My blue babies are coming to worm feeder – fun!

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Well, the past couple of days some of my 5 fledglings have been coming with parents to the worm feeder, begging for the worms. This is really fun to watch – they get so anxious they flop their wings and open their mouth, begging. I also believe parents have a new nest built in the same one where they were first time around. I was hoping they would build in one of my larger boxes. Not for sure yet about this nest. BUT I do know there is another pair of HOSP gone – set the trap after I saw the pair on the nest this morning, and in 5 minutes I had the male caught. BUT GET THIS – this afternoon about 4 o’clock I went around checking the boxes and in the box where I had got the male HOSP and taken out the nest, there was almost another whole nest built already. What a pain they are.

[David in Stafford,VA]

Watching the young ones come back has to be a most satisfying experience. I hope mine do the same.
btw. good work on the HOSP troublemakers.

David
Stafford, VA

[blue diamonds]

Awww…..I hope to see fledglings come to my feeder some day too. That would be most enjoyable. They are just so cute. Great job with HOSP control….just when you think you haven’t seem any in a while one shows up. Enjoy those sweet babies!

Judy-Michigan

[Julie]

I was thinking one reason to feed worms is to be able to see the babies a bit more. Is that true? Last year I did see the babies helping feed the 2nd and 3rd nestlings. It was quite something. The Mama and Papa had a rhythm of bringing food to the nestlings, like a well-honed machine. The babies were clumsier and funnier, but the parents were patient as they waited for the fledgling to feed the new babies. One day I watched a fledgling trying to feed at the nest. He would sit the unused box, then fly over to the box with nest, but missed the hole the first 3 times! It literally bumped into the side of the box and then fluttered back to the empty one. This happ’d for a day or two, and then it was able to hit the hole & cling there each time. I felt badly for it, but it was funny.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Julie, yes as a rule you will see the fledglings more when they come to your worm feeder. Mine always do this about 10 days or so after fledging – at first parents will feed them at the bowl and in a few days they will eat on their own. This is one of the main reason people do feed the worms – just as much for our enjoyment as it is beneficial for the birds – just as long as the worms are used as a treat and not meant not to be their main food! You have had an experience I don’t believe I have and that is the fledglings helping feed their new sibling babies. But then again I am on the go quite a lot (at least I used to be) and don’t really have time to watch a lot. Sounds like you had a very enjoyable experience with this.

[Julie]

Carol, I really only see these things by pure chance. That’s why it’s so fun to me! I do work from home and I can see one of the boxes (the unused one) from my desk. But I only see the occupied one if I lean way over in my chair, which means I’m not getting any work done and am about to fall out of my chair! But yes, they do bring me great joy. My husband works very long hours and says they keep me company, which they do.

I would never have put up a box without this forum! That is the only reason I did. I happ’d to see bluebirds chasing each other up and down the street a few years ago (again, lucky timing when I was working in the front flower bed). I saw this for two days and started to look online about bluebirds. I knew they nested in boxes and that was about it. The rest I learned from all of you! That’s why I cannot thank everyone enough for sharing so much. It really got me started on my journey, and it’s been such a source of joy, except for the HOSP, of course!

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Julie, we all are glad you found us – keep in mind that all situations are different and what we share is probably what we see. There is ALWAYS something new to learn from others. Bluebirds were almost on the endangered species until 1978 when the North American Bluebird Society (NABS) organized and began the journey of helping bluebirds. The population has improved since that time, but there are places which are still struggling. Glad you are enjoying your new hobby!

[Author]

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