Time For Spring Cleaning

by Tim Burris, Mariton Preserve Manager

Now is the time to clean out your Bluebird nest boxes.  I started checking Mariton’s boxes about a month ago.  I had to remove some wren nests that were left from last summer.  I also had to evict a couple of mice.  A flying squirrel nest is in the photo above, but I’ll let them stay.  Yes I am aware of the irony that we installed two new flying squirrel boxes just a few weeks ago.

In 2019, Bluebirds were building nests on April 1 at some of the Natural Lands’ preserves.  That is only a few weeks away, and Bluebirds are already scouting nest boxes at Mariton.  Every morning when I go outside I hear the courting songs of Bluebirds.  So, this is the ideal time to clean out any old nests, and make any necessary repairs to boxes.  You want to make things attractive for prospective tenants.