Nest Box Wars 2020 (as of 4/20/2020)

March 8: Western bluebirds (WEBL) return to the box they nested in last year (tagged birds) across Little Road from me.

March 12: WEBL from across the street decide they like my nest box better.

March 19: Violet-green swallows (VGSW) return to a nest box that was occupied by VGSW last year.

2019 photo

March 19: WEBL bringing nesting material to the nest box. The male WEBL harasses the VGSWs.

March 28: Chestnut-backed chickadees start nest building in one of my nest boxes. There are no shortage of nosy neighbors.  However, the CBCs are still the happy home owners.

 

Red-breasted nuthatch saying hi

Violet-green swallow being curious

First week of April all three species active around their nest boxes.

April 6-8: Somewhere in this time frame the WEBL move back across the street.

April 11-12: Cliff swallows (CLSW) return to their nest colony on the barn below me.

April 13: A house sparrow (HOSP) pair is seen on the barn roof with flights up under the eaves to one of the CLSW nests.

April 14: CLSWs haven’t been seen since, but neither has the HOSP.

April 17: WEBL still on/in the box across the street.

April 18: HOSP seen on WEBL box across the street. WEBL seen at the box where they started a nest at my house. An all day battle ensues with the VGSWs.  It appears the WEBLs want the VGSW’s box. Twice the male WEBL takes one of the VGSW to the ground. I fear for the life of the swallow but it always bounces back. By the end of the day, the WEBLs are using the VGSW’s box.

Photos and sounds from the day. All WEBL photos around their original nest box. The audio is from the VGSWs trying to drive the maleWEBL off their nest box.This literally went on for hours.

Audio of male WEBL atop the VGSW nest box with the VGSWs trying to drive it off. The taping that sounds like mic handling noise is actually the male tapping on a nearby window.

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/225208401#_ga=2.27799292.1904296595.1587309124-2010773302.1468776120

Audio of VGSW trying to drive off the male WEBL.

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/225204641#_ga=2.32836478.1904296595.1587309124-2010773302.1468776120

April 19:  The WEBL are coming and going from both nest boxes The VGSWs do occasional flybys of their box but I never see them enter it. Now it appears the WEBLs just wanted the VGSWs out of the neighborhood. They no longer go in the VGSW box, just use it as a perch.

April 20: Things much the same as yesterday. I’m hoping the VGSWs will get to nest in their box or one near by. I open both boxes today to check the status of nest building. No nest in the VGSW box and a complete nest in the WEBL box. And as I'm finishing this blog, the CLSWs are active around their colony again.

FYI: All this documented from where I live maintaining proper social distancing. 😊