Finally have some bluebirds here!!!

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Well, I don’t want to get my hopes up too far, but I finally have a pair of blues that have staked their claim to one of my Gilwood houses and believe they have started building a nest. We have had several small rains the past couple of weeks so everything has been wet. It sure is nice to think I may actually get a nest and eggs soon.
P.S. Those HOSP are still around and I have been busy with trapping them. I will have to watch closely because I know what they can do to bluebirds and others. I hope this pair hurry up and finish their nest and get first egg laid so I can put up a sparrow spooker which are fantastic for keeping the HOSP away. Do others here use the spooker AFTER first egg is laid and the blues will then be committed to the egg and lay the rest?

[David in Stafford,VA]

Congratulation Carol. Good to see that your patience paid off.

David
Stafford, VA

[Todd]

Congrats! We are in the same boat. After a few years hiatus, we now have a pair that is nesting in our box. We’ll see how it works out. The last time we had a pair, they laid eggs, and then all of the eggs disappeared. No signs of intrusion around the box area. Hope all goes well. It’s nice to have them back.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Thanks David & Todd – my pair have built a really tall nest which was finished yesterday, May 13 I believe, and I am just waiting on the first BB egg. I believe the pair have mated but it does take a day or so for egg development and laying. I will keep a watchful eye – have updated my sparrow spooker with new tapes and should be ready to go after that egg is laid.
Now, if I can just keep those miserable HOSP from bothering this box – they have 3 others to use and I am trapping from those 3 vacant ones – having pretty good luck after they get their nest partly started and then I set the trap.
Todd, sounds like something climbed up the pole and got the eggs – probably a cat or raccoon, etc. anything that climbs. Most people try to put up a barrier like a stove pipe, or grease the poll with heavy axle grease. Good luck.

[blue diamonds]

So happy to hear a pair of blue finally showed up!!! Hopefully that 1st egg will appear soon. Answering your question on sparrow spookers, I always use one after the 1st egg. Have never had any trouble with HOSP with the spooker in place. I use it on tree swallow boxes too. It’s a great invention! Enjoy your blues.

Judy – Michigan

[Dana]

Carol and Todd,
That’s awesome to hear you both got back your bluebirds back!! Congrats! Mama bluebird just laid her 5th egg in my nest box this morning. She’s busy incubating them now.

[Author]

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