32 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



Experiences with Bird Houses 



I have had the following birds occupy artificial bird houses which I have 

 constructed : Bluebirds, House Wren, Bewick's Wren, Chickadees, Tufted 

 Titmice, Flicker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Purple Martin, Great-crested 

 Flycatcher, Screech Owl, and English Sparrow, while a neighbor who has 

 a small shelf built on his porch yearly enjoys the return of a Robin to this 

 protected nook where it nests. Another neighbor has an open nesting box 

 with roof upheld by four rustic sticks. This is on top of a trellis and twice 

 a Brown Thrasher has filled it with sticks and made it her nesting site for 

 two years. This is a list of thirteen varieties which have nested in artificial 

 houses in one neighborhood. 



For Bluebirds and Wrens I use boxes of the type described by Mr. Riis 

 in the foregoing article. Practically all the other birds mentioned above 

 require houses made from logs, the Martins and Swallows, of course, 

 excepted, these birds being community dwellers and requiring spacious 

 boxes with sufficient nests to encourage the community instinct. I have had 

 marked success with log houses of my own making but space will not permit 

 giving details of construction at this time. Perhaps mention of some of my 

 experiences will be worth while. 



I once had a box which was attached to the tree by a hook. The metal 

 of the screw which held the log, unknown to me, pierced the inner cavity of 

 the log. As the log was a long one and was placed 12 feet high in a 

 chestnut tree, it met the approval of a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers. 

 The point of metal irritated the male bird. Even after the mother bird had 

 eggs, he would reach through the entrance hole and peck away at the ob- 

 jectionable metal. Gradually he released the wood about the retaining 

 hook and one day as he pecked, the log's weight released the hook and 

 down fell the log killing the Red-head family. For this reason I warn you 

 to be careful of the way you attach your boxes to the trees. Have the 

 interior smooth, and all screws or hooks needed to attach the box to the 

 tree should be carefully placed. 



Having noticed that the Great-crested Flycatchers sometimes built their 

 nests in horizontal hollow limbs, I easily blocked up one end of a cut hollow 

 limb, and partly blocked the other end with a crescent shaped plug. This 

 nest was perhaps 12 inches in depth. I suspended it to a maple tree which 

 stood close to a large tennis court. One end of the nest was nailed to the 

 tree, and all evidence of artificiality at the opening was obliterated by use 

 of patch work with bark. This end faced the court so the bird could watch 

 for flying insects from his home entrance. This box was horizontal or 

 parallel to the earth's surface. I have been fortunate in having Great- 

 crested Flycatchers in this nest for two successive years. The two years 

 following this occurrence, I had a pair nest in an upright hollow log in my 

 tulip tree. In the last case the cavity was four inches across and nine 

 inches deep. 



Many persons wonder why the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers do not 

 nest in box nests. Both varieties seem to desire a clean nest chiseled out by 

 themselves yearly. Several years ago, during the winter, I found a well 

 chiseled hole in a willow stump. I broke off the rotten limb and brought it 

 home and attached it to the elm tree. Instead of accepting this fine site, a 



