Wow. That's a shocker. I wonder if the same thing holds true for tree
swallow boxes, since a lot of boxes, including my two, are used by
either bird.
Damn, I wonder if I have time to go retrieve those old nests I just
tossed out the other day and put them back in.
Thanks for the info.
Jane
(Shoreham)
On 4/22/2016 11:23 AM, Janet Watton wrote:
> I just read in Mary Holland's quite excellent nature blog, "Naturally
> Curious." that we apparently don't need or even want to clean out old
> bluebird nests: Here's what she writes:
>
> Contrary to what those of us who clean out our bluebird boxes have
> been led to believe, Cornell Lab of Ornithology states that
> experiments show preferences for nesting boxes containing old nests.
> In a paired experimental design bluebirds chose boxes containing old
> nests in 38 of 41 cases in which boxes with old nests were paired
> with empty ones. Scientists conjecture that this may be because the
> old nests often contain wasp larvae, an easy source of food for the
> bluebirds.
>
> Who knew?! Janet Watton Randolph Center
>
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