Boxes - When should they be put up?

Date: Sat, 08 Jun 2002 10:25:19 -0400
From: Doug Woodruff w4law"at"woodruffgroup.us
To: bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Nesting Season in NW GA

Good morning!

Is anyone familiar enough with the nesting habits/season of EABL in NW GA to tell me if putting up more boxes now would be a good idea or just waste of time?

Doug

From: "emcooper" emcooper"at"bayou.com
To: w4law"at"woodruffgroup.us, bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: Nesting Season in NW GA
Date: Sat, 8 Jun 2002 10:53:32 -0500

I don't know about now, but I put one up in the middle of April and that is late for here and to my surprise a few days ago, it had 5 beautiful bluebird eggs in it!!! In fact, I have had 9 boxes in use this second nesting and 7 the first nesting cycle. Two more have partial nests in them, but were not finished. I think I am having a bluebird population explosion! I had 35 eggs first time and have 41 second. There is one pair on the third nesting cycle. They were three weeks ahead of all the others. Last year, I had 4 active nest boxes out of the 11 put up.

Evelyn Cooper
Delhi, La.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Woodruff" w4law"at"woodruffgroup.us
To: bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu
Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2002 9:25 AM
Subject: Nesting Season in NW GA

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From: "MJShearer" eshearer"at"attbi.com
To: bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: Nesting Season in NW GA
Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2002 08:17:52 -0400

Hi Doug and all,

I'm in NW GA (metro Atlanta area), and the EABL's in my yard just began incubating their second nesting of 5 eggs. I think you could possibly have activity in a new box, but there's only one way to find out.... Try it and see what happens.

MJ
(Mary Jane Shearer; Tucker, GA)

 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Woodruff" w4law"at"woodruffgroup.us
To: bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu
Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2002 9:25 AM
Subject: Nesting Season in NW GA

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Date: Sun, 09 Jun 2002 10:02:00 -0500
To: w4law"at"woodruffgroup.us, bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu
From: Kate Oschwald bbnestbox"at"1starnet.com
Subject: Re: Nesting Season in NW GA

At 10:25 AM 6/8/02 -0400, Doug Woodruff wrote:
Good morning!

Is anyone familiar enough with the nesting habits/season of EABL in NW

...

I put nestboxes up at any time of year. It gives the birds a place for a second or third nesting, and more places to choose from if they don't like the first choice. There may also be birds that didn't get a chance to nest yet, due to housing shortage, so they will have a chance this season if you put nestboxes up now.

Kate Oschwald
Paris, TX
100 mi NE of Dallas
33.6853N 95.6293W

From: "Nancy C. Hebb" Fencroft"at"msn.com
To: "BLUEBIRD LIST" BLUEBIRD-L"at"Cornell.edu
Subject: How late is too late?
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 19:29:27 -0500

How late is too late to put up boxes (s. Mich.)?

I think my pair has abandoned their box. Started nest, but yesterday I noticed them working hard to defend it . Today they were away more than near the box, although they ate mealworms nearby early in the day.

You list members have been a great source of information! Thanks.

N. Hebb

From: "Bruce Burdett" blueburd"at"tds.net
To: Fencroft"at"msn.com, "BLUEBIRD LIST" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: How late is too late?
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 20:45:32 -0500

Nancy, et al,
I've had Bluebirds start nesting in June, and second nestings in July. It's not nearly too late. I haven't even seen one in 2003.
Bruce Burdett, SW NH
----- Original Message -----
From: Nancy C. Hebb
To: BLUEBIRD LIST
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2003 7:29 PM
Subject: How late is too late?

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From: "Snoopy" snoopy"at"wmis.net
To: Fencroft"at"msn.com, "BLUEBIRD LIST" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: How late is too late?
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 21:10:37 -0500

I am up here in MI, too, but probably further north than you (I'm north of GR) I have put up boxes in May before and still had BB come and nest in them, so it's far from being too late. Maybe you could put another box up near the one you already have up, and some Swallows could come and help defend the area-- I have had a lot of success with box pairing and it really helps keep the sparrows at bay. HTH some!!

3Djoy in michigan
 

joy

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----- Original Message -----
From: Nancy C. Hebb
To: BLUEBIRD LIST
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2003 7:29 PM
Subject: How late is too late?

