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Oh Deb, I am so sorry to hear that sad news. I honestly don’t know what to suggest from here. Do you have a local Rehabilitation Center that you can call. Maybe they can take them. Keeping you and the babies in my thoughts.
Sassy40 (Connie PA)
Hi Everyone:
Has everyone ran out of Bluebird news or am I missing something? The last post I see is when I answered the question on Sept. 11, can everyone see this post before the official Bluebird count.
When I came to the Forum tonight there was a pop up about a subscription to a program that would eliminate unwanted spam or posts
As far as count goes I had a total of 13 new fledglings this season from a single pair, 8 of which are still coming to feed or bathe.
Hope everyone is doing great, and look forward to hearing from some or all of you soon.
Connie (PA)I can see and reply to your post.
Connie (PA)Hi Everyone: I am so late in posting, but I did want to say Hi and wish everyone a Happy and Safe Fourth of July.
On the BB front, the first set of 5 fledged and for a while I did see them at the mealworm feeder and birdbath, then it dwindled to 4, but that is a good number.
Another nest was built shortly afterwards and 5 more eggs laid but only 4 hatched. Last week on the 14th day I heard a commotion between Mom and Dad going on and after watching for a while I saw a little one on the ground, it ran across the garden lickety-split with the parents zooming down right over it and it took flight for a few feet and fell back to the yard then disappeared into some peony bushes and the next day I heard it up in the hemlock tree chirping. When we left for camp on Thurs. the other 3 were still in the box, so won’t know their fate till later.
I will get the nest thrown out and the box cleaned for what I hope will be the third round.
I am going to try to catch up on some of your posts.
Connie (PA)I found the Blink camera works in the traditional BB house but the light coming on every time Mama moved or entered the box seemed to disturb her greatly, so I just removed it. It was fun seeing her so close up though.
Connie PAHi Chris:
We got about the same amount of snow here in Western PA and the bitter temperatures you experienced but the blue birds here made it through. There are a couple barns down the road and I have a feeling they hold up there at night and during the day when they are not sunning or feeding.
Nesting season will start here soon too, I have seen the males checking out the boxes. I am ready!
Connie (PA)Hi Carol:
So glad you arrived back home safe and sound. It was a wicked storm that came through, a bit less severe when it got to this area, but none the less damaging.
I know what the feeling of worrying about how our blues survived during these severe storms is, but they seem to be heartier than I imagined.
I saw them feeding today, along with all the other small birds. I might have to make another batch of suet, they definitely clean the bowl of all remnants of dried mealworms and suet a couple times each day, but then snow is covering the ground so food is hard to find.
I agree COME ON SPRING!!
Connie (PA)Hi Tammy, good hearing from you, and hope your Bluebirds made it through the freezing temps we have been experiencing this year. Mine made it, they show up for their daily feedings and to check out the nesting box. I am certainly looking forward to Spring.
It will be interesting to hear if the white egg laying female gifts you with more of the same this year. Looking forward to hearing about it.
Connie (PA)David, that is great, 4 more eggs is a good number. Like you I hope to see another nest this year. Fingers crossed.
ConnieThanks Dana. Yes it does seem to be a better year, hope it continues.
Connie (PA)Hi Carol, thanks, the little ones seem to be doing well.
Did you install the heat shield and have the little ones hatched yet.
Connie (PA)I must say it has been an interesting few days watching her work. I came home late yesterday afternoon and took a peek in the box and there was a beautifully formed nest. I do believe she is laying her first egg this morning. I will check the progress this afternoon.
Connie (PA)I must tell you this has been the strangest nest building I have witnessed so far. Mama blue comes with these bare pine branches and being they are bigger than the hole, she flutters and flutters and most of the time drops what she has since there is no way the material can fit and never retrieves any of it. If I didn’t know better and looked in the box I would bet my money on it being a wren’s nest. I actually picked up some of the sticks around the post and put them in box to help her. Today I got a piece of bark and hot glued it to the door of the box so she could get some footing and today she worked on the nest more that any previous day.
Honestly, I don’t know if this is the same female that built 5 nests last year and one so far this year or if Papa got a new wife.
What do you Bluebirders think?
Connie (PA)What a great surprise David, they definitely are a gorgeous bird. The female is so dull looking it is surprising they are a pair. Hope yours hangs around, we have one that can wrangle its way into the mealworm feeder so he always shows up at dinner time, and like Judy said they share the jelly with the Orioles.
Connie (PA)Hi Carol:
Congrats on the fledge. It is always great to know they are out and being taught to take care of themselves.
I have all 5 returning to the clothes pole next to the mealworm feeder to be fed by The parents. They do fly to the ground and find bugs for themselves too. It has been chilly here, snow on Mother’s Day and frost almost every morning, so the fledgling are puffed up and look like round fluff balls.
I have not seen too much activity around the nest box yet, but it is clean and ready.
Connie(PA) -
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