Another birdhouse do-over

The version that the Starlings claimed

As I spoke of on my website homepage...I wasn't really thrilled to have the Starlings pick one of my earliest birdhouse creations as home to raise their offspring last year.  So...I'd been pondering on capping the entry to make it smaller...therefore averting the ability for Starlings to enter...and hopefully bluebirds might claim it this season.

Apparently (based simply upon my observations) songbirds return each year to the same place to raise the next seasons young. Who knew?  This does make sense to me since it has to be HARD enough to be a wild feathered flyer trying to raise some of the most fragile little things to adulthood...so why not tweak the deck in your favor and if you were successful the year before...repeat the same exact thing.  Go back to the same nesting spot from the previous year.  Duh.

The new capped version

Well, I capped the house.  (note also that I removed the branch perch...perches seem to allow for other birds to attack into birdhouses that aren't theirs)

Then the Starlings returned.  I spotted them in a nearby tree and on the roof of this house seemingly a little distressed.  Spotted the same Starlings in a Mexican standoff of sorts with the newly returned Bluebirds.  Each perched opposite one another on one of three birdhouses nearby that are within 6 feet of each other. 

None of the entry holes of any of these houses are big enough either for the Starling (designed this way on purpose of course...now that I know this is a pertinent detail to attraction specific songbirds to nest)...although they did try to enter a few with no success.

I haven't seen the Starlings lurking around since all this played out a few weeks ago...but the Bluebirds have been back a few times as if to monitor and secure claim to their nesting spots from last year.

I'm not sure if another bird species will try to nest in my newly adapted birdhouse, since Starlings are known to not be nice to other birds.  Will other birds stay clear of this house because they remember who nested in this last year?  Not sure...but time will tell.  Spring is upon us.