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Curiosity bid me spend some time in the field with the bluebirds and I am now convinced this little mama I dubbed “Newbie” is in another pair’s territory. Today I took Newbie some mealworms and watched as Mr. Bluebird flew the distance to take mealworms from Newbie’s residence back to his mate on the far side of the field where she has 5 eggs. Back and forth he went. I have never seen the male feed Newbie, and indeed I saw him once try to shove her away from the mealworms.
However, he does spend a little time with Newbie and peers in her nestbox where she now has a very tight and neat nest. I also caught them in the act of mating and took a lovely x-rated photo. LOL But I have never seen him enter her nest box.
“Newbie” may be new to the territory, but she acts determined. Today I saw her fight to the ground with a swallow and a female bluebird. If she persists and raises nestings, I wonder if she will receive any help from Mr. Bluebird. She is a plucky little bird.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonI started using both the revolving door ground trap and the Van Ert several years ago. Until this year I was successfully catching and discarding HOSP. But this year I’m not catching any so far. Nor am I observing them. A few times I wondered if I heard one, but no confirmation.
I would like to think they are getting the message “No HOSP allowed”, but don’t trust it. It only takes one.Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonHere in the Willamette Valley of Oregon we entertain hummingbirds pretty much year round. They really like our gladiolus flowers. In the past, sometimes we saw many of them competing for a place at the “table” and they could be pretty vicious. Those long swords they carry around were good for more than sipping sugar water. I’ve been out with them when it was like a little war overhead.
I do love the goldfinches too. And they love zinnias!
Oh and I love to hear the white crowned sparrow who sits in our dogwood and repeats his song over & over.
But of course, the bluebird has stolen my heart.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonUntil my nestlings were banded this year I didn’t know that the legs of 10 day old nestlings were bigger around than a mature bluebird. I guess they lose their baby fat. Lisa, I wonder if your babies have extra fat or just fat feathers.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonThis isn’t the first year I have seen this, but I have never seen this amount of interest and active participation. From what I have observed when just mama and papa feed mealworms to the nestlings, they take turns. I have watched when one is flying to the box while they other flies away. Or If one is already in the box, the other may wait on the fence for his/her turn.
But not so the fledglings! One of the later times it was like a traffic jam and potential for colliding into each other.Maybe the bluebird pair we have this year is a little less territorial than the average bluebird pair and welcomes the help. It was also the first year I have ever seen an “uncle” (extra male bluebird) help with both the spring & summer nestlings. I am pretty sure it was him with three fledglings that paid a visit last evening. My observation says he is not as brightly colored as the papa and also smaller.
One thing I enjoy about the bluebirds is that no year is like another. There is always something new to observe and learn.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonYes, we have a heat pump that includes air conditioning. Just too bad I could not invite the bluebirds inside! Some of them were back yesterday evening and again this morning. They look really bedraggled and exhausted.
We also have had the added problem of honey bees taking over their bird bath during the hot weather right when the birds need it most. I love honey bees, but not in the bird bath! If anyone else ever has this problem, I accidentally stumbled on a possible remedy although I still do not know why it worked.
My objective was to try locating water on different sides of the house from the bird bath and see if the bees would not stray in those directions. Well, the one I placed furthest away was discovered no problem.
But I placed a couple pans of water in a wheelbarrow for the other location that was closer to the bird bath. The honeybees do not go there. I don’t know why. But maybe it has something to do with the placement of the water down low with sides that block the view? Or maybe they just don’t like wheelbarrows!
I see bluebirds flying up to the empty box. Since the older siblings were helping with the nestlings, it may be confusing for these youngsters that the nest & nestling have disappeared. It is sad to watch.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonYesterday one fledged from the nest at 19 days. When I went to clean out the nest I found the other one dead inside. Yes, I’m disappointed that both did not survive, but happy we could save one.
I think the nestling died soon before the other one fledged. There was no odor and it just looked like it was taking a nap. Even though it probably survived the three worst days, we have had prolonged heat and in addition our air quality has been bad due to fires further north in British Columbia.
The one surviving surely has a lot of family to help it survive. Maybe they will bring him/her to the feeder one of these days. Yesterday five of the family were here in the evening for mealworms; then they took off, likely to share with the hidden fledgling somewhere hidden away.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonOur experience in Oregon’s Willamette Valley has varied from year to year. We have had the bluebirds disappear some time in November and reappear after the holidays, in January. Other years we also had them stay around pretty much all winter, but we did not see them on a daily basis.
