Store Hours
9am-6pm
7 Days a Week
Store Hours
9am-6pm
7 Days a Week
Hewitts Information and Tip Sheets by Peter Bowden
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BlueBird Nesting
Anyone who has ever seen a bluebird knows the feeling of surprise and joy that accompanies a glimpse of these lively creatures. Like robins, bluebirds are thought of in our area as harbingers of spring and the warm days of summer. Since they are not shy of humans and nest and feed in open area, bluebirds are some of the easiest birds to watch and learn about. They are territorial so, once you’ve seen them in an area, odds are good that you’ll be able to visit and observe them on a regular basis. Those with a large lawn or property adjacent to open fields can attract their own resident bluebirds so they can enjoy them on a daily basis. The easiest way to lure bluebirds to your property is to provide bluebird-nesting boxes. If you would like plans for a bluebird-nesting box go to the NYS Bluebird Society webpage at www.nysbs.com. If you purchase a bluebird box, all you need to know is where to mount it to attract bluebirds. Your bluebird box should be mounted on a post (wooden or metal). Mounting on trees is not advised, since it may allow predators to gain access to the box. Your bluebird-nesting box should be mounted with the bottom a minimum of 3’ for the ground. 4’ to 5’ is considered optimal. In our cold climate, the box should be mounted with the entrance facing southeast, away from our generally cold prevailing wind. Since bluebirds hunt for insects in lawns and meadows, it’s best to locate your box adjacent to these open areas. To help fledglings survive, try to place your boxes where there is a fencepost or tree within 100’ of the entrance hole. This will give young bluebirds an easy, safe perch to reach on their first flight from the box. Since bluebirds are territorial, nesting boxes should not be placed closer than 100’ apart. If you have swallows in your area, they may compete with bluebirds for nesting boxes. In this situation, it may be necessary to place two boxes 5’ to 15’ apart. The swallows will occupy one box, leaving the other available for the bluebirds. Since bluebirds are on the increase in New York State, properly placing nesting boxes on your property is very likely to attract younger pairs of bluebirds with the possibility that they, and their offspring, will return to your area year after year. In our area, you should have your nesting boxes up as early in spring as possible. As soon as the bluebirds return to the area, they’ll start investigating possible nesting sites.