THE WRONG DIRECTION

by Dave Clements
(Summerfield, FL)

Positioned our first blue bird house so we could watch the action. It was great watching the pair work the box - bringing nesting materials in and then a week passed and the bluebirds stopped visitng the nest box.

I opened the side panel and there was a nest with 5 pale blue eggs. Abandoned. I cleaned the box out. That was last year (2007).

A couple weeks ago (mid March in Central FL) a pair of blue birds began nesting activities. In and out all day long with grass and other materials.

Two days ago (April 2) the pair visits the area. The male perched atop the box and went in and out several times. The female was but 20 feet away perched on the limb of a small tree.

She avoided going to the box. They both flew away and did not return. Today, April 4th, I went to the box, opened the side panel and saw a healthy nest with 4 pale blue eggs.
Abandoned again!!

What is wrong with these birds? Nothing. They are NOT stupid. It's the looney who put up the nest box so he and his wife could watch the blue bird behaviors associated with nesting.

My mistake is that I positioned the box so that the opening is facing WEST. All for my advantage. Sure. I feel awful that I offered the nesting box for the blue birds and they went through all their efforts to build a beautiful nest.

I've learned that Blue Birds do not know which direction an opening is facing upon initial site selection.

But as their mating season unfolds, and the temperatures here in central Fl rise in the late afternoon, the inside of the nest box becomes an oven.

With regret, I will remove the nest and eggs. I will clean the inside of the box out. And then I will turn the nest box so the opening faces NORTH.

Now, we will have a sideview approach to Watching our blue birds.