Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
UPDATE – Papa blue & mama did manage to take over this different nestbox where HOSP had been trying to build, and have a very nice, round nest with good cup – ready for eggs any day now. A pair of wrens have taken over the blues old box, and I’m keeping them busy by taking out sticks so they can put more in !! Who needs to spend oodles of money on outside entertainment when I have all I need looking out my window!! (P.S. yes, I do get out and about quite a bit though)
Nice work, David – I never get to see mine fledge – they are too sneaky – I don’t even see them peek out of the hole. Thanks for the pics.
Thanks everyone – yes, been very good so far. My papa blue, however, has decided he wants to take a nestbox where I’ve been watching a HOSP build and trapped one. The new HOSP, however, has not found a mate so he was just waiting and watching, so papa blue decided to try to get his box. I’m a little worried that if the bluebird does start a new nest there that the HOSP will get mad. I’m really between a rock and hard spot with this – the blue’s other box where he has had two successful fledges is clean and ready for him but he seems like he “wants something different”. Oh well, what will be will be. Good luck everyone with future nestings.
P.s. Sure glad the forum is back up!!Wrens are a protected species – cannot legally harm them (and they are really cute), but they can really do a number on bluebird nests. My secret (after putting a wren guard on my BB box) is to let the wren put their twigs inside a different box, watch the box closely (almost every day) and take out MOST of the trigs but leave some for “stake” for the wren. They will continue to try to build a nest this way and thus keeps them busy and away from my bluebirds. I don’t know how many wren nests I have removed this year – however one time I was too late and there was a wren egg in the box – I was really upset but could/would not do anything about it. Well, the next day I spotted a HOSP on top of that box and later looked inside and the egg was gone – the HOSP took care of my problem. P.S. all the wrens I have are house wrens, which are cute but deadly to BBs and their eggs.
Sky, I do not have a link to the “heavy axel grease” – hubby uses it and buys it at a hardware store I believe. But David’s grease should be just fine, although I’m not familiar with it. Main thing is that it should not wash away with the first rain! (which would be every day here in my area!!!)
Tammy is right – need to get rid of them. With lots of ants they can harm the babies especially. In order to avoid getting them to begin with, I grease the pole with heavy axle grease (will not wash away) on the bottom for about six inches and also just under the nestbox – the ants cannot crawl over this grease protection and you need not use anything else in the way of pest control. Good luck. P.S. This heavy grease also deters crawling critters like cats, raccoons, etc.
Philly Blues, yes you have hit the nail on the head – long grass is not ideal but on trails you may have no control. I know in yards you do not want tall grass – it is that much harder for birds to find bugs, etc. Long grass could definitely draw in critters.
Oh, Philly blues – that is just the pits! Have any idea what happened? If eggs were totally gone that means it was probably a climbing critter. Some can actually overcome a baffle somehow but I don’t know how. I have seen pictures of a snake crawling up and over a baffle. Do you have a fence or tree close enough that they could drop down or stretch over? My heart goes out to you, but DON’T YOU GIVE UP! We cannot overcome mother nature and things just happen.
Maybe Tammi or Cher can help on this – I cannot – mine has always been there for all the years I have been here.
Julie, I use the same cage feeder I use for the mealworms – just substitute the suet. I usually begin feeding suet around early October – the birds will balk at first because they don’t have worms, but in a week or so they finally get the message – no more worms. The suet recipe I use (from Cher) is a good one – has the things needed to keep them healthy for winter. P.S. all the winter birds love the suet also (juncos, white crowned sparrows, and of course HOSP – I just shoo them away best I can)
Glad we have your opinion on feeding the worms, David, even though I know you are raising them. We were gone a couple of days over the Memorial Day holiday and I was not able to feed the worms but I knew that the blues would be okay (I have 5 week-old babies still in the nestbox) because parents have been hunting on their own after eating the few worms I put out. I do exactly as you do about the timing – feed in early morning and around supper time (5-6 pm) – right now I am feeding 3 juveniles, 2 parents and 5 babies in the box, so I adjust the worms as appropriate.
I don’t believe the parent blues would be feeding seeds to the babies, but I don’t know -always thought they only feed the babies soft bugs, etc. I have really never even had them eat at my seed feeder (in the wintertime) – they love that peanut butter suet I give though.Feeding mealworms is not a necessary thing to do – it is just fun that you can watch then in action and definitely helps parents feed several babies, especially like mine right now – I have 3 juveniles feeding on the worms, plus the two parents and they are feeding 5 babies, so it does help them out. But I cannot stress enough the importance of not overfeeding them worms – these birds are not pets – they are a wild bird and must learn how to catch other natural bugs, etc. Just like this weekend, we were gone for two days, and I wasn’t concerned about the babies not having worms because the parents know how to hunt and bring them bugs, etc. Sounds like you have enough common sense to know not to feed too many worms for too long.
P.S. Most BB parents will eventually run off their young ones (fledged birds which are big enough to take care of themselves) so they can concentrate on their new babies – but all birds are different – never know what they will do!
