Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Tammy, I just sent you a test message to see if it is working. On my end, it showed processing and then message successfully sent.
FWIW I think it isn’t straightforward when figuring it out the first time, but after that it isn’t difficult. I know there is a user setting to allow or not allow private messages, but in my case it appears this is on by default. When I tested before, I tried several users just in case there might be some who turned their setting to off. Anyway, if it worked it wouldn’t be that hard for everyone to use it.
— Ira
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Roger, the messaging feature is oddly implemented, as Tammy indicated. Do you see “Your Cafe Mailbox” above “Search Forums”? And there you should see the Welcome, and below that a notification of unread messages. In my case the notification is “You have 0 messages unread” and 0 messages is a link. Clicking on that link opens a page where you theoretically might compose a message.
Tammy, it seems the only username that is found is yours, tamsea. Roger’s username, bluebirdfan2011, is also not found for me. I tried some other usernames from other threads, and they are all not found as well. I suspect usernames for the owner and other moderators would probably be found, but I didn’t know any of these to test. At any rate, I would be this is a privileges setting for participants.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Nest building appears to be underway!
I was puttering around and movement at the nest box caught my eye. I stopped to look and a male perched at the opening and peered in. Moments after, a female came out, flew over to the corner of the yard, picked up a piece of something and flew back to the nest box, and went inside. I continued on what I was doing and looked at the box every minute or two. It was then I noticed the strand of pine needle hanging out through the crack between the hinged side and the floor of the box. Ahhh. I should have noticed that first thing. That telltale strand of pine needle has been the sign of a nest inside for each the previous nests. Another sign, like before, too, was the male perched on the fence and watching me as I moved around the backyard near the box.
There are only a few strands of nest material, so they must have started this morning, but not earlier than late yesterday after noon. It will be fun watching to see if this is a leisurely effort or a rush job.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
I think house sparrows fit the description there. I wanted to wait and see if you read it the same as me.
I’m getting now why people hate the house sparrows.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
I found this. Sounds like you will have already found it, or will soon.
This breaks my heart.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
No ideas. It is all new to me this summer.
I’m wondering, however. I gather bluebirds might remove an unviable egg; but in my case, when I had five eggs and only two hatched, the pair did not remove the unviable eggs. But, thinking out loud, if one of the pair moved an egg, how would they do it? Would the bird be able to get it out through the opening and then fly off with it, directly? Or would they need to push it out the opening, let it fall to the ground, and then drop to the ground and grab it and then fly off with it? I just don’t know. But in my imagination I can’t see an egg on top of the box. Perhaps another bird left it there? Perhaps that egg didn’t even come from that box?
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Roger, thanks. Me too. I’m not sure if the bluebirds are defending territory in general, or if there are indeed nestlings nearby. I’m curious to know.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Update on post above: Neighbor’s box is empty too. But it makes me happy just the same if they have a nest in one of the oaks.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Great information.
It is amazing how tolerant the bluebirds are of human activity around them.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
This morning is the first I’ve been able to check the box after being out of town since late last week. Nothing . . . but a story, of course.
After checking the box and started watering the plants. The sun beats down the Beautyberry and the plants that were getting the most sun looked horrible. Anyway, funny thing about the birds, I can be close to the feeders with my back to them and the birds will come to the feeder as if I’m not there. Turn around and look, and they fly off. Turn back around, not looking, and they come back. And while standing there, feet from the feeders, watering the plants, I hear a pffft sound, and then again. I turned around and a pair of bluebirds were harassing a mockingbird. Never before this close to the action (and not wearing ear buds), I didn’t realize the bluebirds make content!
I personally only see the bluebirds defending a territory like this when they have young in the nest, so I assume that pair has a nest nearby. It isn’t in my box. I’ll check with my neighbor, but perhaps they have a nest in the oaks that surround us here.
At any rate, those are a couple interesting observations to share.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
A while later after I posted above. Noticed a male perched on top of the box and so I started watching. A few moments he dropped down to the entrance and peered in, the he hopped back on top of the box. I do believe a pair has closed on the property and will be moving in. We’ll see.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
A pair was inspecting the premises this morning. The behavior was similar to before; the female went inside while the male peered in while perched outside at the opening. The whole episode in brief, not even 30 seconds. I looked in the box afterward and it is still empty, so for sure they were just looking this time.
I saw bluebirds yesterday but no activity at the nest box in the times I was watching.
I had started feeding my mix of suet nuggets and dried BSF larva, dried mealworms, and left over commercial bugs and berries wild bird food agin now that the young have fledged. The bluebirds are taking some of it. They are not heavy feeders.
A thought on feeding. I stopped putting this food out when there are young in the nest to avoid the young being given dry food. However, the bluebirds birds have no trouble finding wild food, and I found they still hunted wild food for young when I was putting the feeder food out. I still think it is wise to stop the dried food when there are nestlings, but it seems the bluebirds don’t feed it to the young anyway.
The variety of wild food the adults bring to the nestlings is amazing. It is hard to identify even with binoculars, but I’ve observed what I believe was probably an earthworm, another time a mole cricket, a one time something large with many legs which I suppose was a spider. But when they are feeding the young they are constantly arriving with something in their beaks.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Oh, I know they will. I was responding to Tammy’s advice about the behavior of the birds and that the pair may have already moved in and were not just inspecting the premises. Anyway, as I have said, probably across different threads, my experience so far is the second pair moved in almost immediately after the first pair moved out. So, that’s why I believed Tammy and was half expecting to see a nest.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
