Very Disappointed

Thanks to the House Wrens (HOWR) and the House Sparrows (HOSP) I'd pretty much given up on having any Bluebirds to enjoy this summer. But last week I moved their nesting box out to the middle of the field, away from trees, which HOWRs like (trees, that is). I was hoping there would still be time for Bluebirds to come and raise a family.

This morning I saw a Bluebird sitting on top of the nesting box. As I watched him for a bit, he went inside then came out and flew to the pole where the box used to be. He sat there for a minute or two. Once he flew away I walked out back and looked inside the nesting box. There was the beginning of a HOWR nest inside. I cleaned it out then moved the box over to the original pole hoping the Bluebird would return.

Since that stupid HOWR had started a nest, I decided to put one of the PVC nesting tubes on the pole in the field, hoping he would leave the Bluebird box alone. Shortly after I'd put the tube up, the HOWR returned and started removing the wood chips inside it. Here's a video.

I never saw the Bluebird return today.

I'm fighting a losing battle but there's no way I'm letting another HOWR make more babies in my backyard. The 7 babies in the other nestbox are about 1 week old. Here's a pic of the little devils...