Building Natural Looking Bird Nesting Boxes, Birds Love Them!

Locally I've been able to purchase 8' cedar logs with 6-8" diameters from $3-$6 and developed a quick way to build several bird nesting boxes out of each log. First I make a box out of the top 12" of the log using the procedure below and place that nest on an existing fence post.  The remaining 7' is made into an ideal natural looking nest log.  My tools are limited so someone with more or less tools could easily improve/adapt on the plan:

Slice off a 1 1/2"-2" slab for the cover

 Mark for a 4" nesting cavity

 Label the slabs before cutting

 Cut 8-10"

 Leave a 1" base on the log when cutting off the side slabs so the slabs can be re-assembled and re-attached to the log.

 Once the cavity block is cut away, re-assemble the sides with deck or drywall screws

 Cut or drill a 1 1/2" hole, sand edges

 Attach the cover with screws or, a hinge if you intend to monitor the nest

 Set up

This one we set up late in the breeding season but it was quickly found by Eastern Bluebirds and they had a successful nest of 4-5 fledglings.

Light Contrail Formation Expected Today for Central Wisconsin Flyway, Nesting Box Prep Ends Today

We are right on the cusp of some partial cloud clearing this afternoon with some breakup already apparent.  Patches of dry upper air also is swirling through the state. Conditions do not look good for aviaticus (aircraft) cloud formation today but Saturday we are expecting full blown spring to bully into the area.

Update: Clouds cover passed to mostly clear skies in the late afternoon.  Two aviaticus cloud segments could be seen in the far northwest and after an hour they had drifted overhead and appeared like natural cirrus. Not a whiff or a needle of contrail besides these formed all day.

Nature is poised and ready to explode.  Managed to clean out the bird nesting boxes yesterday and add inspection lids in preparation for nest monitoring.  It appears time is up for those activities as the ongoing jostling for territories by the early cold tolerant migrants is about to shift to breeding and nest building  . Ice went off the lakes this week.

A Tree Swallow Nest from  Last Year

Nest Boxes Made from and mounted on  Old Cedar Post.  This year I have installed inspection covers to monitor the clutches.