Home › Forums › Bluebird Chatter › Finally… nest-building in New Hampshire!
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April 16, 2017 at 1:31 pm #3733
I completely understand that this is not big news, as most on this board have fledglings in college by now, but things have been indescribably slow up north. A little activity gives one hope. Mama BB is building away, today, after only bringing three blades of grass into the box yesterday. Papa stands guard, dive bombs the chipmunks, and eats a lot. The other nest box, a Gilbertson about 70 yards away, has yet to be claimed, but it looks like a pair of black-capped chickadees has put a deposit down. It’s 85 degrees… time for all of my birds to start putting in some work!
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireApril 17, 2017 at 3:06 am #3743gratz Randy! I knew it would only be a matter of time for you with your setup! Don’t over monitor lol! I know its hard to resist the temptation!
April 17, 2017 at 7:01 pm #3746Fledglings in college? Mine haven’t even been thought of yet!
Gin
Atlanta, GAApril 18, 2017 at 11:04 am #3782Randy congratulations!
April 19, 2017 at 8:13 pm #3796Great news Randy, nothing here in Western PA yet. Congrats to you.
ConnieApril 19, 2017 at 10:40 pm #3800Thank you, Dana and Connie! I am so invested in my bluebirds, I have to admit. I so want to see these fantastic birds succeed on my property, but I understand the risks. Currently, I am in Chicago on business, so I hope all is well when I return this coming weekend. I will keep you posted. Thank you, again!
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireApril 25, 2017 at 8:58 pm #3887Mine just laid eggs in NW Ohio.
Tammy
April 25, 2017 at 10:43 pm #3891Don’t you just hate having to leave down when the blues are nesting? I totally wasn’t thinking when I planned vacation next week. Hopefully all will go well and they will enjoy the break from my constant harassment.
And I taught my very reluctant housekeeper how to do the mealworms. LOL.April 26, 2017 at 1:53 am #3896Congrats, Randy & Connie! Gin, I hope you get some activity soon. Lisa& Randy, hope all goes well when you’re away!
Nicole
April 26, 2017 at 7:52 am #3899Thank you, Lisa and Nicole! My blues did fine while I was away, The nest is complete (it has been for over a week), and they guard it until about noon everyday, but mama has yet to lay a single egg. Rainy and chilly, so it’s obviously best that they continue to wait. My house finches are working overtime to keep their eggs warm. I keep a recessed flood light on over their hanging plant, to help them out.
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireApril 26, 2017 at 11:10 am #3900Nevermind. Had not seen mama in the past day or so. Then I saw her sticking her head out of the box, this morning, so I checked after she left. Turned out, she had already laid two eggs. Sparrow spooker deployed.
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireApril 26, 2017 at 3:42 pm #3901Lisa, nice that you talked someone into giving mealworms when you’re away. I have no one. We asked our neighbor once when the babies were newborn and the temps were in the single digits but he’s a gruff elderly man and I can’t bring myself to ask him again.
Tammy
April 26, 2017 at 4:05 pm #3904You know, when we are gone I don’t have anyone to feed my blues either, but we are usually only gone 3 days at a time. I often worry about not having the worms available, but out in the real natural world, they have to fend for themselves. I don’t have to whistle much before they show up when I get back home & put out worms, and this is usually the first thing I do!
April 26, 2017 at 10:31 pm #3905Usually I wouldn’t worry but it’s a whole week with hopefully 5 newborns to feed! I’m sure they would be fine without me.
Now I have to figure out when to get her to remove the wren guard. Hopefully hatching tomorrow so I can time it right.
I got home tonight and my makeshift wren guard had fallen off and I scared mom to death trying to reattach as quietly as possible. Poor thing! I hated to fix it at night but I was terrified of an early morning wren attack.
I’ve read 5-7 days after hatching to take down the guard. When does everyone take theirs down?
Next nesting I will be prepared with something much better than my thrown together shoebox guard!April 27, 2017 at 8:49 am #3909Lisa, 5-7 days would be minimum after hatching. but some give it a couple more days. Yes, it is easier for parents to feed the larger birds without the guard. I use a homemade guard, made out of thin cedar wood and just screws onto the front of my box. Main thing is to have AT LEAST 2 1/2″ and now believe 3″ is better for the parents.
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