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I usually have success removing sticks from HOWR building. They usually get discouraged after 2 or 3 times and move on. Unlike the HOSP who I have to eliminate permanently. I did what Carol suggested and let a HOWR be distracted in my Gilbertson box while the Blues built a nest in the Slot Box. Unfortunately I had a 5 day stay in hospital and when I got back the HOWR had 6 eggs. They never seem to bother my Blues though but I usually kick them out before they are done building a nest.
UPDATE: It has been just over 3 hours since I removed the nest. She has the base of one built already in the slot box and Papa is singing away like mad in the tree next to the box!!!
They do not have a brood patch so it is highly unlikely although he may have been doing some housecleaning like all good husbands should! I have had a male pop in and out when the female is out hunting but usually no more than 2 or 3 minutes.
Still not hatched. She is still brooding them. Pappa was active a lot yesterday in the yard and I was hopeful. I just don’t get this. Maybe she removed the previous eggs and laid 4 more but that is highly unlikely. I would think instinct would kick in and she would abandon them if they were not viable. I did contact NABS and they suggested waiting a full 30 days before removing the eggs. I feel awful, like I personally did something wrong but that is not the case. First time this has ever happened to me.
On a bright note, a friend who’s box I set up for this year has a nest. He is thrilled.
Keeping the faith here.I keep a very close eye on the traps when set. This is perhaps where I made an error though, there was no nest material in the box and I had only seen the male HOSP sitting on top of it. I will wait for them to begin building a nest next time. The good news is I saw the female EABL on top of the box about an hour after I posted this. Today the female EABL and the Male have been going in and out of my slot box where I had three broods last year. I think it’s too early to start nesting here in Western PA (normally first week of April for 1st brood). But they are no doubt scouting and laying claim as the male was chasing HOSP’s away. Thanks for the tips!!
She seems to lay anywhere between 10:30 to Noon. That is how she was with the first brood as well. To be safe I don’t check until about 2 pm. I checked once on the first brood and spooked her off the nest around 10:30 AM! I hear they can drop an egg out of the box if they get scared. Any other pair I have had nesting always laid really early in the AM. They have been bringing the Juvey’s to the mealworm feeder! That is fun!
1st egg laid late this morning. She is following her usual pattern of laying later in the day. Put the Spooker up while Dad literally sat on the fence not 5 feet from me! SO much for Social Distancing!! LOL!!
I ordered my latest (3,000) from Grubco as noted here. Normally I use Exotic Nutrition. Grubco ones seemed a little bigger, fatter and livelier! I will definitely be ordering from Grubco moving forward.
There is a big shortage on meal worms right now. The best place to get them on line is Exotic Nutrition. They are the least expensive, great shipping charges and good quality worms. They are limiting purchases to 3,000 per week right now. I actually have the breeding kit and am starting to breed my own meal worms for year round feeding. I find a small blue open cup with a hanger (I got it at WBU) works the best but I have also used a small shallow Rubbermaid container on the deck that they come to all the time. I do exactly what Carol does. Feed them in first thing in the AM and a little closer to dusk. I usually put 50-60 out for 2 adults and 4/5 chicks. My pair knows exactly when they are going to get fed because they show up like clockwork!! I find Momma is better at collecting a lot in her bill and taking them straight to babies. Dad seems to Scooby snak about 5 or 6 first then he carries some off. I have also put bugs we catch in the house, like Daddy Longlegs in there. I pluck a wing off so they can’t fly off but they are still very much alive and the EABL’s love those!! I am convinced that feeding the meal worms during the cold snap saved my brood this year. I actually doubled the amount during that time. I also provided crushed up eggshells for the calcium and they do eat these as well.
I use an open type plastic container on the porch rail. A really simple little thing from the Dollar store!! If I put it in the cup feeder on the tree the Orioles eat them. On the porch rail only the Bluebird and the occasional Titmouse or Nuthatch will pop by but usually after the Blues have had their fill.
I have only seen them leave the box a couple of times. One time there was a Male fledgling in the little hedge near the box and he scared the crap out of me! I was looking in the box and saw they had all left. I turned around and he squeaked at me right at eye level in the bush! LOL. 2 seconds later Dad came diving in at me and letting me have it! Last year two of the first brood kept returning with the pair and actually helped a little with feeding!
So I made the insulator for the nest box. I have another Troyer slot box that is not being used so I used that as my model. I cut 1/2″ styrofoam and glued it to cardboard to make two sides and a back. I used Gorilla Tape to secure the seems. I went to slide it over the box the EABL’s are nesting in and it fits perfectly except I need to cut more where the Sparrow Spooker bracket is attached at the back so it will slide all the way in. I couldn’t do too much fiddling because it’s only 40 degrees today and she was off the nest. Momma was on the branch above me when I was putting it on. She flew away but returned withing 5 minutes and straight into the box!! I did not cover the roof or front because I think that may have spooked her too much. I order those portable thermal blankets from Amazon and they arrive tomorrow so the plan is to glue that around the cardboard for extra insulation. Again I will test it during the day tomorrow. It is really only supposed to be cold on Friday and Friday night so if I slip it on first thing Friday until mid Saturday I am hoping the added warmth will allow for viable eggs. Who knows, maybe I should Patent this!! LOL!!
We live in Western PA just North of Pittsburgh. I think I am putting and insulating shell around the box. I will see if she accepts it tomorrow as it is supposed to be in the low 50’s. I know we have to let nature run it’s course, but it’s rough!
I am freaking out!!! It is going to be 38 degrees on Thursday night and 28 degrees on Friday night! I really don’t know what to do. I have a slot box that points away from the wind so hopefully Momma will huddle down and keep the eggs warm. They are due to hatch in 6 days but I am really concerned about the viability if the eggs get too cold. I guess this is the time you just have to sweat it out as a EABL Landlord and hope and pray for the best! I was thinking of putting a step ladder behind the box and a space heater to blow toward the box but that may be an exercise in futility.
