Prothonotary Warbler Nest Box # 1

This is an experimental nest box. A group of folks built and put up 24 of ones like this and the one to follow. We got six nesters!

Congratulations!

Great idea!

I have some areas along an old river channel where I could put some. The warblers are already nesting in the area. Can you give the sizes of box and entrance hole and how far above and from the water the successful ones were? Also do they need to be spaced out like bluebirds or can they be closer together? I guess I am asking if you would tell us all you have learned from the experiment. It would be nice if this project could have as much success as the bluebird project had.

Is there a web site where the results are posted?

Congratulations on the nesters!

Frank, I found these instructions on Google-

http://50birds.com/MPb050605118.htm

I wonder if the space between nest should be the distance as with bluebirds or do warblers like to be closer?

Chisolm, we have an interesting situation here. The marsh you see here (on the Mattaponi River) is very tidal - 4.5' per cycle. It's the highest in the state despite the fact that we are about 70 miles from the Chesapeake Bay. What we found was that the target birds favored less tidally active locations. Next year we will be more selective in our sites and maybe we'll see more activity. We tried to space them about 100' apart where more than one was located in a single location. 6 to 10 feet was the height.

I got interested because I had a pair nest in the light fixtures on my garage door openers. Unfortunately, the eggs didn't hatch; I suppose the heat from the bulbs was the problem.

Good luck,
RBB

Ducbucin,
Wonderful site!!

The site I want to put boxes on is an old river bed that is outside the levee of the present river bed. The lower end of the channel had dirt dug in the past creating a lake. The warblers are on the upper part that still looks like a channel. There are also numerous smaller channels that run parallel that bass boats cannot get to. There are also numerous small islands scattered all over the area that is difficult to get to. I watch these birds from a john boat and I have never seen any boats in the areas where I want to put boxes. The water does get high sometimes but I can place the boxes above the high water mark. There appear to be several birds now nesting in this area. There are a few older trees put there is a lot of newer growth in this area so I believe nesting boxes will help.