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New bluebird house!
Mar. 21st, 2010 03:01 pmI bought a new bluebird house yesterday, paying an outrageous sum for the copper-roofed model with the predator block. I wanted the predator block, as the problem with the old house is that the the hole has been gnawed or pecked to twice its original size. Copper roof? Useless, IMHO. However, I'm already a little late in the nesting season 'round here, and could only find a utilitarian birdhouse model with a predator block (plus the unwanted copper roof) at $Pike$.
I got it installed today after several attempts. The old house faced away from my line of sight, and 180 degrees from that would be still really out of view. There is one hole on the pole at a better angle for viewing, but the house is designed to mount with 2 screws (and not quite at the same distance as the pair of holes, so I'd had to drill a new hole for the old birdhouse). I made one attempt at drilling a new hole in the mounting pole, but I don't have the right drill bits so only achieved a small bright spot in the paint. Apply thinking cap...aha! Mount house on the one good hole, and anchor the top of the house to a screw in one of the badly angled holes with wire run to a cup-hook screwed atop the house. Hey, a little RubeGoldberg-ish, but it seems to be secure.
I don't seem to be too late. A pair of bluebirds were just checking it out, but never seemed to actually enter the house. First the female then the male flitted from nearby branch to the hole, peered in multiple times, then left. I was wondering if the 'new wood' smell was too strong, but now I think the bluebirds may have been too late--there seem to be a pair of chickadees going in and out. Must decide if I really want bluebirds, or if chickadees would be OK this year...
I got it installed today after several attempts. The old house faced away from my line of sight, and 180 degrees from that would be still really out of view. There is one hole on the pole at a better angle for viewing, but the house is designed to mount with 2 screws (and not quite at the same distance as the pair of holes, so I'd had to drill a new hole for the old birdhouse). I made one attempt at drilling a new hole in the mounting pole, but I don't have the right drill bits so only achieved a small bright spot in the paint. Apply thinking cap...aha! Mount house on the one good hole, and anchor the top of the house to a screw in one of the badly angled holes with wire run to a cup-hook screwed atop the house. Hey, a little RubeGoldberg-ish, but it seems to be secure.
I don't seem to be too late. A pair of bluebirds were just checking it out, but never seemed to actually enter the house. First the female then the male flitted from nearby branch to the hole, peered in multiple times, then left. I was wondering if the 'new wood' smell was too strong, but now I think the bluebirds may have been too late--there seem to be a pair of chickadees going in and out. Must decide if I really want bluebirds, or if chickadees would be OK this year...