Our winters are pretty mild compared to some states, but one year we had a very several days of cold & snow in February and I was keeping them alive with a LOT of mealworms.
Last year when it was snowy, I tried frozen blueberries (I freeze a LOT in the summer). They liked those.
I didn’t have much luck with the suet I made. But I plan to try the recipe Carol shared this winter if we get cold weather again.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonThose ae good, Gin. Another might be to increase mealworm feedings. On our hot over 100 degree afternoons I offered a lot more mealworms than usual. I figured that would help keep the parents as well as the nestlings healthy. The parents didn’t need to work as hard when there were mealworms easily available. And healthy parents are probably one of the most important ways to save the babies.
Have you ever heard of anyone placing ice (like used in ice chests) placed on top of the bluebird box? I did that during some of the hottest hours, replacing it with a fresh one after a couple hours or so. I didn’t know if it would help; but figured it wouldn’t hurt.
Lisa, do yours fledge at 17 days? The ones I have observed & recorded are most usually around 21 days, although one time they started at 18 days. I wonder if western bluebirds are the same in this way as eastern; I should check that out.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonI have a new theory about what happened to the five newly hatched nestlings. HOSP.
We had not been seeing HOSP for some time. My revolving door trap was catching only the birds I did not want to catch. And I was hoping we had pretty much eradicated the little beasts from our area. I was pretty confident since the sparrow spooker was up just in case.
But yesterday evening I heard what sounded like HOSP. Couldn’t spot them; but it sure sounded like them. And then out of the blue this morning one appeared on our bluebird feeding area. Then it was out on the swallow box calling for a mate. I set up the Van Ert trap, but it apparently left.
So tomorrow I plan to put the Van Ert back in, figuring it is likely to return. And I may relocate the evolving door trap nearer the that box.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonWhere’s there’s poop, there’s life. So when the parent bluebird emerged from the box with a white wad of healthy nestling poop, I figured all was well.
It was hot today, but at our house more like 102, which is not as bad as some places in the region. We had smokey smog and I wonder if the dense air helped keep temperatures down a tad. But 102 is no joke for the bluebirds.
This year for the first time we have had an extra “uncle” bluebird that helped with the first nest of babies and now is here again helping. I would think having three adults feeding two babies should surely lighten the task. And an older fledgling sibling may also attempt to deliver a worm on occasion. It was reassuring to see them band together and tend the nestlings.
So one day down and a forecast for hotter yet tomorrow. So one day at a time.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonKeep watching for the older siblings. Mama may try to chase them sometimes, but they may just bounce back. Then it is possible that you may see an older fledgling help feed the nestlings. That is one of the joys of bluebirds!
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonGin, when you click the link I posted, doesn’t the photo come up? It does when I click it.
And sorry for the confusion. If you read the first entry in the post about the ones that died, you will read that they were located at my neighbor’s place. I am just the guardian. ;)
The nestlings I am trying to save at my place are 11 days old. They were banded this morning and I hope they are still okay. mama has been busy tending them But today was just a warm up on the heat that is expected tomorrow and Thursday.
The nestbox is beginning to look like a giant pink hat or perhaps an alien spacecraft. But after a bit of initial hesitation, the pair has accepted it. And I’ll be they might even enjoy the cool interior.
Cari
Willamette Valley, OregonCarol, my posts may be confusing because the two posts refer to TWO different nests. The one by my house where I am preparing for the heat is not the same as the one where all the newly hatched nestlings died.
The nestlings in the box where I have devised a rather elaborate “tree” for heat protection (the one I referred to in the post about How Hot is Too Hot) are 11 days old. I hope you take a look at the “tree”; it reminds me of a great big pink hat. I can watch this family of bluebirds from my window.
The nestlings that died are over the fence at our neighbor’s place. But I am the one who tends them.
Gin, I wonder the same thing. I have not seen a nest start this late, but then again, I have never seen this result with newly hatched nestlings.
I made the decision to discard the last dead nestling, but leave the nest for now, just in case. I read somewhere recently that leaving the gently used nest could facilitate a quicker start on a new family. For that reason I didn’t offer it to the volunteers who came to band the 11 day old nestlings at our house.
Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon
