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Hi, everyone! New to the cafe’! I have a bluebird nest in the cup holder of my utv, with eggs. Gardening season is gearing up and I need to use my utv very often (I have only been using it once a week, hence the nest). However, the birds have made a nest and there are two eggs in it. I don’t know what to do! I can’t let my utv sit until the eggs are hatched and babies fledge. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Wow Michele that is really interesting for them to nest there! I’m assuming a utv is like an atv (All Terrain Vehicle). With the nest already containing eggs the bluebirds are most likely “bonded” to it. If you remove the nest and eggs I worry it may cause the bluebirds to abandon the nest. Ideally it would be recommended to put up a bluebird nest box for them to use in your yard if you don’t already have one to encourage them to nest there. If you absolutely cannot do without your utv I would call a Wildlife Rehabilatator to deal with the situation. Hope this helps some.
– Dana
I know, it’s quite inconvenient they decided to set up homestead in my utv (Ranger side/side). I bought a cedar bluebird house to place very near their current ‘nest’ today. I will look/check into a wildlife rehabber in my area. Thanks so much for responding and your help!
If you just “have to” move the vehicle… first, set up the new bluebird box in the most desirable site and monitor it to keep house sparrows (English Sparrows) and Starlings away from it as best you can. Given a day or two if that box is close then the blues will know its there and would likely inspect it.
In the wild when a newer nest is disturbed or becomes unusable the blues will regroup to a new site and start over. Maybe it’s better to just get that disturbance over with rather than allowing them to lay two or three more eggs and waste the energy on them. I guess what I’m saying is get on with it soon.
Good luck and keep us posted on what happens. It will be an experience to add to our knowledge for me and probably most of us.
Tim C. WI/MI border.
Thanks, TimC and Dana for your help and suggestions. Ok, so new box is up w/in 10 feet of where blues were nesting in my Ranger’s cupholder. Gonna move Ranger so it’s not close by to deter any further nesting. There are now four eggs in the nest. Guessing it would not be good idea to move nest to box? Thanks so much!
Well, hoping this is good news and a success! New box installed actually about 5 ft from original nest which was in my Ranger’s cupholder. I did, against recommendations, move the nest (4 eggs) to the new box. Nest had a ‘high’ side, so used two fingers to pick it up and move it. Within 3 hours, blues were going inside box!
Michele,
The bluebirds protecting the nest box is most definitely a good sign. Keep us posted! – Dana
Happy it worked out. Just shows to go ya that when you think you’ve got the bluebirds figured out they throw you a curve.
Tim C. WI/MI border.
Well Done. This is the first time that I have heard of this being done.
Congratulations.David
Stafford, VA
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