Bluebird Commotion/I think all is ok

[Ilovebluebirds]

Bluebird house drama but I think all is ok – I have a camera/speaker outside my house so I can listen to all the birds everyday. Late yesterday I heard the bluebirds making a lot of commotion. I opened my front door and a hawk had landed about 5 steps from the bb house. I screamed and clapped to scare it away and immediately went to the bb house with my camera so I could make sure the bb’s were ok. I put my camera close to the opening because I don’t open my bb house and a bb flew out. I immediately walked away because I wasn’t sure if it was a parent or a baby. I think the baby bb’s are only 11 or 12 days old. I was concerned that the hawk may have gotten one of the parents but this morning I am almost certain I see two bb’s going in and out. My bb house is quite a distance from my yard and I get really attached to my bb’s. Last year I heard the same commotion and another set of bb’s were trying to go into the bb house with babies inside.

[JTL]

What kind of hawk was it?? What state do you like in.??

[Ilovebluebirds]

I think it was a Broad Winged Hawk/Alabama. I’m pretty sure I have seen both parents going into the bb house this morning feeding so hopefully all is well for now. I also saw the hawk fly over my yard this morning. It lives in this area and I can usually hear it but sometimes its just sitting in spots watching for prey. I have unfortunately had a bb parent come up missing from time to time one time the male abandoned the baby bb’s when the female came up missing but one year the female continued to feed and they did fledge. I really really get upset when something goes wrong.

[JTL]

I saw that you had had problems in the past. I guess it’s all part of the bigger nature picture and there is only so much you can do. You sound like a real blue bird MAMA!! Enjoy

[Chris]

I love that you have such an eye on your bb!
I too have noticed that, on occasion, our blues would seem to alert us to such apparent issues or threats. And, to me it (their song) nearly always seems to have a bit of an urgency to the sound! That if you’re really aware if their typical song- you notice!
Any way, great work! However I do immediately wonder if you are able to move the bb box(s) to a more direct line of sight or closer to your house/yard. We have a lot of hawks but they wont come within the 70-150 foot range. Coincidentally I noticed even the hosp are very “uncomfortable” acting at the 70’ range. This distance also works us as this is the dividing line of where we mow. Giving the bb a fairly large area to hunt in short grass, while easily being observed with binoculars!

Chris
Rochester, NY

N

[Ilovebluebirds]

TY, I really like keeping an eye on them (sometimes to much maybe). I did have my bb house very close to my house because I had a camera on an electrical connection inside my house however I adopted a dog (tibetin terrior) and she wasn’t having any birds in her fenced in area. I have seen the hawks perch in trees very close to my house. I have many trees for them to keep watch. Also the parents go different distances to find food for the baby birds. I have blueberry bushes and ALL birds come to my yard to eat them. They really need to keep quite so the hawk doesn’t hear so many birds close by. I may take a bb vacation next year. I say that every year but never stand by it. Happy Blue birding.

[JTL]

I’m new so don’t know, but is it that much work that people need to take time off from blue birds??

[Ilovebluebirds]

Normal people do not need to take time off. I spend a lot of time in the mornings and evenings watching to make sure both parents are around and accounted for. I’ve had some sad moments with the bluebird babies and have actually spend weeks crying when something goes wrong. Vacation from anything going wrong.

[JTL]

I sure you are normal!!! Thanks for all you do!

[tamsea]

@Ilovebluebirds. Is there a reason you do not open your boxes? Monitoring your boxes really is important and helpful. It really helps you notice any problems that are going on, instead of guessing.
Hawks really can be an issue. The only thing I know to do is to stop filling bird feeders for awhile (if you have bird feeders.) And that only helps temporarily.

Tammy

[Ilovebluebirds]

The baby bb’s are about 13 or 14 days old now and I usually just stick my cell phone inside the top opening and take a picture.
I also do not have bird feeders but the area I live in along with the blueberry bushes, wild mulberry trees, blackberry bushes and other trees with berries provide the area with many birds. Thank you so very much for your thoughts.

[David in Stafford,VA]

You haven’t said hoe close your nest box is from other structures and trees. If you have the space you should have more that 50 feet from the box to the nearest structure/trees to keep snakes, squirrels and other predators from dropping on them. Hawks need some space to begin an attack on it’s prey, so keep that in mind when siting the nestbox.

David
Stafford, VA

[JTL]

I’d say the nest box is 0 feet from house and at least 50 from any trees and it also has a predator baffle. I haven’t seen any blue birds yet.
Thanks for asking

[Author]

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