Good news on the trail

Found out some great news on the trail today. Wife went with me so she could "awww" over the deer mice that were in the boxes. Of the four new boxes along 950 S, at least one of them has tree swallows interested.

Then, checking and harmlessly-evicting the mice, we cleaned out the other boxes along mom's road. I have four or five pairs of bluebirds claiming boxes and lots of tree swallows. As of today, not one house sparrow! Have my fingers crossed that that continues.

And, I caught another starling, this morning, in the trapped-hole in my shed. Best part about the town starlings, they don't have the shyness that those starlings we shot at learned at home. They pretty much just enter a cavity, as if it's theirs to claim. Fine by me. I'm ready for them. Think I'm going to build a large boxtrap just for starlings, see if I can increase the activity.

I am ecstatic about what I saw today. (Also, a juvenile Bald Eagle flew over mom's. They are making a comeback around here, but far from thick as sparrows).

Monty

Guess I spoke too soon. I went back out today to take dad's ladder to him, and found two sparrows: one pair has already begun a nest, and another was sitting in the box the tree swallows want, with his head out. Uggghhh!

Could be worse, but that sucks.

Been able to get more diligent on running the trail, since I don't work Fridays. Went out yesterday --Friday, took both smaller boxtraps and installed them on both boxes I've got sparrows in, then went over to the main section of the trail --up the road from mom's.

I've found four bluebird nests along her road, and the rest will be tree swallows, IF the mice will go away. But I'm finding that the birds are trying to co-exist with the mice, in that, some of the birds are actually rounding out their nesting cup within the nest material the mice are bringing in, then adding a few pieces of their own nesting material. Mostly just grass, so far.

My only concern right now, is, if this issue with the mice continues: will the birds abandon the boxes due to the mice, or, since mice will eat birds' eggs/young, occasionally, will they find an easy meal, if left in the boxes?

I know an expert an bluebirds, I think I'll pose these questions to her.

I think that I would not trust mice with the eggs ...
You know may be some smell will help- birds don't have sense of smell mice do...
May be any way to cut them climbing the box- like some metal on the pole...Is it on the pole? the box?
I know that some birds will nest together being from two different families