Good News

[Sassy]

I am happy to report my last brood is still around. I see them at the feeder every day. I never see any of the first brood unless some of these ones are part of that brood, but I doubt it. We are going away again for a few days, so it will be interesting to see if they are still here when we get back.
Connie (PA)

[tamsea]

Yay! I’m seeing mine too. I’m leaving for 4 weeks and I feel so bad because mine are coming and begging for suet every day. But usually they show up when I get home from a trip. I wish I had a neighbor I felt comfortable asking to feed them daily.

Tammy

[Sassy]

Hi Tammy:
I felt the same way about going away but not for more than a week, and they did return to feed once I filled the feeder and whistled for them. Today was a bonus when I saw them show up without any feed in the feeder, in fact my husband took the feeder down since we had not seen any blues in a few weeks. Maybe I should have left it up and tried the suet with them. If I see them again, I will have him put it up again and see what happens.
Connie (PA)

[tamsea]

If you aren’t feeding them, they probably won’t keep appearing even if they are in the area. Is keep feeding them if I were you. I’ll get mealworms when I get back. They did fine with the suet. Almost makes me want to forget buying mealworms and stay with the suet.

Tammy

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Tammy is correct – need to keep feeding them if you want to see them – they look and stay where there is a food supply. My blues have definitely figured no more worms (besides costly, they will freeze quickly in our Missouri weather) so they are at the suet bowl regularly now. I was only seeing my pair for a while, and recently I saw four of them. Keep that feeder up & filled and you will have a joyous winter, although I’m not sure about your weather there. I live right on the edge of the Missouri north-south line where just a little more north they don’t usually overwinter because it is too cold.

[Sassy]

Hi Tammy:
Well with the feeder taken down, it had no cage or anything around it and I think the Jays would have stormed it to death, my blues are gone. I may save my pennies and maybe get one of the enclosed feeders next year and see if I can entice the blues to stay in our area and not encourage the bears. That might be a difficult thing to do, it does get awfully cold here in Western PA, in fact it has been bitterly cold here for the last few days. I miss them something awful but maybe I will be lucky again next year and get to enjoy them for part of the year. I know I could never use live mealworms they would freeze in no time but the suet would work if they remained.
How did things go with you being away for 4 weeks? I hope the BB’s didn’t leave.
Connie (PA)

[tamsea]

Connie.
I don’t leave mealworms out or they would freeze. I wait for my bluebirds to show up and then I throw a few out on my patio. They gobble them up in record time. And then they come back later for more. Same with suet. Other birds eat both too, like the little pine warbler that is coming, house sparrows (grr), juncos. The blue jays haven’t been interested in my mealies but they would eat my suet. (I’m sure if they found my mealworms they’d like them too)
What are you feeding the blues in your feeder? Mealworms, dried mealworms?
Next year try to keep feeding them. They are here in sub 0 temps even. I was gone for 5 weeks recently and within a couple of days of getting back they were already eating my food again.
They do come and go sometimes but usually they come back in a few days.

Tammy

[Sassy]

Hi Tammy:
I missed seeing your post but am glad to hear from you. As to what I feed my BB’s, I bought live worms and used dried worms too after the first batch of BB’s hatched. I did mix up a batch of suet but when I did not see the Blues for a couple weeks I felt it was worthless to keep trying. Next year if I am lucky enough to get a nesting pair or two back I will try to continue feeding with the suet once it gets too cold or the supply of live mealworms runs out up into the winter months and see if I can entice them to stay. That would be so great.
Today I could see something looking out of the BB box, but could not make out what it was. The temp at 7:00 AM was -4 and the temps are to continue in a downward trek for the next couple days. I hope the BB box kept whatever it was warm.

Connie (PA)

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