[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Connie, I appreciate your thoughts about the bear – it is very hard to take matters in your own hands when something is being damaged. I felt the same way about deer that were destroying my newly planted trees, bushes, flowers, etc. But like you say this damage was always done at night or very early morning so we were never able to catch them, just saw their footprints & damage. We finally had to put up a high fence around our vegetable garden because they were eating everything there, also. None of the home remedy products worked for us. BUT we have never had to deal with a bear, thank goodness. Good luck with the game warden. P.S. You would think because you take down the feeder at night the bear would give up.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Julie, sounds like you have done your homework – good for you! Plus, there are certain little things you will learn along the way. I especially truly believe in having an extra box or two to keep the HOSP and/or wrens (IF there are in your area) busy while there is a bluebird nest somewhere else. Today I noticed a pair of HOSP at one of my blues’ favorite sites, so will be setting the trap today or tomorrow and should catch one or both of them. My baby blues are due to fledge probably tomorrow, so I will need to rid these HOSP in case the bluebirds decide to nest in this newer, slightly larger box.
Good you have TRES boxes set up – had some 3 different times but have not been around for some time now.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Julie, thank you – definitely something to think about. Yes, I always empty the old nest out of the box as soon as I am sure they are all gone – but my pair usually do choose a different box for their second nesting. But if I don’t clean it out OR just just close it up, they would have to go to a different box. I really don’t want to leave the dirty nest in it the rest of the summer. But I will keep a close eye on where they scout for the 2nd box. Hum . . . . . By the way, how many boxes do you have up? I do have 4 for them to choose from.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Wow, Judy, you really did have a cold night! Bless your heart for going the distance to protect those precious eggs – hope it works out for all concerned. We only got down to 38 degrees last night in mid Missouri, not nearly as bad as Michigan.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Sure glad the adults survived – and I thought HOSP were bad – are you allowed to shoot a bear if it is destroying your property? We have deer which have done damage to our property but are never able to catch them in the act but would be allowed to shoot them even out of season if destroying property here in Missouri. Good luck.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

David, never thought about the “ageing” thing – but this is also a possibility. (I have had several mamas but only about 3 papas in the past 13 seasons) But like you said, too many birds in too small a box is my pick on the problem. There is just not enough room to do this properly. I would much rather have 4 eggs/babies than 5. Hopefully this pair will choose my newer, bigger Gilwood box for the next nesting.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Thanks, Judy – no this pair have been with me several years (overwintering also) and are usually very tidy. I don’t usually have real good luck with 5 babies, and have determined this to be because of a smaller box size. The last Gilwood box we made has a 17 sq. inch floor, but they chose not to use it and used this Audubon box, which I have had very few nests in. Like I say, “Bluebirds do not read the rule books” – meaning they forgot about disposing of fecal sacks to be tidy!

Any teachers in the crowd – need to know how to make students obey the rules!

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Rich, I like the sound of your insulation wrap – really good you are testing it today to see if mama accepts it. Yes, feeding worms does help – just remember not TOO many – they can be calcium depleting for the birds if given too many. Papa blue should be bringing her food while she is incubating, also.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Rich, nothing we can do about the weather, of course, but we can worry and try different things. BUT don’t believe a space heater would be the thing to do. Where do you live by the way? I don’t believe 38 degrees will be too bad – not at the freezing stage yet – my eggs survived 2 nights of under 32 degrees!
I have wrapped insulation around or on the box a time or two – believe I just put some styrofoam directly on 3 sides of the box WITHOUT the spacers, thus acting more like insulation than coolant. But that would probably disrupt mama’s incubating since this might take some time. I take it your slot box does not have any ventilation slots at the top of both sides where you could cover those? I know how worried you are, since I just went through this, in fact I just checked our weather and we are predicted with 36 degrees Friday night, but of course my babies will be about 2 weeks old by the – and with 5 I believe they will stay warm. GOOD LUCK! We’ll all be pulling for those eggs.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Sorry to hear about your wren problem, Gin. Aren’t they just a pain! I haven’t had too much trouble in all these years, but they have wrecked about 3 nests with eggs that I can remember. BUT I still am faithful to be sure I have one on the box when 1st or 2nd egg is laid.

Judy, what kind of temps do you all get there in the summer? If your box has no side vents for ventilation flow through, and it gets hot at all, I would think about adding them. That opening above the hole is something but does not allow for flow through the box, which we have to have here in the Midwest and where I live. Just a thought.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Good to hear from you Country Girl – this activity with the blues has been a life-safer for me, as far as “doing well”. We have to get our minds off this huge problem sometimes, and watching and participating in nature is my outlet. Stay well everyone.

My 5 blues are due to fledge in about 6 or 7 days I believe.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Judy, I believe this is a toss up – but since she is incubating I wouldn’t disturb her off the nest this late at night. Probably be okay if there are no ventilation vents on sides . . . .

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Wow, Judy, 26 degrees – that is scary. If you have read Tammy’s reply on May 1 to my thread about the freeze, about her eggs not making it through a cold spell this year, you have reason to be concerned. My 5 eggs did make it through 2 freezing nights, with very strong north winds. The only thing I could do was close up one of the vents at the top side of the box, which was on the north side. Don’t know if that helped of not, but it was SOMETHING I could at least try. Mama blue should be able to keep the eggs warm if she is incubating well, but . . . . Sometimes we just have to do what we can and let Mother Nature take care of the rest. Good Luck!

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Rich, I believe we all are anxious to hear how the two boxes of blues work out. In all these 13 seasons of bluebirding I have only had two nests of blues at the same time only once. I have four boxes in my large back yard, which are at each corner, about 150 feet apart.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

David, our weather has been pretty good this past week – had several days of 70 plus and one day over 80 degrees, but with very gusty wind, though, which made it seen cooler. Nights have been fairly cool, 40’s and 50 degrees. We have had several pretty good rains and also several days of just light rain, almost not measurable. Checked on my 5 blue babies one of these real warm days & they were snug as a bug in a rug and getting good size.

Hope everyone is well.

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