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Great news Julie. I have added this nesting to our stats list for 2022. It looks like a lot of us are going to have late “first” nests this year.
David
Stafford, VAStebet, a wooden fence post allows predators such as cats, squirrels, racoons, snakes, etc. to climb the post to get to the nestbox. Several contributors have mentioned the use of slick metal or PCV pipes (like the one I use) and a baffle to keep the climbing predators out. And starlings do make very large “targets” (and they are not a native, protected species) if you are so inclined. I have mostly eliminated this threat from my yard.
David
Stafford, VAStarlings are not a protected species and are fair game for trapping or other means of ridding them from your yard, nestbox, etc. I use my pellet rifle to “scare them away”. Haven’t seen many this year.
David
Stafford, VAAnother option that might work for you is to buy or build an small inexpensive wren house and mount it away from and out of sight (if possible) of the BB nestbox. These little wren houses are in the “bird food” shelves of Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, etc. I have used them on occasion when a wren pair seem to want to nest nearby. I just put the box up and clean it out as they put nesting materials in it.
David
Stafford, VAMy female is in the 3rd day of incubation. She comes out ot the box when I take the mealworms to the feeder and perches in a tree in the woods behind the nestbox. Yesterday she flew to the shepherd’s hook close to where I was loading the feeder. Maybe thinks that I will leave more worms.
David
Stafford, VAThis is so true. If you have house sparrows around you really do need to trap them to get rid of them. Or, if you feed other birds with seed from stores, do not use the cheaper seed that contain millet, rape, corn seeds. Sparrows love them. I had House sparrows for a while and used them for target practice until I read about the cheap seed that attract them. I have been using seed from Wild Birds Unlimited and the “Premium” seed from Walmart that contains fruit, nuts, sunflower and safflower seed (none of the cheap grains) for several years now and have not had house sparrows at my feeders or bothering my BB for quite a while. This is not a proven solution but it seems to be working for now. BTW This is not a promotion for either of these stores. They are just convenient.
David
Stafford, VAThanks everyone. Yes it has been a strange start this year. Julie, that is the way mine started a week ago. One day a nest appeared and it took another day or two before the first egg appeared. Sky (is your name Barbara?) I will add you to my list of BB watchers for annual statistics that I started last year. When you report your egg hatching and fledging data I put them on the list that I eventually share with Cornell University for their annual survey of Bluebirds nationwide. No names or locations are given to Cornell.
David
Stafford, VABaffles do help. Your nest box should be mounted on slick surface pole, metal, PCV, etc. It should never be mounted on a wood post, fence. or in a tree. Critters can climb these pols and destroy your nests. I use a stove-pipe baffle on my 5′ 1 1/2″ pcv pipe. I also have sharp edged 1/4 ” hardware cloth disks and wadded chicken wire inside the baffle to deter snakes. The nest box should be placed away from high shrubs, overhanging branches, and anything that give a critter access to the nestbox.
Here is a photo of my nest box and baffle.
David
Stafford, VAAnd one more makes 5. Didn’t see a new egg this morning before we drove to Williamsburg to see my wife’s cousin. But it was there when we returned this afternoon. Hopefully we will have a hatch around May 24.
David
Stafford, VASorry to hear this Meredith. I does sound like the evil House Sparrows but the house Wren’s could also be the culprit.. They invade established bluebird nests and reek havoc with nests, eggs, hatchlings and even the adults. Your description of the messy nest construction applies to both of these birds A predator guard can help bur will not stop a determined sparrow or wren.
There are instructions in the permanent posts above that describe a wren guard. It is pretty effective against wrens. You might also consider using a “Sparrow Spooker” on the nestbox to deter the sparrows. but nothing beats trapping and eliminating the little beasts.
There are more ideas out there and I am sure that you will receive lots of help to this post. Good luck in your next endeavor.David
Stafford, VA
