Happy National Bird Day from Frey Vineyards!

To help you celebrate this bird day holiday, here’s an update from our the birdhouses at Frey. Every spring since 2020 we have set up birdhouses throughout our vineyards to help Bluebirds and other native species find safe places to nest.  It’s a part of our efforts to farm grapes sustainably and to be in balance with local ecosystems the best we can.  The nesting birds feast on insects in our organic vineyards and feed them to their gorging and fast-growing chicks.  In some parts of the U.S., Bluebird populations are declining due to fewer woodlands, so we are happy that Bluebirds are the main residents of the boxes we put out. 

 We set up 33 birdboxes when we started out in 2020, using mostly recycled wood leftover from the construction of our new winery.  We also use recycled metal stakes that were once used to support grape vines, but now are used to hang the birdboxes high above the vineyards at the end of the rows.  The baby birds are very safe in these high-hanging birdhouses.  Racoons, snakes, and other predators can’t get a grip to climb up.

In 2022 we bumped it up to 121 birdboxes!  The total number of boxes have declined since then as some boxes fell apart due to weathering, or simply disappeared. The boxes take a beating under the cycles of sun and rain, heat and cold, getting soaked and drying out repeatedly.  To help the boxes last longer, we remove them each summer when breeding season ends, stored in a big heap with a roof over them.  In the spring they get a good scrub down with a wire brush to remove dried bird droppings, then they’re blasted with compressed air.  This is also a good time to make repairs if needed, to add a few screws, and to replace a door or roof.  Some larger non-native species, such as the European Starling, will peck away at the 1.5 inch entrance hole of the birdhouses.  This little hole is just big enough for a Bluebird or Tree Swallow to squeeze through, but too small for a starling.  So on occasion, these widened holes must be repaired.  Otherwise, a nesting pair of Bluebirds can get kicked out by the larger species and a new nest built right on top of their chicks.

Here’s a video of our current bird inhabitants at Frey Vineyards, as of Spring 2024.

We check the birdhouses about every 2 weeks to keep track of the nesting season and to count how many chicks fledged.  The total number of fledged chicks from 2020 to 2023 was roughly 1,790, of which 1,127 were Bluebirds and 462 were Tree Swallows.  There were 139 House Sparrow fledglings.  We try to discourage this very common bird from using the boxes by removing their nests before they lay eggs.  Bluebirds and Tree Swallows then have a better chance in using these freed-up boxes.  If we find House Sparrow chicks, we just let them be until they fledge, then remove the nest.

 The remaining species that fledged from our vineyard birdhouses are 31 Ash-throated Flycatchers, 15 White Breasted Nuthatches, 12 Titmice, and 4 Bushtits.  These are lovely and beautiful birds.

 We’ll keep you posted on how the baby birds do for Spring 2024! For more information about our home Biodynamic Ranch and why we steward the land the way that we do, check out our BD page.