Bluebird nest in Martin House?

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  • May 25, 2016 at 4:14 pm #2082
    Carol – Mid-Mo.
    Participant

      Has anyone heard of this – had a gal just call me and said that they found a bluebird nest and 1 blue egg inside one of their martin houses (they have two big ones & about 26 nests). They also have another active bluebird nest which has 4 babies in it, hatched the same day as mine, last Saturday, so I guess she knows what a BB nest/egg looks like. Other than robins (which as not cavity nesters), what bird would lay blue eggs? Is this common or really a very odd occurrence?

      May 26, 2016 at 5:27 am #2088
      dogsandbirds
      Moderator

        Starlings lay blue eggs also but their nest looks way different from EABL.

        Desperate times call for desperate measures! Maybe there is a severe lack of cavities. Other than that, I don’t know.

        Gin
        Atlanta, GA

        May 26, 2016 at 9:33 pm #2110
        Carol – Mid-Mo.
        Participant

          Thanks, Gin – I gave this info to the gal who told me this. She just told me that it WAS a starling’s nest & egg, so the mystery is solved. She & her husband are really into taking care of their martins & bluebirds and use justifiable means to dispose of the two species who harm their birds.

          May 27, 2016 at 11:33 am #2118
          Donna in WI
          Participant

            Yes I have heard of this before. Blues will use martin housing sometimes.

            Donna in WI

            January 16, 2017 at 10:24 pm #3054
            Dale
            Participant

              Can you put a BB box as close as 10 foot from a martin house?

              Dale

              January 17, 2017 at 6:49 am #3055
              tamsea
              Moderator

                Darn….was late on this conversation.

                Tammy

                January 18, 2017 at 2:16 pm #3065
                dlibby
                Participant

                  My very first bluebirds I ever had, Nested in my martin house with tree swallows on the back side. So they do nest in them if nothing else is available. That is what got me hooked on eastern bluebirds and I built 3 houses for them afterwards.

                  January 18, 2017 at 5:50 pm #3066
                  Dale
                  Participant

                    I have a bluebird box about 10’and 5′ below my martin house. I hope they can get along ok if not I will have to move the BB Box to another location closer to the tree line.

                    Thanks

                    Dale

                    January 20, 2017 at 9:37 am #3070
                    David in Stafford,VA
                    Participant

                      Try to avoid getting closer to the tree line if possible. That makes the box more attractive to the wrens and house sparrows. Bring it off of the Martin house pole and a few feet away.

                      David
                      Stafford, VA

                      January 20, 2017 at 10:15 pm #3075
                      Dale
                      Participant

                        Thanks for the reply. I have the Bluebird box on another pole 5 foot high and about 12 foot away from the martin pole.

                        Dale

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