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Mariton: Spring Cleaning

March 22, 2013

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

Bluebirds Ready to Fledge

It is time to clean out your bluebird boxes in preparation for the upcoming season.  Emptying your nest boxes of last year’s nests is an important step to getting bluebirds and other cavity nesting birds to utilize the boxes you provide.  Other cavity nesters that are great to have in our backyards include Tree Swallows, Chickadees, Titmice and House Wrens.  If the birds find a box full of debris, they will waste valuable energy cleaning out before building their nest.  Or, they just might decide to nest somewhere else. 

In case you need more incentive to get out there soon; last year we had bluebirds nesting by March 20 at the Reineman Preserve.  While sometime in April is a more likely start date, it is important to get out there and clean those nest boxes now.