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A question about Bluebird feeding behavior: I have been having a time trying to get bluebirds to visit feeders. I’ve now put out the type of hanging feeder with a bowl and dome above. I’ve been using alternately dried mealworms and the Wild Birds Unlimited BugBerry Blend. I’m now seeing the occasional Bluebird visit, but they don’t stay but a moment. Often, I’ll see them perched on the pole from which the feeders are hanging, and sometimes they drop down to the feeder, and sometimes they fly off. I’m not sure if this is typical, but it seems so, as when I see them feeding from the ground, they drop down from a perch, grab something, and fly off. But I’m not sure. When I had a platform feeder with mixed seeds, some birds would stay on the feeder and pig out, and some other species would fly in, grab something, and fly away. I suppose Bluebirds are the latter.
And another question. I’m also trying a blockhouse style feeder that has a bowl in the middle, and I’m putting dried mealworms in the bowl. I haven’t seen Bluebirds entering and exiting this feeder, but there are scattered mealworm pieces on the floor of the feeder. I suppose it is a safe assumption that Bluebirds are using this feeder and I just don’t seem them when they are doing it?
Thanks for any thoughts.
– Ira
Bluebirds are visiting the new feeder more often. Activity is highest in the morning around sunrise and an hour or two after that. Then, it is the occasional bluebird or two the rest of the day. I have finished the WBU BugBerry Blend and now feeding a mix of suet nuggets and dried mealworms.
The Bluebird behavior I described and questioned seems to be the rule. They will perch on the arms of the feeder pole, look around, turn around and face the other direction, look around some more, and then, after a time, drop down to the feeder, grab something, and fly off. Sometimes they will fly in and land directly on the feeder, grab something and fly off, but most of the time, it seems, they want to survey the surroundings for a while. I’m actually happy with what they are doing because that is really the only way they allow time to look at them, compared to them hitting the feeder and dashing off.
The small finches also visit the feeder, and they will spend time there. I don’t mind them, but I’ve lowered the dome to try and keep the larger birds away from the food. The Starlings still sometimes mob the feeder, and they find a way to squeeze under the dome four at a time. There is also a Woodpecker that visits, but it doesn’t do any harm other than scare away the other birds while it is there. I saw Mockingbirds at the feeder initially, but I don’t see them now since starting the new food. The Cardinals and Bluejays do not visit.
I’ve ordered another, larger feeder of the same style — dome over bowl. I’m giving up on the blockhouse style feeder and the other enclosed feeder with the plexiglass sides and holes for access. I saw small birds in the blockhouse feeder once, and I think they were finches and not Bluebirds.
The House Sparrows (another story) haven’t come back yet. I’m sure they are around, so maybe they aren’t attracted by this food. Fingers crossed.
Big changes! The bluebirds were visiting the feeder, as I wrote, and not really sticking around. They also were not visiting in numbers. More important, they were not eating the food I put out. It seemed they would come to feeder and then fly away disappointed. I have switched food again and now the back yard and feeders are crazy with bluebirds. This morning, we even watched a male enter the nest box, followed by a female, while other bluebirds buzzed around the nest box chasing each other. I don’t know if it just took time, or if the food really has made the difference. However, I’ve tried several different foods now (as well as feeders) and the difference was black and white in a period of 24 hours.
The food I’m using now is a mix of Sunflower Kernels, Safflower Seed, Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae, Dried Raisins, Dried Cranberries, Dried Mealworms, Dried Darkling Beetles and Dried Cherries, along with a number of supplements. I’m adding in a small amount of the suet nuggets, and something is eating those. The important point: The birds are eating the food.
The bluebirds don’t spend but moments on the feeders, but they are around more than before. They will be perched on the arms of the feeder pole, on the fence and on the ground. They don’t stay in one spot for long.
One last point, in my experience the type of feeders with small entry points have not worked out. I’m sure they work for some people, but not for me.
Hi. AIH. Sorry that no one commented. I didn’t see your post until now. I never had luck with the plexiglass feeder. I don’t think hardly anyone uses that anymore. The birds have a hard time getting in and sometimes feel stuck in it.
The dome works until it doesn’t. Those big birds seem to be able to get into anything. I use the one that is on the left side of the screen. I love this feeder. The bluebirds can easily get in and starlings, robins, mockingbirds etc can’t get in. When I bought mine I could put it on a pole or hang it. I think the flange that I attached to the bottom cost a little more.Tammy
Are yours still eating? I find they love crumbly homemade peanut butter suet. Have you tried that. But they love live mealworms the best! Have you tried live mealworms? You have to store them in the fridge when you aren’t using them so they don’t change into beetles.
They really aren’t seed eaters. Although we occasionally hear about them eating sunflower hearts.Tammy
@tamsea Thanks.
The starlings do get to the feeders, as well as the occasional mockingbird and a woodpecker. The bluebirds and other small birds are still able to get food.
I’m mixing the berries and bugs food with suet nuggets in one feeder, and a mix of dried black soldier fly larvae and dried mealworms in the other. I’ve found the small feeders work better.
And the bluebirds are still eating. I’ve seen them taking the dried worms, not sure what else they are eating from the feeders but I do see them on the ground, too. At the end of the day everything in the feeders is gone but some of the seeds. Haven’t tried live worms.
The bluebirds are still checking out the nest box. I see them perched on it and looking in the opening, but haven’t seen them go in. There is, however, a little chickadee that has gone in and out. I looked inside and there were some, a small number, strands of dead grass. But I haven’t seen a bird going back and forth like it is actively building a nest.
How quick things change. Not long after I posted the above, I saw a female bluebird going back and forth to the nest box, poking around on the ground and then flying to the nest box and going inside. At one point a male was looking into the opening while the female was inside, and at another point the male was perched on the top of the box while she went inside. At another point the male flew over to the feeder and grab something, and then later he was on the ground under the feeder.
There are other male bluebirds flying about and eating from the feeder. I roughly counted about four other bluebirds at one time in additional to the male and female I mention.
Interestingly, there is a lot of activity around the feeders at this same time. In addition to the bluebirds I have a lot of house finches and a number of goldfinches, and they are coming and going from the fence and the live oaks. I noticed because it unusual to have heightened activity in the middle of the day, in my experience.
I was watching the nest box to see either the male or female come back, and after what must have been two or three minutes the female came out, flew 10-15 yards away, and landed on a winter-dormant American Wisteria just off the back window. She perched there for several moments and then dropped down to the ground. She poked around selecting pieces of dead grass and pine needles and then flew back to the nest box and went in.
The female spends more time in the box working on the nest than I would have expected if I had thought about it before. This happened a few more times today. I’m watching the nest box for the birds to arrive, and then she flies out.
More about the food. I watched the feeders with binoculars and observed a male taking a suet nugget. The nugget looked so big and I expected him to drop it, but he flew off with it. He was at the feeder only long enough to grab the nugget and leave, which fits with their feeder behavior I’ve observed so far. They spend more time perched on the arms of the feeder pole than they do on the feeder.
The last (5th egg) was on the 2nd, I believe. I estimated the hatch date on or around the 16th, based on hatching 14 days after last egg; using 12 days would put it around three days from now.
I checked yesterday and still five eggs and all looks well as far as I can tell. I watch the nest box and wait to observe the female leave before I look inside. Sometimes I’ve seen the female peer out but not leave. The male visits occasionally and peeks inside. So, there is activity.
It is exiting.
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