(Long-ish, but possibly interesting)

I maintain seven nest boxes in our open fields, and I monitor them as much as my schedule of out-of-state work will allow. Accordingly, I went forth to examine them last Saturday afternoon (4/4.) I left on Sunday until the 21st.

All of the boxes are set as far away from our barns as possible, to minimize competition from the infestation of house sparrows. This is a perennial problem at our place, as it is elsewhere, and I regularly clean out and trap sparrows to give the swallows and bluebirds a chance. Anyway, the closest nest box to the barn is a couple hundreds meters away, in the horse pasture near the top of the hill. I call this Box Number One. Box Number Two is also in the horse pasture, just over the crest of the hill. The other five are spread around the unfenced portions of our fields, areas that I have been trying to maintain as early successional habitat, mowing alternating sections every five or six years. That's the general plan anyway.

Tree swallows have been around and showing interest in the boxes since early March. Bluebirds winter at our place, although I didn't see any using the boxes as winter roosts. In late February I cleaned the wrens' accumulating of late-season sticks out of those three boxes that were so furnished. (I think it's wrens that do that, isn't it?) I meant to finish doing that last autumn but then I was badly stung by some wasps that decided a small box stuffed with sticks made for perfect wasp headquarters. Anyway, I eventually finished the job a couple weeks before the tree swallows arrived.

Saturday's observations were interesting. Nothing in Number One. A small grass nest with no eggs in Number Two, which the lack of eggs notwithstanding seems to be occupied by a pair of tree swallows. This has been a consistent nesting box for tree swallows for several years. Nothing in Number Three, the furthest south on the main upland.

Then I turned my attention to the four boxes distributed out on the tributary upland. We have a spot we call the "homesite." No home has ever been built there, although it would make a perfect setting for one, and it remains a dream of ours. There is an ash tree at the site, and as I approached I heard a bluebird perched in it singing. I stopped and watched this wonder for a few minutes, and the songster was joined by a female who flew in from somewhere. "Well," I thought, "This looks good." The pair flew away into the wooded edge to the south and then the male flew out and perched on my Box Number Five. I didn't want to disturb any potential interested birds, and I didn't see any lurking sparrows, so I didn't open and examine Numbers Four or Five. Number Six was empty. When I came to Number Seven, at the far back edge of the field I didn't know what to expect. On Thursday (two days previously) I had seen a Carolina chickadee perched on top of that box, something I hadn't seen before, but they are cavity nesters...

I opened the box to find a small grassy nest graced by two blue eggs. This is the earliest I have ever found bluebird eggs. I hope they survived the cold. (Jane says it got down to 28 Tuesday morning, and she sent pictures of snow dusting the tulips.) I didn't see or hear any bluebirds around this box. I assume the female lays an egg every day or two until the clutch reaches its full number (four or five?). Then the incubating starts. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for what I find when I return.

It seems awfully early.

No sparrows in the boxes, yet...

Bob Evans
Geologist, etc.
Hopewell Township, Muskingum County

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