Spring is the time to clean out the nest boxes around here. We enjoy the birds year ’round and especially like to have secure places for them to nest and raise their young before moving on. Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows, Mountain and Western Bluebirds are all nesting birds we like to encourage. Unfortunately we have learned that the diminutive House Wrens will wreak havoc on other nesting birds, especially the swallows. The tiny wrens will fill a box with sticks, even if there is already another nest present and they’ve been know to attack and kill the bigger swallows. It’s a tough world out there.
Fence post yard art
Pulling out an old swallow nest
The Mountain Chickadees followed us and kept up a running dialogue on our efforts
Ken points to a tiny skeleton of a baby bird that did not fledge
Here is a beautiful swallow nest lined with soft feathers. The adults collect these feathers to provide a cushy setting for the eggs and babies.
There’s one of those chickadees. They do not use our nest boxes for nesting although they do use them for winter night roosts.
More yard art, this time in the snow
This tiny chickadee must have been sick and died over the winter in one of the boxes.
My Everyday Photos 