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What day is it for your bluebird nestlings? If it’s beyond day 17, they are likely gone and the TRES are checking out the box. The parent blues will still guard and be protective of the site in preparation for the next brood. Alternatively, you have a runt who hasn’t fledged.
Scot
PASusan,
It happens very fast. Unless you are watching the box 24/7, you’ll likely miss it. If it’s day 16 or 17, they’re likely gone.
Best of luck.
Scot
PASusan,
I’ve observed that on the day of fledging the parents stop feeding and will sit close to the box and call to them to coax them out. Sometimes they will fly up to the box and peek in but not feed.
Good luck!
Scot
PAMy 2 cents…..
I have 4 boxes and 1 gourd(I know, bad move).
Last year I had HOWR in a box. Thy had babies and left my swallows and bluebirds alone.
This year, they are in the gourd with another round of nestlings. So far they have left my bluebirds and a chickadee nest alone, both of which successfully fledged.
I now have round two of bluebirds with 5 more eggs incubating. The HOWR are caring for their newborn and have left my bluebirds alone still.
I’m nervous but believe they are content to be left alone doing their own business raising their newbies. Hopefully I won’t regret leaving them be, although it’s not legal to do otherwise. I truly believe if I took down the gourd, they’d be going for the boxes and would destroy the contents.
Scot
PAJVB,
Would you mind posting the details of how you set the camera up? I’d love to know all the details from soup to nuts and duplicate it myself.
Thanks
Scot
PAI have HOWR nesting on my property in a gourd I hung outside. I realize it was a mistake to hang the gourd, but I can’t do anything about it now since it is illegal to mess with their nests/eggs. They don’t seem to be bothering my EABL and Dee nesters, and I can’t help but think if they weren’t happy in the gourd, they’d either be nesting in or destroying what resides in the other boxes on my property.
I may regret catering to them soon.
Scot
PAThanks, Gin.
Brad, I’ve caught and euthanized quite a few HOSP, both male and female, using the DRST. Some of the other species I’ve captured and released are other native Sparrows, an occasional finch, a few cowbirds, and one female cardinal who was small enough to get caught. I’d say 50% of what I catch is HOSP. This was the first time I caught one that laid an egg while in there.
I think it’s a worthwhile investment if you have the $$.
I’ve also used a van ert successfully in early Spring, but now with active nesting going on with my EABL, TRES, and chickadees, I don’t use them at this time.
Scot
Carol,
I wasn’t in there today, so I’m not sure if the 4th hatched. It’s a bit harder to monitor Dees then EABL, so I don’t go in there as frequently as I did with my Blues. When I shot this video, I believe they had just hatched, so hopefully the fourth hatched after I was in there. I’ll keep everyone posted.
On another positive note, I had five baby Blues fledge today from another of my nest boxes(day 18). I witnessed one jump and then had to go to work, so I missed the other four. It was truly inspiring to witness the one go. It really sucked to have to go to work. I had to tear myself away.
Scot in PA
Today, I saw HOSP looking into the DEE nest box. I’ll be installing a hole reducer today. I have 1.125 and 1.25 reducers. Any thoughts on which one to use? I know Gin had suggested 1.25.
Also, I threw up a spooker on that box this morning right after I saw the HOSP scoping it out. Anyone have any experience on using a spooker with Dees?
Thx
Scot in PA
So here is what I found……chickadee eggs……
But my TRES continue to sit on top of the box daily. They are clearly looking to build and lay eggs.
I’m thinking of putting up another box for the TRES. Any ideas as to the distance required between the chickadee box and my existing bluebird box with 4 babies to avoid any proximity “issues”?
