ST. CROIX FALLS – Families looking for a sure sign that spring is here turned out at the Wisconsin Interstate State Park on Sunday, March 19. Activities started off around 1:30 p.m. with an informational presentation about bluebird houses given by several representatives of local birding organizations, such as the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin and the St. Croix Valley Bird Club.
Lowell Peterson gave a slideshow presentation about the basics of building bluebird houses. Peterson explained that bluebirds love to hunt from low perches. They will hang out on fence posts, small trees, shrubs and low tree branches just waiting to spot an insect. When they do, they’ll swoop down and grab their prey. So, bluebirds will be highly attracted to your yard if they have somewhere to perch.
Peterson also explained that placement of bluebird houses is critical to your success in attracting them to build a nest. If a bluebird house is too low, predators like snakes, raccoons and cats might be more tempted to reach into the box. To avoid this, mount your bluebird house at least five feet off the ground to deter climbing predators. According to Peterson, a good rule of thumb when setting up your nest box is to mount it with the entrance hole at eye level. This is a good way to keep the box about five feet off the ground. As long as you can stand up straight and be looking directly into the entrance hole, the nest box will be at a convenient height for you to monitor, and it won’t be too close to the ground. To further deter predators, mount your nest box on a metal pole and consider installing a stovepipe-style baffle under the nest box.
Following the presentation, around 2:15 p.m., those who remained, were able to construct their own bluebird boxes in the activity room at Interstate State Park using some simple assembly tools. Experts gave further advice during the building process, including placing your bluebird house in an open area, keeping your bluebird house at least 50 feet away from brushy or wooded areas and don't mount your bluebird house too close to buildings.
For more information about bluebirds in Wisconsin, you can head over to the website of the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin at braw.org.
