In this talk, retired biologist and past president of the Salem Audubon Society Ray Temple will reflect on more than a decade of learning in the field and share ideas for building, cleaning, replacing, repairing, and relocating bird boxes. Ray and  Stephanie Hazen live east of Salem on nearly two acres that they manage for native vegetation in support of native birds, bees, butterflies, and moths.

In 2013 they took over a Bluebird Trail (a route of monitored bird nest boxes intended to contribute to bluebird conservation) on three local farms.  Currently they manage about 80 nest boxes that are used by tree and violet green swallows, bluebirds, slender billed white breasted nuthatches, house wrens, chickadees, house sparrows, and assorted non-avian tenants. Ray and Stephanie annually monitor mortalities, clean, and replace, repair, or relocate boxes as needed.  Ray has constructed most of the boxes now in use, using nest box designs that he has evolved to serve the birds well and be efficient in their construction. The information will reflect more than a decade of learning by problem solving and observation in the field by Stephanie and Ray.

This talk is intended for folks who want to use bird nest boxes on their properties, either boxes they purchase or those they construct.  Ray will introduce cavity nesting birds as different from other familiar species such as robins and sparrows and discuss common cavity nesting species (including kestrels and screech owls!) that may use nest boxes. The scope of this talk is primarily nest boxes for our most common cavity nesters but the considerations and practices described will apply to any nest boxes.  Ray will present some best practices for selecting or constructing nest boxes; locating them to attract the birds you want (and avoid others); annual maintenance to preserve their usefulness to birds; and what you can do when it doesn’t work out as planned as well as a list of pertinent references.

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