2020 Urban Bluebirding Season

This season I had two Gilbertson nest boxes placed in each side yard of my .30 acre lot. Bluebirds picked one, and sparrows seemed to always be hanging in or around both. I have inbox traps and also ordered and successfully trapped dozens of house sparrows with a repeating trap. I feel like this will always be a battle every year. While I don’t see anyone else providing nesting cavities, people do feed cheap bird seed in the neighborhood. 

The Bluebirds raised two successful broods of 4 and 5 young respectively. Of course this didn’t go without issues. The first brood fledged May 31st. April and May were unseasonably cool. The female bluebird laid 4 eggs her first clutch but did not incubate for some time. Eventually she began building a new nest over top. She spent most of April sitting on eggs. In her second attempt she laid 6 eggs and two were pecked by house sparrows. I don’t have spoookers but I do have wren guards made of cardboard boxes with plastic wrap around them. This saved the remaining four eggs and they fledged May 31. There was a period in May of rain for 3 days straight. I put out dried mealworms for them nearby and they went to town and were very appreciative of a little help!

Nest #2 was constructed in the box in the other side yard. First egg of 3 was laid June 16th. With about two days remaining before hatching, the eggs came up missing even with the wren guard on! My boxes are baffled as well.

Nest #2 attempt #2 was started soon after back in the other side yard. This time she laid a clutch of five in which all hatched but took nearly 48 hours for all to hatch. This nest of five successfully fledged as well. 

I am pretty certain they are done for the year, they’ve overcome a lot of challenges this season! Now on to some pictures!