Beyond Your Backyard - Cleaning Out Bluebird Boxes

Patti Kosteniuk is opening the box. We carried various screwdrivers, sulfur, and hammers, gloves and of course...cameras. Patti joined in November, and so I put her to work making bird feeders. Join the society.😁 We may put you to work, but ONLY because you want to. The outings are the most fun! Photo by Kim Epp

By Kimberly J. Epp

On Sunday, March 31st, 4 volunteers headed out to Buffalo Pound to clean out Mountain Bluebird boxes. All in all it was a really good day. Four of us cleaned out 30 bluebird nesting boxes. One bluebird was so anxious to claim his box, he was in it within 3 minutes.

A female mountain bluebird. Males are generally brighter colored to attract females and to detect predators from the nest. Photo by Kelly Wiens.

These birds generally migrate together in flocks of 100 birds. With fewer nesting cavities available, these boxes offer an alternative.

We saw bison sparring (hey, 'tis the season!), plenty of Canada Geese (no open water yet), a Robin, at least 6 bluebirds, gophers, a mouse on the dry prairie, two mule deer, crows, magpies...and animal signs everywhere. Spring is in the air! I guess a bit too early for crocuses, though. And of course, another snowfall.

Beautiful shot of Male Bluebird by Kelly Wiens.

The crocuses will (among many areas) cover the hill by the Buffalo paddock within one or two weeks and no nest box will remain unclaimed! If you would like to donate a nest box, (as many are in disrepair, and a few were broken and rotted on the ground), contact me at 681-3198.

Sadly now, the purpose of these first photos. This box had not been cleaned out in at least 2 years, if not 3. Patti and I really saw first-hand why these boxes needed yearly cleaning and disinfecting. Some virus or mites recently killed these 2 adult tree swallows that wanted only to nest.

The sad scene Patti and I opened this box to clean it. Annual cleaning helps prevent this. Photo by K. Epp

Bluebirds will not use boxes that have old nests, but swallows will.

At the very bottom of the nest was a third, older dead swallow. Nests were built on top of him or her. Two nests up, maybe even three. Slightly moist, muddy substance within, which isn't good for anything parasitic or viral. Mites, hanta virus, who knows.

But we cleaned the box, the feces, scoured it with sulfur, and no more birds will get ill from that nest.

Sorry that some of the photos are sad, but this is another reason why these require cleaning out. And yearly!

So if you have a nest box of any kind, clean it out (wear gloves), scour it with sulfur if it has a lot of feces, scrape it all out, and watch the birds make a new home! Wearing a mask is recommended.

Thanks to volunteers Patti Kosteniuk, Dale Jelinski and Kelly Wiens. The Moose Jaw Nature Society (MJNS) will now help Kelly out each year.

Kelly had just cleaned out this box, when in 3 minutes the male was already checking it out. Well done, boys. Patti and I were looking at otter tracks and geese. Photo by Kelly Wiens.

We cleaned 30, so not too bad. But if you want to build and donate any new boxes, several are in need of replacement. But the point is not just to build, but to clean. Come with us next year.

Dale tells Kelly what he thinks he needs to do. Go, boys. They did good work, but they had the electric drill while the women had to use screwdrivers. Photo by Patti Kosteniuk.

We took photos of the bluebirds, the geese, and then headed for a home-cooked meal at Verobas.

Stay tuned for the upcoming articles on feeders for pollinators 🐝🦋, and the myths you've been told about ticks. (I apologize for that getting pushed back)

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Kimberly Epp is an environmental educator and writer and is the President and Field Trip Coordinator for the Moose Jaw Nature Society. She can be reached at kepp@shaw or PM her on the MJNS Facebook page.