Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Yay, Carol!! You are certainly doing your part, for the betterment of the blues!! Have a great 4th of July weekend!
Randy
Bedford, New HampshirePlease forgive me; I had forgotten. Glad to hear of your ongoing success since then. I am soooo far behind you! Mama just finished her second nest, today. She needs to start dropping eggs… I am getting impatient! :) But I have to admit, I admire how relaxed my pair are. Nothing rattles them. They are real pros!
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireIn my opinion, the two nest boxes on one pole are the driving the blues to rebuild prematurely. They probably fear losing the box if they are not actively “nesting”. I am going to guess that mama makes a statement by building a partial nest, and then get back to the more important task of helping papa feed and protect the fledglings. I would consider removing the spooker, primarily to prevent the HOSP from disregarding it, going forward.
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireThat is awesome, Susan! Keep us informed. My pair started building 7 days post fledge; Mama placed eleven pieces of pine straw in the box, and then abruptly stopped; she and papa tended to the fledglings full time over the next two weeks. They have been back for the past couple of days, building away. The nest is perfect, so just waiting for the fist egg to drop.
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireI honestly believe we are ALL doing the right thing, and that is, we are trying to help. There is no such thing as a completely right or completely wrong approach. The best part about this forum is that it affords us all the opportunity to ask, share, learn, and then… try again!
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireHey, Connie! Glad your guest left empty-handed! I would not be surprised if they return, however. Every day is a school day, in the life of a baby bear, so mama bear will most likely bring her cub back to your classroom, before too long. Be safe, yourself, above all else. I haven’t seen my bears all Spring, but we have been thoroughly entertained by the red fox teaching her two kits to catch chipmunks over the past three weeks. Their den is only 100 feet from the house, so we are able to watch them come and go all the time. They have never bothered my nest boxes, however, and I do not feed my birds during nesting season.
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireI’ve tried, Tammy. She takes interest in bluebirding because I am interested in it… but she is not passionate about it. I actually accept that as a win, because I am fanatical about fishing, all things Boston sports, and fine bourbon by the fire out back… she HATES all of that stuff! :)
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireYou are probably right, Susan, for the most part they are spoiled, but I try to strike a balance. I am sympathetic to the secondary cavity nesting thing, the need to get in out of the cold New England winters, and the need for nutritious food throughout the winter months. However, nobody gets any food during the nesting season. That’s just my rule. I have a refrigerator full of mealworms, but they are reserved for the fall and winter “crumble” mixture. At present, I have 13 active nests of various species on the property, but I make them figure the insect/seed/fruit thing out for themselves. It helps me keep the traffic and the predators to an absolute minimum.
Randy
Bedford, New HampshireHi, Susan! All will be fine. Mama and Papa know what they are doing. It makes us nervous, and it makes us wonder, but the parents have got it all under control. My pair called for the nestlings to fledge for an entire day. The Cooper’s Hawk showed up, and the parents stopped calling for them and went back to feeding. Two days later, they fledged, without incident. And the whole time, mama and papa blue never asked for my opinion or for my advice. :)
Randy
Bedford, New Hampshire
