A mother bird and her egg-children just recently took residence in the basket/wreath/bouquet (artificial) that hangs on our front door. During last night's storm, we tied it down so it wouldn't fall off the door. However, to do so is to render the door quite incapable of opening.
We want the chicks to hatch and survive, as they are bluebirds. These birds are no longer on the endangered list, but we still want to treat them with the respect due to all life. But we also are aware that too much exposure to human scent could cause trouble for the birds.
We are thinking of moving the basket several feet to the left of the door and hanging it in an inside corner on the house exterior, a corner protected from the prevailing winds. However, we don't know how this will affect the mother and her likelihood to provide continuing care.
In the meatime, we are using the side door and will soon post a sign on the front which reads: Think of the (bluebird) children: use the side door.
Can anyone give any suggestions for how to proceed?