| Placement of your 2nd nestbox depends on what you hope to accomplish. If you want more bluebirds, then I would put the other house as far (and out of sight) from the first one as possible for territorial reasons. Ideally nestboxes should be at least 100 yards apart, though I have 4 nestboxes on my 3 acres and have had nestings in all at the same time. Since your existing nestbox is experiencing success, why mess with that? But, if you want to attract another species (like tree swallows, which are wonderful neighbors) then you might consider pairing the two nestboxes. This means placing them about 15' apart. The problem with pairing is that sometimes, if the swallows begin nesting first, the bluebirds will choose to nest somewhere else. For me, pairing works best if the bluebirds arrive and begin nesting first. Whereever you place the 2nd box, just be certain it is not located under a tree and is at least 10' away from fences or other structures so that predators cannot jump onto it.
Good luck!
Kathy |
