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If you can, try to leave one HOSP alive in the trap. Nothing seems better for bait than a live hosp. I try to keep the trap dry, both when im using it to keep the sparrows going and in storage because of the wood.
I was trapping starlings out front with it this winter, and i carry 6 or 8 in the cage around back, well, to “correct them” like the butler in the shining said. One day a driver stopped a minute, i guess wondering what i was doing. They didnt confront me but im not sure what they could do about it.
Every birdhouse i put up i put two screws in it to mount the van ert trap,at least any that it physically fits inside and works. i put a clear plastic bag over the birdhouse when i take them out, in case the sparrows get by when i open the birdhouse.
This is what they look like today.
I whistle when i go out to feed the bluebirds, they seemingly appear out of nowhere. Its been chilly and they’ve been feeding alot.
Its for that reason i am hesitant to give birdhouses as gifts, i.e., i know sparrows will nest in them and folks wont have the heart to tear the nests out.
I have trouble even describing what bluebirds are, everyone knows what a blue jay is but a bluebird not so much.
Chris
Thanks! Sorry about the multiple posts and pics, i tried all the options available in imgur looking for one to work.
Chris
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i can relate to the sick feeling. But – i would be patient, if she is still brooding them. It may be just taking longer because of the cold weather we have been having. Sialis website says usually 12 to 14 days, but it could be longer (google said up to 20 days.) I would feel even sicker if i thought i had thrown out a viable egg.
Chris
Confirmed!
I put waxworms on front deck railing, watched mom pick them up. I ran across the yard and witnessed her going in the box to feed the babies. Hopefully the neighbors didn’t see me, i must be a certified bluebird nut!
Chris
I counted 4 beaks in the house. I didnt see it in the egg laying stage, its an out of the way location i never thought they would use.
I bought waxworms (walmart out of live mealworms) and set them out, mom is grabbing like 4 at a time and flying off, i am confident its for baby blues. its been raining when i check the box, but mom and dad keep an eye on me.
i tried using an app called imgur but i couldnt upload my photo.
Chris
We had three inches of snow overnight here in ohio. Not as much frost damage as i expected, maybe the snow cover helped. May not be as lucky tonight. Last spring we didnt have snow but hard freezes later than expected.
Don’t have a nesting pair, but I do have my one female bluebird gobbling up mealworms. I’ve wondered if there is a way of electrically heating a birdhouse but havent figured out a solution.
Chris
Female started carrying nesting material in the box today. Same box that fledged two broods last year, this might be the same pair.
This particular bird house, the roof overhand is missing a little bit, makes me wonder if they like having a little light in the box. Or because its closer to where i feed them.
I’m off to the store to get more mealworms.
I have one pair of bluebirds checking out houses, and one pair of sparrows. I put up two new houses, all of them i install with two screws to hold the nestbox traps. I did set them for one day but didn’t catch any sparrows. I did see a red shouldered hawk today,probably same one i had last year.
I’m feeding the pair live mealworms; a couple of weeks ago i had 6 BBs i was feeding dried mealworms. I do have a couple of heated birdbaths, i had all six there at one time, would have made a great pic but they flew before i could take a picture.
Thanks. I do notice they visit late in the afternoon, and there are fewer starlings around at that time. I can whistle and they show up from across the street somewhere. I do that several times a day if i am at home.
I had good luck with the repeating ground trap from sparrowtraps.net. The more recent version of this trap will catch starlings (hole in wood is larger); i use suet for bait. I was trapping 6 a day when the snow was on the ground.
The best attractant to these traps is actually another bird – so if you catch a HOSP with the in house trap, place it in the ground cage trap, it might help draw in more HOSPs.
I do have a blue glass tray i can put in the cage feeder. I currently have a Nova mealworm heater in there, plan was to feed live worms, but i quit that when i convinced them to eat dried mealworms instead. The mealworm heater doesnt quite sit flush, so its easier to knock the worms out. If the glass tray doesn’t solve it, i can mount the cage feeder on a post.
The birds are checking out houses, so i have cleaned them out and made them ready.
