As the year winds down, year-end lists wind up. Songs, movies, books, and more are ranked. What were the hits for 2020 and what were the misses? We decided to take a look at our most popular blogs this year. At number one with a bullet was “Texas Doveweed: One-seed Croton, Texas Croton, and Woolly Croton.” Coming in second was “What Do Deer Eat? More Than You Think (and Probably Want to Think About)” but nipping on its heels was “Prepare Now for Spring Bird Breeding Season in Texas” which we posted around this time a year ago. As the remnants of the holidays get packed away, we know many of you are taking advantage of leaf-free vistas and a little time to walk your property to locate your nest boxes for repairs and freshening up. We all need reminders on occasion, so we’re revisiting our spring breeding season preparation tips and adding a few more insights for this year.
First bird arrivals in Texas
While Christmas fruitcake may still linger in the kitchen, early January is not too soon to prepare for the early arrivals. Some nesting birds may begin scouting for sites in early January, among those are Purple Martins. Indeed, Texas is one of the earliest breeding grounds for Purple Martins which may begin arriving in mid-February, but if you put up a Purple Martin house after early January you may already be too late. The Purple Martin Conservation Association has a “Scout-Arrival Study” where you can view scout reports by state. Other birds will be hot on Purple Martin heels. Eastern Bluebirds may begin nesting as early as mid-February followed by early March arrivals such as Yellow-throated Warblers and Black-and-white Warblers. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has a helpful chart for “Timing of Selected Spring Migrants” that includes “Early Season Examples.” But no matter when in spring the birds arrive, now is the ideal time to prepare for them as the nest boxes are easier to spot and access thanks to barren branches, dormant native grasses, and snoozing rattlesnakes.
Clean, clear, create (nest boxes, trees and branches, brush piles)
While some birds will reuse nest boxes from year to year, they do need to be cleaned and maintained. Remove old nesting material and make sure other critters did not take up residence during the winter. Now is also the time to clear any trees and branches on your property that need addressing. The heartbreak of discovering a nest after you’ve felled a tree is hard to shake. Get those clearing and trimming tasks handled before the birds arrive. Further, winter is also the right time to trim trees to help avoid the spread of oak wilt. The rule of thumb to avoid contracting it is to not trim oak trees in the spring. Why? Very simply put, trimming oak trees during the rising temperatures of spring creates sap wounds that attract the fungus spore-covered beetles that help spread the disease. In addition to preparing nest boxes, brush piles offer shelter. Now is a great time to create brush piles for birds to build nests and take shelter in the tangle of branches (also a reminder to be sure to check brush piles for signs of life if you plan on burning).
Putting up new nest boxes
If it’s time for new nest boxes, the following offer a few highlights for construction and nesting success.
Different birds like different house styles. Robins prefer open fronted nest boxes while titmice prefer small boxes with a small entry hole. To help you build or purchase the right box, for some of the more common birds TPWD has nest box data including suggested size of the floor, depth of the box, entrance height above the floor, entrance diameter, and recommended height above ground. Get the details for Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, Red-headed Woodpecker, Barn Owl, Screech Owl, and Wood Duck on the TPWD website here. Also, if you feel compelled to paint (or seal) your nest box, make sure the paint is suitable for birds, has ample opportunity to cure and off-gas, and is only painted on the exterior. Toxic paints can kill birds and, furthermore, a brightly painted nest box may attract predators.
Height above ground for nest boxes. As noted, above, TPWD’s data includes suggested height above the ground to mount boxes but there are also some general not too high, not too low thoughts to keep in mind. If the boxes are mounted too high, this may deter many birds that prefer to nest in shrubs and bushes. If the boxes are too low, however, they may be perceived as vulnerable to predators. Put your feet in the world’s tiniest shoes and consider locations through the eyes of a bird.
Mitigating nest box competition. A quick Google search reveals the subject of nest box competition to be a robust one and beyond the scope of these highlights. For example, the Michigan Bluebird Society goes into significant detail on how to prevent House Sparrows from taking over nests (click here for more on that), while the Tree Swallow people think the Eastern Bluebird aficionados are overreacting and overprotective (get their side of the story here). But here a couple of quick takeaways for bluebird nest safety, in particular: place bluebird boxes in the open, away from brush to reduce the threat of wrens and keep bluebird boxes at least 100 yards away from buildings where invasive species such as European Starlings and House Sparrows are more common. (Source)
Book Landmark for your spring bird survey
The Landmark Wildlife Management Breeding Bird or Spring Bird Surveys are typically conducted between April 1 and June 15, during the peak of the breeding season. During these surveys, landowners commonly get excellent views of our most colorful songbirds including Painted Buntings and Summer Tanagers. A Breeding Bird Survey is also a great opportunity to discuss wildflowers as they are most abundant in spring. Contact us for more information.
Photo, above, by flyupmike | Pixabay.
