2025 Bluebird Box Season Wrap-Up

By Kurt Miske, Bluebird Trail Coordinator

It was a bit of a different year on the bluebird trail. We had some successes but also some failures.

In April, 4 Eastern Bluebird (EABL) eggs were found in Box 9. A subsequent trip revealed that a predator damaged one egg and removed ½ of the shell. The parents abandoned the nest and no eggs hatched.

In June, Box 5 was home to 6 Tree Swallow (TRES) eggs. All 6 hatched. 2 fledged late in the month but 4 were found dead in the box. Similarly, in the same time period 6 TRES chicks hatched in Box 6. However, only 4 fledged. The other 2 died in the box. As this happened during a week with 90 degree temperatures, we believe heat was a factor in the deaths. We are considering placing a deflector of sorts, raised up slightly from the top of the boxes, on each box next season.

Box 1 was home to 5 TRES who fledged in early July. Box 8 housed 4 TRES who also fledged in early July.

2 House Sparrow (HOSP) eggs were found in Box 9 in July. As all informed birders know, HOSPs are not native to the United States and are very detrimental to cavity-nesting birds such as EABLs and TRESs. The nest was removed and the male HOSP (the instigator) was dispatched.

As you may have noticed, up to this point there has been no mention of a successful EABL rearing. The last birds to start a family in one of our boxes changed this. 2 EABL hatchlings grew up in Box 4 and fledged in early August.

All boxes have been cleaned out and are currently overwintering in place.