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Congrats, Dene – looks like you are 1st here with babies? Where are you located? I will probably not have any eggs until early April here in Mid-Missouri – that is pretty much the norm. My blues have been here all winter and have been trying to claim a box, although the HOSP have too!
Bob- aren’t you from Missouri? I was thinking that, but may be wrong. Yes, the blues (& others)
are definitely scouting and have been since February. My pair of blues were definitely ready on those warmer days we had (in upper 60’s) but let off somewhat the past week since it turned colder. This coming week will warm up Friday and we should have lots of activity.Lisa, they will “get over it” – several times I have monitored after making noise/whistling, etc, so she would come out and sometimes they just stay put. Usually I try to monitor after I have seen her fly off the nest, but this is not always possible. Wow – 5 eggs being incubated on March 9 – amazing! My pair are definitely interested and have sort of claimed their box, but also has the HOSP! I have already trapped about 4-5 HOSP – I usually let them stay busy at one box while the blues scout around for their own box. But of course, those HOSP want ALL boxes! Really hard to give the blues a chance, but somehow, they always manage.
P>S> My winter birds (juncos & white-crowned sparrows) are still hanging around – wish they would go home so I can begin feeding my new batch of worms – sure can’t do it while they are here.
yes, Lisa, ASAP after they accept spooker. I imagine the wrens stay in your area for winter so they are probably there. In my area (mid-Missouri) they do not show up until later on, but I still go ahead & put one on.
Lisa, sounds like all the HOSP are at Target – I have a WalMart and other “HOSP loving” stores but they are about 2 1/2 miles away, as we live in a rural subdivision. Just be glad those are not coming to your home!!
Randy, very nice picture of the deer. HOWEVER, like those cute bunny rabbits, the deer have our property on their meal list and last year between the two destroyed most of our vegetable garden. We have even put up electric fence at two different levels (and maybe 3 levels) 2 or 3 years and this did not seem to help much. There is only so much money a person can spend on trying to grow a garden. (Our garden if fairly large) We’ve had a vegetable garden for 45 years or more so it may be time to let it go.
P.S. What type of shrub are those? They look like a yew, of which the leaves are toxic to animals I believe. But I cannot tell. They are very common around here – just don’t want to let pets chew on them.Great pic of you and Bet – where was she speaking? Yes, I have given one presentation already this year and one scheduled in April. I did not do any for the past couple of years, but decided to do a few more. I’m not getting any younger and feel I need to help our blues as long as I can.
P.S. Caught another hosp this morning and have trap in another box, too. I did see my blues couple on this one box where I caught the HOSP today – hope they come back to it. They need to be staking their claim on one box. I ordered some worms this morning – just hope now that I have something to feed them to!
Wow, Tammy – that is amazing that you got to meet Bet! As far as I would be concerned, that is right up there with the big wigs!! Hope this photo thing gets resolved, or easier – I really miss the photos.
Randy, here in Missouri (& probably lots of other places) there is actually a season to legally hunt mourning doves and are highly prized for hunters to eat. So maybe if they taste good to humans the hawk probably doesn’t like the taste (ha, ha). Merry Christmas to all!
Just Googled the difference between mourning doves & “turtle doves” which my hubby called them and the main difference is mourning doves are in North America and turtle doves are European birds but very similar – lesson learned today.
Denene, they are just trying to find a place to “roost” for the colder weather, mainly at night. Lots of birds roost in their nesting boxes, however, mine do not even here in Mid-Missouri, as they have plenty of trees and shrubs to keep warm. Just because they are going into the box does not mean they will build a nest (they know it is not the right time)- just trying to get in out of the cold. My problem here is that other birds will roost (stay for the night) in my BB boxes and the blues go elsewhere. P.s. just remembered that they will sometimes put a small amount of grass or covering over the very bottom on a box to keep it warmer if they plan to roost in it.
Connie, don’t know if this will make a difference, but I leave my suet in crumbles, about small pea size. If the ball is too solid (hard) it may be hard for them to get to it, but the crumbles they can gobble up in a few minutes. Good luck.
P.S. yes, a lot of birds like the suet, so I am like a watchdog trying to shoo off the juncos and white-crowned sparrows until my blues get to it. I don’t mind feeding those winter birds, but of course, the HOSP will be there also.Lisa, they will get used to the suet – it just takes a little time. Since this is your 1st year for them overwintering, might be good to let them have what they want so they will stay again next year. It only takes my blues about a day or so but then they dive right in. Right now my winter birds (juncos and white-crowned sparrows) are back and the blues chase them away from THEIR feeder – but with only about 6 blues and dozens of the other winter birds, they can’t keep them away altogether.
Connie, just curious – do your blues usually overwinter there in PA? I would think it might be too cold there but didn’t know. Mine do stay all winter here in mid-Missouri and have for 9 seasons now.
Connie, yes this is where I got my recipe – it is Cher’s (our forum administrator) recipe which I have used for years. ONLY problem is – every other bird in the area loves it also, so I just usually wait until my blues come after I whistle for them and them put out just enough for them. I will have a BOSS feeder out later on for the cardinals, juncos, etc. I feed suet in the wintertime to give my pocketbook a break and it is actually good for them, also. I forgot all the stats, but I know the peanut butter is the protein, lard helps them keep warm, little tad of sugar for energy, etc. We also have bushes which produce berries here in Missouri in the winter which they eat, although I don’t have too many. I did plant a serviceberry tree last year which they are supposed to like. Try the suet – they will love it once they get used to it, just like the worms! (It is too messy to feed in the summer, with the lard in it and all)
