Signs of Nest Box Selecting

I met someone that asked about the bluebird boxes today, and she shared some experiences. Usually the conversation starts with "bluebirds, aren't those nasty?" No, those are Blue Jays! Then I explain that these are small thrushes and have blue and orange. Then the person responds, "oh, I've never seen one," We try to look for them but see only swallows.

I only went through the North side 18 boxes today. pairs of tree swallows are flying around the boxes and some pairs seem to have chosen a box and are defending it.

This is box 9 in the middle of the prairie. The swallows do not lay eggs till May, but may build the nest this month. In any case they guard it against other swallows.

One pair of bluebirds has claimed a box near the school house on the top of our prairie. The trees of the golf course fence are nearby. Of the two boxes, they chose the more worn out one, 13. The new looking box 14 behind it may take a year to have appeal. It is also unncessarily large. I hope they stay.

 We only had little success on the North side with bluebirds last year. The two boxes nearest the Nature Center, 1 and 2, are claimed by house sparrows.