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Hey all! Hope you’re ready for a successful EABL season. As you may recall last year was an utter disaster for me with one brood failing to hatch after 35 days and the second one attacked by HOSP after my Male disappeared. I had no subsequent nestings myself, but fortunately my neighbors who I have set up in the past few years both had several broods.
Yesterday marked the annual return of the EABL and I saw and heard three individual males. Perfect timing as I just put up new slot boxes. I have been very successful the past 8 seasons here. I have exactly 0.5 Acres and my two slot boxes are currently in the fenced in back yard on at the back and one at the front right of the back yard. It is separated by a big driveway. I have always had one or the other box occupied but never both because that are is too small to tolerate two nesting pairs.
My question is….I am contemplating putting an additional box in the front of my yard in an open pollianator garden. Do you think that is enough space to tolerate two nesting pairs on my property? Our neighbor next door has had active nests at the same time and it would be about 100 yards away. This would be the equivalent. Appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!Rich, I believe the norm is to have boxes at least 100 feet apart when possible and the more space the better, as they are very possessive of “their” box. This will be my 15th year I believe of hosting bluebirds and you learn something each year. I have not tried to have boxes in the front yard as well as my four boxes in the back. I live in a subdivision and in the front yard there would be quite a bit of traffic, so I just keep everything in the back yard which is close to two acres. But sounds great to have a box in the front with a garden (would there be any cats around – which would not be good). Good luck.
A little late with this Rich. I have had 2 nest boxes on my lot, one in the front yard in a flower garden and the box that I photograph a lot in the back yard. They are separated by my house and not in visual sight of each other unless the birds land on the peak of the roof line. I never had any trouble with this arrangement. I do have a large lot and the houses are separated by more than 150 feet.
David
Stafford, VA
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