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Well the warblers are having another go at it. This time they are using the first box that was used this year that had been abandoned after a wren guard was put on after the first egg had been layed. There are three eggs and I just put the guard on, measured to make sure of the distance from guard to hole. We will see tomorrow whether or not it will be accepted.
On to another box. The blues have 4 hatchlings and one un-hatched egg as of this morning. Since they took the tres box a wren guard can not be put on. The roof front is much lower than the back so a guard would be way too low for the birds to enter the box.
Well thats it for now. Ill report if the guard has been accepted or not. Lets hope so.
When the new wears off the old shines through
When The New Wears Off The Old Shines Through.
Well Renee, that is good news on both fronts, the warblers returning and 4 new BB hatchlings. I hope the wren guard is working. I will look for an update from you. Wishing you the best of luck this go round.
Connie (PA)Well I spotted the female Warbler attempting several times then succeeding to go into the box this morning. BUT my hubby has to pick this morning to mow the yard and keeps scaring her back out. Men, why do they ALWAYS have to do things that are sure to make loud noises when we are trying something.
When the new wears off the old shines through
When The New Wears Off The Old Shines Through.
Renee, I hear you about the mowing – I asked my hubby not to mow around my box of blues which were due to hatch that day or the next. He pouted like a little kid, but I tried to explain that mama needed to stay on the nest as much as possible. Well, in a couple of days the 5 babies hatched and he went and mowed – end of story! (I did explain that she also needed to brood them for a few days but he only had a very small area to mow and was done in about 10 minutes.) Good luck with the Warbler – don’t know if we have them in Missouri or not.
Carol- I have never had any trouble with mowing at any time during the incubation and hatchings. I always start by using my weed-whacker to trim the grass around the nest box. I trim a circle with about a 4 ft radius around the box. Then I take the tractor mower to the front yard so that mama can sit with the eggs for a while. When I get to the back yard I start mowing in a diagonal on both sides of the nest box and do another circle cut around the box outside the trimmer cut. This lets me stay away from the house while I finish the mowing. Over the years I believe that this couple has become used to the mower noise as they seem to stay in or or on the box longer as I approach them.
David
Stafford, VADavid, they probably would be okay with the mowing, but why take a chance after putting in all the preliminary efforts to get them hatched. It is only during the incubation period that I get concerned – we have a pretty large yard (about 2 acres) and this particular box was at the very back, along a co-owning wire fence (but box is several feet from the fence) , so I don’t believe 1 or 2 time of missing right around the box area is a big deal. I’m pretty finicky about our house and yard, but when it comes to my blues, they take priority!! (ha, ha)
Renee…..I got a chuckle about the men having to mow at the wrong times. Same here. I have been waiting 3 weeks for this pair of BLuebirds to start a second nest. Today I see them carrying nesting material into the box, working hard and fast. You guessed it….TIME to MOW‼️ Grrr, ask if he could wait until evening. He says “I’ll start in the backyard”….well now he is in the front. Yup spooked them. I think in his mind if he stays away by a 4’ radius…all is well. Hopefully they will return soon.
How is your birding going?
Judy-Michigan
Judy, hope they return – probably will to finish the next. At least the eggs were not being incubated – this is a critical time I believe for mama to be off the nest. P.S. I try to always look to make sure she returns within 10-15 minutes, and so far she has after he leaves with the mower close by. BUT . . . . grass will wait, eggs being kept warm will not.
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