Biocore Bluebird Trail- relocation of housing, June 15 2016

Paul Noeldner driving in the pole for BB7. Photo G. Kutzbach

On a very hot day, June 15, four Biocore Bluebird trail enthusiasts moved several bluebird boxes to new locations along the trail. – leader Paul Noeldner, weekly box monitor Patricia Becker, and Gisela Kutzbach and Will Waller. In the past, all boxes located within the Eagle Heights gardens had been consistently occupied by House sparrows. The Bluebird Restoration of Wisconsin (BRAW) society does not encourage providing breeding opportunities for them. So these boxes were removed and are now installed in an area where they might attract Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Chickadees  and House Wrens.
The revised Bluebird trail map shows how the boxes are concentrated along the northern edge of the Biocore Prairie. We are hoping that Bluebirds and their allies will successfully occupy this new housing this summer. Boxes 10 and 11 are paired, located only a few yards apart, so as to to reduce competition by increasing housing density.
Paul Noeldner used a manual fence post driver to install the metal poles and then fastened the wooden boxes to the poles, facing them northeast so the morning sun would warm the inhabitants of these solid cedar boxes. On this sultry summer afternoon, this was truly a labor of love for the birds. The rest of us helped transport the equipment. Find out what’s happening on the Bluebird Page. Glenda Denniston reported that, within a day of the relocation project, she spotted a Common yellowthroat peeking out of Box 13! That’s a first. 

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