to a blue bird society or something like that.

Dang, that's really early for swallows Dan. Which version arrived already?

Not a good sign for a continuation of "winter".

G,
Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows so far. The Violet Green will be next. All very early. Not sure what that portends for this coming summer, if anything, but...
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I think that blue birds are here all year. The swallows on the other hand,,,

Sure hope it's not as hot and dry as last summer. Still seeing trees that are red and dying from that 115 day.

I've got a 'flying squirrel' box that has yet to get any flying squirrels in it. Last year the swallows were looking at it quite a bit, but a chestnut-backed chickadee ended up in it.

Most of our small acreage is in timber. Just an acre around the house is cleared. Might put up a couple.

Great photo. I'm guessing Cookie's work.

When I started putting up nest boxes over 30 years ago I put two on trees on the edge of the field. Within a couple of weeks both were occupied by flying squirrels. After that all future boxes were mounted on metal poles in more open areas.

I was able to limit the wren intrusions on my bluebird boxes by building nest boxes that are purpose built for wrens. It helps but does completely stop them from building nest everywhere and on or in anything.

When mounting Blue Bird houses, always have the entrance hole facing a tree, building or power line. They like to observe the entrance from high and then fly down into it.

you're right. i see them doing it all the time. especially the males. the female goes in the box and the male hangs out on a nearby branch.

It makes a difference. We currently have 4 breeding pairs that stay here year round in the Foothills of NC. I started using 1 x 6 bullnose decking boards 20 yrs ago and still have some of the original boxes. Their biggest pest to date have been our barn cats! Can't stop Mother Nature!