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Yeah i keep trapping all year long and the supply is endless. Almost seems pointless. Hoping it is having an impact for someone. I guess I did just enough to get my 3 baby swallows out the door safely
Mom of the year award for that single tres feeding 3 on her own and getting them out the door! Yeah sparrows have been really terrible this year. We somehow need an education campaign so people stop feeding them and letting them nest. My nearby trail nearby usually has a lot more nests but early on sparrow infestation scared a few off. I controlled the situation but it was a battle especially since it is public land that I can’t get to on a regular. I usually see bluebirds and occasionally get nesters but this year nothing.
This is the simple video I found very helpful
Really sad to see the destruction wrens have caused! All I can offer is that one of my tree swallow nestlings was killed by a wren early on so i put a makeshift wren guard up and it stayed away after that. All i did was take a thin piece of cardboard from a beercans case (relatively water resistant) and fold it over the front (screwed it to the top with a couple small scews) completely hiding the hole (idea from a video I found). The mom tres had to adjust her incoming flight a bit but she figured it out. Since then no sparrows or wren problems. I got 3 out of 5 babies out the door
Just reporting here I so far have been having success using a thin beer case cardboard flap hanging over the front after losing a TRES nestling to a wren. It does get tricky at dusk as the mom has trouble finding the entrance. I sometimes end up having to hold it open so she can fly in. During the daylight she has no problem.
Lovely! Congrats! Always amazing when they actually make it through the battles which us rare where I live.
Found a nestling 20 feet from the box. I think it is one of the swallows but not sure how that happened. I did see a wren in the yard earlier in the morning so suspect it was a wren..terrible birds!
Update…mom is still alone and feeding the babies. Hopefully she can keep up as they get bigger and more demanding!
I agree with Tammy. Van ert is a literal life saver. I have seen bideos where people set up cardboard house sparrow boxes just for easier trapping and temporary mounting. At minimum, by trapping you save your neighbors bluebirds and or their babies from getting killed. It is only a matter of time. I trap all year round and it made an impact allowing swallows to move into yard boxes that would otherwise be taken by the rat birds. Another trap is the ground cage trap you can bait with bread and crackers. I usually get a fee every week with that but tougher during the height of spring as they are more concerned with nesting. But trapping over the off season with the cage and van ert will make things easier in the spring and summer. Need any tips let me know.
So sorry Dave. I’ve been there 2 years ago Not a lot of bluebirds in my area and I lost 5 babies who were due to fledge that very day to a HOSP attack. Last year my eggs and mom vanished without a trace.
Wish mine were gone. I lost count how many I have trapped this year. Next day another 2 or 3 take their place.Must be someone on the block who got a hosp bird feeders for Christmas. Worst bird year ever in general here.
I should say I did have a bb pair exploring the trail in early April (when it was kinda nice out) but they moved on. I put up a spooker on the former tres box. Maybe that will buy some time while I coonntinue to remove sparrow nests in the other problem boxes.
