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Susan:
My guess would be that it is not bird mites but something that might have hatched in this warmer weather we are getting and you ran into a swarm of some sort of gnats. I bet now if you went out they would all be gone. This is just my opinion on the matter.
Connie (PA)What a wonderful picture and I for one do not mind that it is not a blue bird. I do not believe I have ever seen a Purple Martin except in bird books. You must be doing something right.
Connie (PA)Dana, that is fantastic. I am so very happy for you and all the other birders that are having such success this year. Keep us informed on how things go. The population is growing quickly this year.
Connie (PA)
Oh Randy, I am so sorry about what happened to your Mama blue. We all know it was a human mistake, we all make them, and you have to know we all feel for you.
Perhaps she will return yet, but if not you did the best you could. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Connie (PA)Gin, as you have probably read I lost one of my babies today and the other one fledged but only to the front of the house in the flower bed on the rocks. I put him back in the house for tonight but I am sure he will take off again tomorrow, and then I know things will not work out for the good. If I had the time and was not expecting company to arrive tomorrow from NY, I would make the trip to the rehab center, but there is no way I can do that. It breaks my heart but I have to hope if and when I get another set of blues things work out better. I gave it my best but my best in this case is not good enough.
Connie (PA)Thanks Lisa and all. It has been a roller coaster, but try as I may I will never be a Mama or Papa BB. I lost the smaller one today. I fed him a few times but later when I came down to feed again, he/she was expired. So sad but then I sort of expected that to happen.
Tonight after dinner I went into the bedroom to get something and I heard this bird chirping and knew it was my other baby. I guess he fledged and ended up in the flower garden sitting on the rocks. I could not leave him there, so I brought him back around and put him back in the box. I think tomorrow morning he will be gone but maybe he will get himself into a tree. From there I don’t think he has too much chance but I have to leave it up to nature to take it’s course.
Thanks for listening to me.
Connie (PA)To be honest with you Tammy I do not know if anyone has a nest of BBs in my area. I do know a house down the road from me has two boxes up, one on a fence post and another on a telephone pole. I know both areas are wrong so I doubt they have successful hatches, but then again maybe they lucked out better than I did.
I actually thought I saw him sitting on the wire a day or so before he disappeared with another BB but I was not positive. I thought Mama returned, but I never saw it again but maybe it was a new mate.
Connie (PA)Hi Carol:
I know from your experience you know how I feel about losing these little BB’s, but in nature without us, it probably happens more than we realize. I have done all I can and they will either survive or not. Maybe I will be lucky enough to get another pair before the season is over, and if not I will be thankful for seeing the Mama and Papa working together and the little ones hatching. I was worried about the cool weather never thinking worse things were going to happen.
Connie (PA)Thanks for your prayers encouragement Susan. I am trying to roll with the flow. I made it through yesterday with one feeding after another. Today I fed this morning and then had to be out for a few hours. I came home to find one of those little buggers sitting on a brick edging we have down near the box chirping for food. I put him/her back in the box, the other one is smaller and not as active and I am not sure that one will make it. I know I have done all I can, and nature will have to take it course.
Connie (PA)Hi Randy:
Fledge should be either Friday or Saturday. I will be leaving here on Sat. so if they have not fledged by then there is nothing I can do, as much as it pains me to say that, but I also know even with all I can do in the meantime their chances of survival are slim to none.
Have no idea what happened to either parent but maybe Papa got lonely and just decided to go look for a new mate, or maybe his attachment to them was not too strong or the work in bad weather was just too much for him to handle. They are calling to me right now to be fed again.
I have no idea what they do for water, I am sure the food the parents supplied had enough moisture for them. All I have is mealworms, and I do have some dried cranberries. I hope this works out for the best.
I thank you and if they could they would thank you for the prayers.
Connie (PA)Hi Randy:
Thanks for sharing the picture of the owl. I can see Mama just as plain as can be, but am not sure if what I think is the baby is the baby or something I am trying to turn into one. LOL
I truthfully did not think the blues would frighten her, not too many things will take on a bird of prey so they are pretty much in control. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she does not take a liking to the blues, but it does not sound like a good situation. A very stressful situation for you to be in.
Connie (PA)Hi Whitney:
Welcome to the world of Stress and Worry, believe me you have a lot of company. I do know from reading previous posts and as much as I can on http://www.sialis.org that it takes 14 days for the eggs to hatch so you may have babies at any time now. I would say if you don’t see any in another 4 or 5 days they are probably infertile eggs, if you are sure she has been brooding them that long. I just hope I will see a post from you later today or in the next few days that you have 5 new BB babies to keep us informed about.
There is a ton of knowledge on here from experienced birders that will be able to tell you more. I am learning something new all the time, so please don’t take me as the final word.
Connie (PA)Thanks Gin, I am glad to hear they can make it through this cold spell. I worry too much.
Connie (PA)Randy, that box is gorgeous, you sure did a great job on it and I hope the blues appreciate that and use it this winter. I think we all spoil our BB’s, and I am guilty of feeding them while they were taking care of their babies, but only recently with the live mealworms. Now that Mama has disappeared I make sure Papa Blue has some mealworms every day, to take the stress off of him.
Connie (PA)
