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Did you remove that egg? Check the nest as much as you can to see if there is spilled yolk in it. There are 2 ways to handle this situation. The first is to grease the pole up under the baffle to make an ant barrier. I use lithium garage door track grease for this. The harder solution is to check the nest itself for any remaining yolk. If you’re not going to grease the pole, the contaminated nest material should be removed so that ants don’t find it.
Gin
Atlanta, GAIf she’s going to lay eggs in this box, she will probably add more material on top of what is there now. They may even remove some of it. All I would do is keep an eye on the eventual height of the nest. You don’t want it too close to the entrance.
Gin
Atlanta, GALisa, you are doing all you can do by offering supplemental food. It’s hard but the female can feed them and herself with your help. The weather isn’t helping so SOMEBODY has to! Have you ever offered peanut butter suet? She would feed that to them. Just crumble some into the mealworm bowl. After she gives it a taste, she will take some to the nestbox.
Gin
Atlanta, GAI count hatch day as day one but it really doesn’t matter unless somebody tries to fledge early. That is the time when one day is important.
Gin
Atlanta, GAA spooker won’t work on a HOWR. It would be nice if it did though. He needs to get snacking or you can use any kind of box that will work with the dimensions of your box. A shoebox is also good. All you have to do with one of those is remove one of the long sides.
Gin
Atlanta, GAIt sounds like somebody else is trying to nest in there or she buried them for some unknown reason. That’s pretty much all I have right now. Have you seen her go in the box lately?
Gin
Atlanta, GAI’m not sure we will be able to tell even with a picture! What matters most is that the egg didn’t come out of your nest box.
Gin
Atlanta, GAIt’s not trashy so I’m not thinking HOSP. She very well could have built this in a day. Tomorrow she will probably add some finer grass to line the cup.
Gin
Atlanta, GAThe female will continue to incubate the eggs and then raise the chicks unless another male comes along and tempts her away. This whole thing is driven by the biological need to reproduce. She will have a tougher time by herself but it can be done. You could help her with meal worms if you want.
Gin
Atlanta, GAI think even one egg is a pretty big thing to them. Go ahead and put up the spooker with maybe not all of the streamers down. Then watch to see what she does. If she’s fine with it, you could let down one or two at a time so that it’s a gradual introduction.
Gin
Atlanta, GAPlease continue to document here as well. BUT please watch your language or I’m going to have to bring my red pen out of retirement.
Gin
Atlanta, GAI have to laugh because for awhile there you absolutely WERE talking to yourself! That’s pretty funny. I’m so glad you documented all of this. It made good reading. Now that the spooker is up all is right with the world. Good going.
Gin
Atlanta, GA
