Bluebirds are our Friends!

In last week's IPM (Integrated Pest Management) class, it was a treat to do a walkabout in the Shone Farm garden to inspect and clean out the bluebird boxes to get them ready for Spring. Bluebirds travel south for the winter and return in March and early April, so their houses need to be cleaned and repaired if necessary by then.

Bluebirds are insectivores and eat a lot of garden and vineyard pests, so they are a vital and integral part of any pest management plan. (Berries are a less preferred food, and grapevine netting helps to deter many types of birds.) They are "cavity nesters" but not capable of creating their own, so they look for already-established places to live. Sadly, urbanization has destroyed a lot of the natural nesting environments that were once available. Bird houses give them perfect alternatives, but have to be constructed correctly: because starlings and sparrows are aggressive and will attack and destroy bluebirds and their eggs and young in order to claim nesting space, the openings in bluebird houses have to be the exact size to prevent larger birds from entering. The holes also need to be jagged and rough so that the baby bluebirds can grip onto the hole for stability as they are learning to take their first steps out of the house. The wood used should be light in color for hot climates (cedar is ideal) and a 5" roof overhang will provide shade and prevent predators like cats and racoons from being able to reach inside. Houses also have to have ventilation and a drainage hole, and be placed facing away from direct sunlight and prevailing winds. The hole should also face a tree or shrub so that young bluebirds can practice their flying!

The houses we checked all opened on one side, so it was easy to remove the nesting from last season - it was quite amazing, 6-8" thick, and made from all sorts of twigs and soft materials like animal hair and fur. In addition to the cows, horses and lambs, we also have a llama at Shone farm, so the lucky bluebirds that come here have a lot of good nest-building resources. It was interesting to learn that bluebirds nest in pairs - the males locate the house and place the nesting materials close to the opening, and the females complete the nests and lay the eggs. The incubation period is only 2 weeks, and the little nestlings are ready to leave the nest within just 18-20 days from hatching.