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From: "Randy Jones" randyj"at"enter.net
To: Fencroft"at"msn.com
Cc: "BLUEBIRD-L" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: How late is too late?
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 21:41:41 -0500

I've had bluebirds start nests as late as the first week in August.

Randy Jones
Allentown PA
----- Original Message -----
From: Nancy C. Hebb
To: BLUEBIRD LIST
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2003 7:29 PM
Subject: How late is too late?

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Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 21:39:01 -0500
Subject: Re: How late is too late?
From: "Haleya Priest" mablue"at"gis.net
To: Fencroft"at"msn.com, BLUEBIRD LIST BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

Haleya Priest Amherst MA
Nancy et al, This is the time of year - perhaps especially in the North where we think our blues have disappeared when all that is happening is that with weather changes, etc they can be seen at the nest and then disappear. If they are eating mealies nearby I wouldn't worry for a minute about it.
And to members - if a nest looks abandoned at this time it most often isn't. Even if the eggs are cold. Eggs are viable for a long time - - - - remember our blues are taking care of themselves much better than we can imagine. Also - once they build a nest this early in the season it can take up to a month before they lay eggs!!!! :-) H

The online Bluebird Reference Guide: http://birds.cornell.edu/bluebirds/
Mazzzchusetts Bluebird Association: http://www.massbluebird.org
Cornell's Birdhouse Network: http://birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/
North American Bluebird Society: http://nabluebirdsociety.org/ 

Over our heads will float the Bluebird singing beautiful and impossible things, of things that are lovely and that never happen, of things that are not and should be.
- Oscar Wilde
 

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From: "Nancy C. Hebb" Fencroft"at"msn.com
To: "BLUEBIRD LIST" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: How late is too late?
Date: Sun, 17:29 PM

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Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 18:43:58 -0600
To: Fencroft"at"msn.com, "BLUEBIRD LIST" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
From: Kate Arnold bbnestbox"at"1starnet.com
Subject: Re: How late is too late?

At 07:29 PM 3/30/03 -0500, Nancy C. Hebb wrote:
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How late is too late to put up boxes (s. Mich.)?

...

It's never too late! Bluebirds nest several times each season and may choose the new boxes for their second or third nestings. Other cavity nesters who are without housing or have had a clutch fail or lost to predators may also be looking for a new nest site. Even if placed late in the year, nestboxes provide a place to roost in extremely cold weather, and they will already be in place when the season starts the following year.

Kate Arnold
Paris, TX
100 mi NE of Dallas
33.6853N 95.6293W

From: Rob Hailey [mailto:hailey"at"taylortel.net]
Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2004 5:49 PM
Subject: Blue Bird house time

Is it too late to put out bluebird houses? What is the best time frame do put them out? How late is too late? Thanks, Rob Abilene, TX

From: Bet Zimmerman
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 2:42 PM
Subject: RE: Blue Bird house time

I tried to get my husband to put some boxes up in February--even with a pickaxe he couldn't get through the frozen layer...sigh...so I had to wait until March.  They say there is never a bad time to put up a box!  I like to put them up in October/November before the ground freezes so birds will have roosting spots--I was surprised how many of mine were used this winter by nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, etc.  Bet from CT

Other native cavity-nesting birds will continue to be nesting, too. If birds don't nest this year, some birds will see your nestbox and know of the possible nesting site for next year.  Too, the nestbox may be used for roosting on cold winter nights. 

Pauline Tom Mountain City (no mountains) TX

From: Burnham, Barbara, Barbara.Burnham"at"zzz.zzz
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 8:36 AM
Subject: RE: Blue Bird house time

...In my opinion, it is never too late, and never too early. Bluebirds seem to always be scouting for nestboxes, and in my area, even in wintertime. They might remember your nestbox when the time comes for nesting, or they might need it after a failed nesting, predation, harassment, or if their box (or tree cavity) goes missing. They might use them to roost in bad weather or at night. Unless you have problems with other nestbox occupants (mice, etc.) in areas where bluebirds do not stay all year, I would keep nestboxes available, clean, and in good repair.

Bluebirds may "claim" a nestbox at any time, and defend the territory until nesting time, when the competition really heats up. For example, our backyard nestbox was claimed in early February by a pair of bluebirds (ten minutes after I placed it!), but nesting does not begin until late March.

Barbara Burnham, Ellicott City , MD