Home › Forums › Bluebird Chatter › Using fishing line
Tagged: Fishing line
- This topic has 24 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 5 months ago by Julie.
-
AuthorPosts
-
April 17, 2022 at 7:10 pm #24095
Hi bluebird lovers,
Does anyone have experience using fishing line alongside the hole, mounted from the edge of the roof to the lower edge of the box and pulled taut, around screw heads? I read about it from a reliable source and decided to try, as I lost one nestling to a sparrow attack last year; my bluebird pair returned a couple weeks ago, seemed flummoxed, and have not been seen since :(( I also had a hole protector on, which I’ve since removed. Maybe it was too many new things. Is the fishing line like a spook, and you can only put it up after they are committed to the box? I didn’t get that impression online, but now I’m worried I scared my birds away.
Thank you!
BarbaraApril 17, 2022 at 8:00 pm #24096I’m using the fishing line like you mentioned. I also have a line hanging from the top on the left and right side of the box with a screw nut tied to the bottom of the line. The two nuts swing in the wind. Maybe a little overboard, but it works. I leave this up all year. Sparrows have stayed away and it doesn’t bother our BB. I haven’t needed a hole protector on the box so I don’t have experience with one of those. Hopefully your BB will be back soon. Maybe they are out house shopping. :)
April 17, 2022 at 8:12 pm #24097Thank you! You’ve given me peace of mind!
Would you be able to send me a picture of your set-up? I’m intrigued by the extra lines you mention but can’t quite picture.
My email is barbara.lynndavis21@gmail.comApril 19, 2022 at 9:50 am #24107Barbara, I’ll send you a photo of my set-up, too. I use fishing line on a Gilbertson box. I have it on the roof in an X, and the bluebirds don’t mind at all. Well, early in the season when choosing the box they peck at it, but once the nesting is in full swing, they work around it no problem, even sitting on top of the box! I also have it hanging like Vanessa with washers on the end to keep it weighted down. The bluebirds and tree swallows work around that like it’s not there, and that box is on a windy corner! Over time, a few house sparrows have managed to do a plop landing at the hole, clinging like a bluebird, even with the fishing line there!! But that’s few and far between. So I don’t think it deters the bluebirds at all. The fishing line helps, but trapping sparrows is the best answer.
April 19, 2022 at 10:15 am #24108Barbara, I just sent you several emails and pics–let me know if they made it. My email has been buggy the last few days. Thanks!!!
April 19, 2022 at 3:17 pm #24109Hi Barbara,
I used a spooker last year after getting great advice here. I had a sparrow attack on some nestlings that were ready to fledge 2 years ago and wanted to prevent it from happening again last year. I made it out of a couple pvc pipes and some reflective bird deterrence tape I got off amazon. It did the trick. Only put it up after eggs are laid to avoid the sparrows getting used to it.
April 19, 2022 at 10:03 pm #24111I didn’t get your emails, but it looks like we can post photos on the forum though I’m not sure how. Maybe just copy and paste?
April 20, 2022 at 8:37 am #24129Ok, Barbara, I’ll see if I can paste them here. Not sure what’s up with my email. I’ll do one pic first to see if I can figure this out. Sorry some pics are grainy–I took those from inside the window. This shows the box that gets used the most. It has long strings with metal washers on the end. There’s a baby peeking out from the hole.
April 20, 2022 at 8:53 am #24131I just tried to put in more pics and they disappeared. I’ll do one at a time. I resized these as thumbnails for forums. Hopefully that’s right and not too small. Grainy pics means I took it thru the window! Here’s the box with the short strings, which I eventually made longer. With short strings (as Sialis says to do), the washers whacked on the box in winds. I imagined that driving poor Mama and babies nuts, altho’ they kept using the box. But still, I lengthened the strings and then just monitor constantly (it’s like a habit now) to make sure both washers are always visible, esp on windy days. Sometimes the washers will tangle the line, but it still leaves an opening at the top.
April 20, 2022 at 8:55 am #24132Here’s a pic of the roof–I wrap the strings a few times around each opposite pin:
April 20, 2022 at 8:57 am #24133Another roof shot:
April 20, 2022 at 9:02 am #24134Mama blue sitting on the short string box in the late fall. I’ll send these to you directly from my gmail acct, because these are too small for me to see! I have to master this better, but have to get to work.
April 20, 2022 at 7:49 pm #24146These are wonderful! Thank you for sending. I tried strings in a cross on top one year but it didn’t help. Do you also hang them swinging in the wind on the sides? That, I haven’t tried. Or, a Gilbertson box. My hesitation was because I couldn’t trap with the curved shape. But, worth trying … your birds are so beautiful :))
April 20, 2022 at 7:57 pm #24147Barbara, check your gmail acct. I sent these to you there, too, and on those you can see the ones swinging on the side–on the front only. Look for the metal washer nut gizmo hanging at the end of the string. On that first photo, if you look straight down from the pins on top into the green below, you’ll see two shiny circles–those are the long dangling strings. I have push pins upside down near the roof edges. On that 2nd shot, you can see the washer on the short string–looks like a donut near the bottom of the box. It’s hard to see. I do use the Van Ert trap in the Gilbertson. I only got that box type because I could mount it easily on a piece of conduit, and I’m not too skilled in the handyman dept! I’m actually nervous for the bluebirds to use a side opening box–isn’t that funny?!
May 1, 2022 at 5:55 pm #24231Could u send me the pics as well. The pics did not show up. Here is my email:
rjrockies2008@gmail.com
Thank u!Robbe, West Bend, WI
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.