Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Carol I just put up a shield on the top of the box. It is a simple 12 x 14″” rectangle of 3/8″ plywood raised up with two 3/4″ strips of the same plywood. It overhangs the sides by about 2″ and the front by about 3″. It could almost serve as a wren guard also. I am going to wait until after the eggs hatch to put some insulation on the west side of the box. The east side is pretty well shaded by large maple trees for most of the morning. I will try to get a photo up tomorrow.
We are experiencing the same heat as you are high 80’s – low to mid 90’s for the next few days. This should also offer a bit of protection for the summer southwesterly rain storms that we will get later in the week.
David
Stafford, VAMy yard is about 165′ wide and the box is about in the middle and 85 feet from the house. I can mow to about 50′ from the sides of the box and about 30′ from the front before she comes off the nest. I would bet that he could mow the lawn to within 50 – 75 feet from the box and Mama bird would probably watch him from inside the nestbox.
David
Stafford, VAThanks Carol. I do not have a garden to till but I do mow around the back yard. While she is laying or incubating I use my weed-eater to cut a 9-10″ strip around the base of the nestbox pole – not hitting the pole support. Then I use my lawn mower to cut a 8′ circle around the box. I then use my lawn tractor to mow the front and side yards to let the female back in the nest for a while and then I move to the back yard to finish up. I stay to the sides as long as I can and if she appears in the nest box I stop for a while to see if she stays or flies off to a nearby tree. If she moves I continue cutting and get the lawn in strips from the nestbox out to the side areas that I have cut, staying outside the 4′ circle that I had previously cut.. It takes me about 3 hours to mow the yard completely with the moderate interruptions. I do this up to about 12 days after they hatch and just do the front and side lawn until they fledge
David
Stafford, VANick, Carol, I have them (the pileated) in my back yard also but they have never approached the feeders. They stick to a couple of dead trees beyond the garden. I have the Downy and Red-bellied at the feeders like Carol. They are fun to watch as they climb around the vertical tube feeders instead of using the hopper feeder.
David
Stafford, VAGreat news Connie. I put my house back up today. Dad was perched on top of it but Mom must have been feeding the kids. It has just been 3 days so I will watch for activity in the box nest week.
David
Stafford, VAThanks all. This is our first experience with this bird so I am reading everything I can on their habits, food, nesting, etc. So far this one has not approached the mealworm feeder or the hanging feeder, just the dish on the deck. I do have a hopper feeder that I am going to put up either tomorrow or Thursday.
David
Stafford, VAIf it does hatch, the fetus will probably suffocate under the other 5. I have had that happen when one egg hatched late. The other birds had grown to a size that covered the entire nest bottom. Unfortunate, but nature does not do what we would like for it to do.
David
Stafford, VAThanks Judy and Carol. Yes, it is good to have them out of the box and into the trees. This weather streak of warm like summer and then chilly like late fall or late winter has bee a real bother. I had thought about putting up the insulation cover that I made last year to try to mitigate some of the very chilly nights but I didn’t do it. Hopefully these 40 degree nights will warm up.
David
Stafford, VAJudy, the comment about the 6 eggs refers to all of the posts from the group about their current nests. I believe Chris reported the 6 eggs.
Your female might be able to move that egg up into the rest of the nest when she starts to incubate and turn the eggs. It looks like there might be a weak spot under that egg. You might be able to stuff some light grass clippings under that spot to lend support but I am not sure that I would try it. Too much chance of the egg dropping out.
David
Stafford, VAWe have had 6 eggs in a box already this year. Could be another new experience for the group.
David
Stafford, VAI have never been a fan of the recycled material nestbox. They just do not blend in with the “woodsy” outdoor surroundings. While they may be easier to clean than the wooden structures, I think that they just do not look natural. The people at the Wild Birds Unlimited store where I shop has only the painted plastic houses – some in earth tones, but a majority in colorful shades that are just ugly in my opinion. most of them had house-like front appearances with slightly curved roofs and no predator guards. They do not even have them as an option.
Looking at your baffle on the nestbox at the top of the page, I would suggest putting a smaller size hardware cloth on top and underneath the what appears to be 1/2 inch hardware cloth to strengthen your snake guard. Young black snakes, garter snakes and the green tree snake will easily slip through that screen if they get up that high. Just a suggestion. I use 1/4″ hardware cloth for the basic circle. Then I use around 10 – 12 smaller pieces(not round) with the edges cut so I can bend the edge wires down through the 1/4″ holes to stab a predator trying to climb through. I also have a bundle of chicken wire that I have crumpled around the pole inside the baffle. Took a green snake out last year that died and dried there. Theoretically if the pole is greased they should not be able to get a grip but heat and weather, dust, and trapped insects can give some traction to an intruder.
David
Stafford, VA
