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Judy, like I mentioned they have finally gotten the idea there are no more worms and have been at the suet bowl the past few days. I believe it is just papa and maybe one juvenile right now, not sure where mama is. They have always overwintered here and it is great to have them here to watch during the winter months.
Judy, glad your blues are back, also. They are worse than children about wanting to do their own thing!
Glad you found an outlet for the worms, David. Good luck with this new venture. (P.S. you couldn’t pay me enough to grow them!!!) Wow, without internet for a month – I had that happen to me this year (cable but no internet) for two days and I thought I would have a heart attack.
Bill, sounds like you need to get to have your own nests & blues at your own place next season. I don’t know what I’d do without getting up in the morning, whistling for my blues to come and eat, and then watching them feed and take a few worms to newly fledged young ones (although right now those young’ins aren’t cooperating too well.) Good luck.
Nice – good to see some activity on the forum. My 3rd nesting fledged about 10 days ago and have only seen 1 or 2 of them begging at the meanworm feeder. Parents don’t seem to be as active about rounding them up to come and eat – guess they are eating natural stuff, which is a good thing as I am almost out of worms.
Check with Grubco or Nature’s Way – I use both of these, but this time of year may not be good to get large amounts. I am going to make a trip of about 60 miles today to get some boxes of 50 for $4 each at a Petco store – will get only around 500 or so to get me through until I begin feeding peanut butter suet around Oct 1. Wow – 4th nesting – no wonder you are out of worms! My last next fledge of 5 are still in the trees somewhere – the parents are taking them worms but I only have about 2 more days left. Grubco phone is 8900-222-33563 and Nature’s way is 800-318-2611. Their farms are both in Ohio, but Grubco is owned by The Bug company out of Minnesota. Both are very reputable. I didn’t want to take a chance on the heat or availability – thus reason for making a short trip to get a small amount. Good luck.
Bill, I’ve heard about the diatomaceous earth and believe this is good to use for mites, ants, etc. It does need to used under the nest I believe. As far as mosquitoes, whatever is drawing them to the nest needs to be removed, such as water sitting, etc. Don’t know if they actually bite birds. Congrats on the new fledglings – my 3rd nest of 5 fledged yesterday and I’m sure happy to see that empty nest!
Great new, Chris – mine are due in about 3-4 days – and YES, it will be a relief.
P.S. I’m glad I’m not alone about making too much noise when they are still in the box – have to remind hubby about this when he starts mowing.
Chris, you sound like I do – “don’t get too close to my box where Mama is incubating” I tell my dear hubby! Good work.
Mine is: 1st nesting 5 eggs, 5 hatched & fledged – 2nd nesting 4 eggs, 4 hatched and fledged –
3rd nesting 5 eggs, 5 hatched and all will likely fledge in about a week (doing well) – 14 total, all in my back yard.Nest #3 hatched on Friday – all five. Little worried about this heat spell (heat index over 100 degrees) we are having – I have a heat shield up but today I modified the back (west) side because I didn’t think it was quite large enough. When we looked in today they were all panting, like for air – mama has not been sitting (brooding) very much because it was just too hot and I believe they did not need anything to keep them warm! Parents are looking after them and the box very well- have a pesky wren making nests in a different box – trying to keep it busy there. I’ve done all I can do and hope they make it through this heat spell.
Glad to her you have new eggs & hope the wrens leave that nest alone. Do you have any kind of wren guard on the box? It would be good if the wren tried to nest in your extra box & then let them continue building THEIR nest & you can remove some of it (just to let them know that is their box) – keeps them busy and away from your blues nest. Just don’t wait too long or they will lay an egg.
I’ve had a reprieve from the HOSP for several weeks (probably while they were nesting somewhere else) but this morning I had two trying to get into the mealworm bowl. The blues (parents and four 2nd nesters) were there and trying to chase them away. Also have one wren that has been singing and trying to get a nest built – of course I’ve been taking sticks out to keep it busy at this extra box so it will not bother my 3rd nest of eggs, which are due to hatch Friday, July 23. Just when you think things are going smoothly, something comes up. . . . . .
