Out With the Old - In With the New (Part One)

The bird house that you see here is of my own design.  It has a hinged roof that opens for inspection and cleaning.  A hook locks the lid in place.  And it features an entry hole too small for English sparrows. 

For decades I've been building and installing nest boxes to provide homes for cavity-nesting song birds.  You know - tree swallows, house wrens and blue birds namely.

The first two boxes a built in 1994 were constructed of scrap plywood and lasted exactly two seasons before returning to the earth.  Nevertheless, it was a whim that took root.  Since then I have eschewed nails and Thompson's Water Seal - although after decades a remaining few of those 1997 boxes remain in service.

The box that is pictured is somewhere around the third generation prototype.  It is built of inexpensive pine and treated with a sealant/stain.  The design adheres to a standard template and it has a life expectancy of about a decade - give or take.  As a consequence of being assembled of standardized parts I can build multiple copies and if a box is damaged and requires a fix the repairs are simplified.  A busted lid is the most common complaint followed by the occasional split wall.  All I have to do is back-out the screws, slap-in a replacement part and we're back in business with a genuine factory rebuild.

Just like the new roof on this 2006 box. 

After peaking with a census of 60 boxes we’re down to about 50 strategically situated on three and a half miles of trails.  The original pine boxes have held-up reasonably well but require more care, time and attention.  Beginning in 2013 an updated and redesigned cedar box was adopted, constructed and deployed.  This design model is performing exceedingly well.  The third cohort of cedar nest boxes has been constructed and is ready for installation.   Eventually, all of the pine boxes will be retired and replaced.

Check back in a couple of days for more about out with the old - in with the new.....