StovallProducts 2HU Ultimate Bluebird House

While I love this beautifully crafted uber-safe bluebird house with awesome cleaning and viewing features, the jury is still out as to whether the bluebirds do. I was thrilled to see a male approach it a few days ago and attempt to enter, but unfortunately he didn't seem able to get through the opening and instead sat on top for awhile before flying away to never be seen again. At least so far. The location is perfect so hopefully he, or another, will try again. We purchased two of these along with the Woodland HM49 Torpedo Raccoon Pole Baffle and the Erva Pole Bluebird Mounting Pole w/Stability Blade 2pc. Easy assembly and a perfect match with each other. C'mon bluebirds.UPDATE: we have tenants in the second box we just put up two days ago - chickadees! Bluebirds would have been awesome, but chickadees are also great. What I did observe is that they were using the small tree 10' away as a launching pad into the opening. Perhaps this is the key to easier access, so I moved the original box (in the photo) to a new spot that is also 10' away from a tree in another area of the yard. Fingers crossed it's not too late to house bluebirds.

It's still in great condition after almost three years compared to a pine box that shows a slight bit of rot starting but I've had no tenants so far. This could be because our yard is small and in a busy NYC area but recently I've noticed a couple birds take interest after I changed two things. I took out all the wood shavings I had placed inside that I read would make it more appealing and I removed a 1 1/8 copper guard I had placed on the entrance hole. I think the shavings might have been too deep and the guard might seem too tight even for a black capped chickadee at least initially. So far only a white-breasted nuthatch and a house sparrow poked their heads in there for a gander. Of course I will not tolerate a house sparrow taking up residence! I'll update my review if we get any takers.Update still no takers but I'm in a very urban setting. I just moved into a more natural area so hopefully in spring we'll have some guests. The copper tube thing is loose now but I just popped it back in. Hopefully it holds up.

This bird house has the modern features you would expect: ventilation cuts, extended entry to ward off reaching predators, metal lined entry to ward off chewing predators. This item exceeds typical bird houses with: premium knot free thick cedar, premium hinges and hardware, and consistent item to item dimensions. The two sides hinge out to allow viewing/new nest filling of cedar shavings. While the opposite side opens for complete clean out in between nesting family's.One superior design element example is that the extended entry piece of square wood is screwed from INSIDE the house. This prevents predators from chewing around the screws. This is a small detail but important for safety AND provides a very clean finish/look.After doing a lot of research, this is a great birdhouse. I reserve from saying this is best birdhouse because...hey, someone is always working on a better design. But, this is in the top 1% of bird houses out there. After buying the first, I re-ordered and bought a second due to the quality of construction. Quality vs Price- Quality wins in this case hands down.A+++

This is an excellent house for the bluebird enthusiast. I placed mine on a freestanding steel post with a squirrel baffle to keep out unwanted guests. I learned that this was the best way to keep my little tenants safe after I had it on a fence post which allowed easy access to my first brood of babies. After that one incident, it has been a real pleasure to have raised over 5 broods of chicks in it so far. It is a breeze to clean with the two doors that open and a delight to watch the chicks as they grow using the door with the plastic. I enjoyed this house so much that I bought a second one that I placed on the other side of the yard. However that one has yet to attract a family. I am hoping for next February when the bluebirds start picking out their new homes.

This was put up on a metal garden pole near our back porch on the south side of our house. We put it up in April, after the house sparrows had already settled in to their nesting sites. In May, two busy chickadee parents raised seven little ones. By opening the side door with the plexi panel inside, I was able to photograph the little ones without disturbing the nest. I made sure to not photograph them as they got near to fledging. This past September, October and November I've seen a little Downy Woodpecker go in a few times to spend the night. The joy of watching the birds go in and out of this box is priceless.

On the positive: the design and the price of this are excellent, and I like that it's made in the USA. The hinges are larger than shown in the photo, which makes the doors even more sturdy. On the negative, the copper lining of the doorway is cut pipe and it's sharp. I had a contractor at my house (he thought it was sharp too) and he suggested using a threaded screw to file the metal smooth, which we did. He installed a 4x4 post in concrete for this birdhouse, and we used the one nail hole in the back panel at the top (shown in photo) to anchor it. However, the fit was not exact and there is pretty good wobble so if a large bird, squirrel, etc. tried, they could potentially bang this around (while mounted) pretty good. The solution is a thin wedge of wood to snug this to the post--but either that should be included with the birdhouse (I would think the makers would have scrap wood) or maybe a longer back piece on BOTH the top and bottom with two nail holes--which would be preferable.