BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Birding The Towhees are Nesting!!

We have a light over our back porch and last year the towhees built a nest on it and raised their chicks. They're back again! They're hanging out up there seeming like they're going to settle in. While it is a pain to have them on the corner of the deck, and to not be able to use the light, I love having baby birds so close <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Any nesting going on in your neck of the woods?

It would be terrific to have something nesting so close to home, although I admit that not being able to use the light would be somewhat of a nuisance.
Nothing is nesting around here yet, but hopefully we'll have a pair of bluejays returning to our yard to raise their family again this year. No sign of them so far though.

Do you have any birdhouses out? I have I think 5 right now, and I looked out earlier to see some small bird (maybe a chickadee?) nosing around one of them. I always forget to clean them, so hopefully they're happy with them. I haven't found nesting stuff in any when I've looked so far, just old wasp nests and spider webs.

Only one towhee visited my backyard while I was counting birds - There are a lot of woods around us and all the birds scoot for cover. The bluebird (first one today) usually nest in the paper box. You would think they would be afraid to do that being the paperman shoves the paper into the box. My neighbor had some birds nest in a wreath on his door. Talk about a nuisance!

Welcome back, Lisa.

You just have to make sure the paper boy or girl knows not to squish the sunday paper into the box!

I really wanted to get some bluebird houses out this year but spring has snuck up on me already. Maybe I'll order some on the net today and they'll come in a few days for me to hang up. I think I'll go do that!

Do the bluebirds use them all summer long?

I know some birds will raise a second clutch if the first one goes well and they have enough time left in the season. So I guess it depends how quickly they find the house and build the nest and get themselves settled. My houses haven't shown up yet so I'll see once they do go up <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My bluebirds have regularly raised 2 broods in my boxes. It is very interesting. The fledglings from the first brood hang around, and help feed and take care of the babies out of the second brood, along with mom and dad. They also stick around during the winter, and they roost in groups, in the boxes. After the second brood has fledged, I clean out the box, sweep it out, and then in October, I fold up newpaper and lay it on the bottom of the boxes so the holes are blocked and the birds stay warmer in the box. I've peeked in and have found 6 or 6 birds piled in the box in the winter! I have a bluebird box pretty close to my vegetable garden and the horse fencing is right behind the box. When the fledge, they all line up on the high tensile wire in front of the garden. I don't use pesticides in my veggie garden, since this is where mom and dad take the babies to eat! It is the cutest thing to watch. I often have 10 or more little bluebirds all lined up on the fence wire, especially in late summer. I'll try to get a photo of it later in the summer. Makes gardening so much fun!

Definitely post some photos - that sounds really cute!!