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Ok so I’m just getting started with trying to attract blue birds. I’ve read lots of posts here and on line, but just for the he’ll of it!! How long did it take you to attract blues. I’m not in farm country or wide open space. More like large lot suburban kinda place. I had some blues here back in march as I had a feeder up with dried meal worms. I now have a blue bird house, live meal worms bird bath everything that all sights recommend. I’m committed for long term.
You have a good start on attracting bluebirds and hopefully keeping them around for next breeding season. I’m guessing that if bluebirds are around they will find your offerings and show their little ones where the food is. Not knowing your location I’m not sure, but, I suspect your breeding season is nearing its end. But you may still get some late starters. Here on the WI/MI border, about a hundred miles north of Green Bay, my bluebirds have slowed to just one recent new nest with eggs and two other nests with hatchlings. That’s out of 35 nest boxes. Even with that many nest boxes on my trails I don’t have more than eight or nine pairs nesting at the samee time and at various stages of nest building, eggs and hatchlings. That’s in the prime breeding season for here; that’s mid May to mid June.
It sounds like you’re doing the right things to attract and retain breeding pairs. Just be patient and you could be surprised this summer. At the very least I hope you see bluebirds frequenting your feeders soon.
Tim
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
Thanks Tim!! I live in south eastern Massachusetts, not far from Cape Cod. I’m keeping my finger crossed. Thanks again. How long did it take you??
I wrote a long post that didn’t appear, so I’ll keep it brief this time.
In my observation the nest box will do more to attract the bluebirds than the feeder, most likely. A residential neighborhood is fine. The box should be in an open area, but the area doesn’t need to be large.
As @TimeC wrote, it may be too late for a nesting pair for you this season. I didn’t have a nesting pair my first year, and I gather that isn’t uncommon.
My advice is keep doing what you are doing, maintaining a welcoming environment for bluebirds. It sounds like they are around.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
I tried to edit my post, but the edit doesn’t show up. As far as time, I spent several months experimenting with feeders and food before I saw a bluebird actually take food. Still, bluebirds don’t perch on a feeder and eat. They drop in, grab something, and fly off. Maybe it is different with live food, but I don’t know.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Sounds like you’re set. If you have time to sit and observe, you may notice things that help you figure out what is going on. I think early morning is a good time to watch; fill the feeder and flush and fill the birdbath, and then watch.
One thing I’m curious about is whether or not you will see a bluebird come to your yard and feed. I would watch for a bluebird to perch on a fence or something similar and then drop to the ground to grab an insect or something. They will grab their prey and then immediately fly off. The difficulty is you have to be waiting and watching or you are unlikely to see this happening.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Nest boxes draw them more than anything! Nesting season is almost over but they love to investigate nest boxes so there’s a good chance they’ll find it before next year. A lot of people have them in their suburban back yard.
Tammy
Thanks Tim!! I live in south eastern Massachusetts, not far from Cape Cod. I’m keeping my finger crossed. Thanks again. How long did it take you??
I put up my first nest boxes in March ’23. The first activity I noticed was on May 15. March is very early in this neck of the woods. I don’t believe they over-winter anywhere north of Central Wisconsin. I didn’t hear/spot bluebirds until just before May 15. Then by June all heck broke loose! Eight pairs were nesting by June 1st. Most of the twenty five boxes that first year were installed before the end of March.
Good luck! You might get lucky and have some late nesters find your box and produce some beautiful babies.
Tim
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
Well I have dried meal worms live meal worms suet bird bath everything so I’m hopeful
Just be careful with dried mealworms during breeding season. I’ve read that the only hydration that hatchlings get is from their food brought to them by mom and dad. After you start to see eggs I would switch to live mealworms or at the very least save the dried for late and early season use. Of course the BB moms and dads know best so maybe they would not feed their babies dried food anyway.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
For what it’s worth, I did put out dry food when there were nestlings in the box with the first nest. The parents still hunted live food and brought it to the nest. Still, after that, I stopped putting out dry food between hatch day and fledge day. But I did have sort of a scare this last time.
Around fledge day when I believed the young were about to fledge, I put out dry food. It turned out to be the day before fledging. I mentioned in another thread that there were juveniles from an earlier fledge taking food to the nest box. I saw one of them pick up a suet nugget from the feeder and take it back to the box. That day the young were sticking there heads out of the box opening and they were being fed there.
My conclusion at this point is that the adults will mostly if not exclusively feed live food to the young. But I wouldn’t count on it.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
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My conclusion at this point is that the adults will mostly if not exclusively feed live food to the young. But I wouldn’t count on it.
Very good example. I read warnings and pass them on just because that’s what us BB landlords try to do to help others. The BB moms and dads have it figured out. Whether its instinct or learned behavior, I don’t know, but they are making smart decisions.
As an expert at the Michigan Bluebird Assoc. festival in Ann Arbor mentioned… “As soon as you think you have them figured out Bluebirds throw you a curve”. I’ve found that to be a factual statement!
Tim
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
I think that you are on the right track, JTL. You have a nestbox up and if you have seen Bluebirds in your yard or residential area, a pair will find it. Blues usually have 2 or 3 nestings each year. Sometimes you will get a pair of birds that have lost prior mates and find box for a final brood.
I feed my bluebirds live mealworm exclusively and year round since I raise the mealworms. I have a bag of dried mealworms that they do not touch. I might try to put them in a suet mix for the winter.David
Stafford, VAI had dried meal worms out in a feeder last winter in March. I know serve live meal worms dried meal worms and suite and a bird bath that I change water frequently
Thanks
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