[Maybelle]

One time a dead nestling appeared on our Bluebird Buffet not long after hatching. I assume the parents brought it from the nest and deposited it there. That time we had a record of 7 eggs, but in the end only 5 nestlings appeared to have survived to fledging.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

http://s1043.photobucket.com/user/Caro15lyn/media/heat%20shield_zpsgstofvgi.jpg.html?o=1

I think you did the right thing. Survival may depend much more on juicy mealworms than extra shade. We use the moveable extra shade shown in the photo.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

You would probably be okay putting it up early, but I am always reluctant to do that. I would probably gamble that putting it up right after that first egg would still beat any HOSP attack.

If, however, the HOSP is showing interest in the box like sitting on top and yelling for a mate to “come see”, I have found the fastest and simplest way to tell him “No” is with a Van Ert Universal Sparrow Trap. This is faster and addresses the specific offending HOSP better than my revolving door trap. The male is known to find a site and call for a female. But while he waits he goes in and out. That’s when the door goes shut and his story is over.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

Oh, my goodness, Connie. You are amazing. You just kept on keeping on even when impossible odds were stacked against you. Your acts of love must make the universe rejoice.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

Yes, we have seen fledglings from the spring nest help feed summer nestlings. Good “in house” training, I would say. Do you suppose they are better prepared for parenthood the following year?

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

I have no interest in learning to band. I’m happy to leave that with the trained volunteers with Prescott Bluebird Recovery.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

Oh so sorry! It’s so easy to get attached, but unlike with household pets, we just cannot control the outcome. I have the audacity to name the pairs I watch from our window. Our first female, Maybelle, was with us from 2012-2015 when she flew away with her spring fledglings and never returned. Maybelle was known to add a feather or two to decorate her nests; the only Western Bluebird we have seen do that. And she was bluer than some Western Bluebird females we have seen. I have lots of photos. And her departure still makes me sad. Here she is in http://s1043.photobucket.com/user/Caro15lyn/media/IMG_4872A_zpspilxq0fq.jpg.html?filters%5Buser%5D=146638030&filters%5Brecent%5D=1&sort=1&o=02015:

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

http://s1043.photobucket.com/user/Caro15lyn/media/IMG_8444%202_zpsgn83pz09.jpg.html?o=1

Here’s a picture I took this summer showing one little nestling being banded.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Maybelle.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Maybelle.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

I think your questions are answered here on my favorite bluebird website, Sialis: http://www.sialis.org/banding.htm

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

After the babies were banded I did not open the box. My understanding is that after 13-14 days old you risk the nestlings trying to fledge too early.

But I visited the box often, offering mealworms to an overworked Papa, and took photos of the noisy nestlings poking their heads through the opening and demanding more. There were definitely noisy little ones in that box, so I didn’t think it wise to open it.

I have high hopes that three of the five banded fledged on schedule.

Meanwhile, as I noted on another thread “Banding Bluebirds”, we moved the box and located a trap near the original site.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Maybelle.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

I hope you will continue to share the outcome of these daring bluebirds! I’ve been reading an article about eggs & warmer climate that you might find of interest. This year our female had 6 eggs in May. Now in July she only layed 3 which she is now incubating. Three is less than any clutch we have had at our place and I wondered if it was because the weather on the day she layed the first egg was 90 degrees. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1298

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Maybelle.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Maybelle.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

I’ve been mulling over the possibilities and trying to apply a little logic. In view of the fact that the same banders have not had this problem with the other boxes I am watching, it seems somewhat doubtful that only this box would be harmed by banding, and not once, but twice.

So now I am beginning to suspect a HOSP invasion. I was inclined to think a HOSP would kill all of them, but perhaps not. This morning I took note of the environment including a nearby horse barn. We moved the box to a location closer to one that had an undisturbed nest in the past. And I placed the trap near the previous location instead. We’ll see what happens.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

In Oregon the Western Bluebird is on the “sensitive” list and Prescott Bluebird Recovery is attempting to help recover the Western Bluebird to our area. The following site explains why it is done: http://prescottbluebird.com/about-pbrp/

They first banded ours in 2013, the second year we hosted bluebirds. They have come every year since and also have banded nestlings at our neighbors’ properties. All of these seem to have ended up with healthy nestlings. The box that has had a problem is located a couple miles from us at my daughter’s home.

I am thinking perhaps she should quit allowing them to band at her place and see if the result is better. But it just is odd that if it is caused by banding that we have never had that problem with ours. There are so many things that could have happened. Banding or bad luck? I just don’t know.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Maybelle.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

With a gloved hand that is also inserted into a plastic bag (like a bread bag), I hold the bird by the bottom of the plastic sack. Then as I pull the bag out of the trap, I also pull up the top of the bread bag. Then the bird is secure. I have seldom had one that bites, but the plastic glove is needed. If you turn a bird on its back, it will calm down. I leave it in the sack to dispose of it swiftly. I keenly dislike this part of caring for bluebirds, if I remember the scene of destruction when one got into our bluebird nest, it helps my attitude.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

[Maybelle]

We saw her less frequently for awhile before not seeing her at all. In other words, it was not an abrupt change. And one time recently I thought MAYBE I saw her out along the fence line but I was not quick enough to get a photo for proof.

She was not seen when the volunteer from our local Bluebird Recovery group came to band the nestlings on June 26 when we believed them to be 10 days old. The nestlings should be 19 days old now and ready to fledge any time. But of course they will be completely dependent for quite a while.

One possibility I have considered is that since they had such a late start for their first clutch, perhaps she is already preparing the second nest. A couple years ago I observed a pair that had a nest in a new box in the neighbor’s field for the spring clutch and then before they fledged she was building in another nest in a box close to our neighbor’s house where the neighbors enjoyed watching them from their deck.

Bluebirds always keep me guessing!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Maybelle.

Cari
Willamette Valley, Oregon

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