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Carol, I am glad they are around too. Yesterday Mama was on top of her box flapping her wings like crazy, then she would fly and then return. All of a sudden I see this flash outside my kitchen window and there was a starling and her and Papa in a tussle, looked up in the apple tree and could see 4 more starlings so I went out and made some strange sounds and they headed off to the west, then things settled down. Gotta keep a sharp eye out all the time.
Connie (PA)Thanks David. She returned to her constructing yesterday. Today it is raining, so have only seen them at the feeder area.
Good luck to you too this season.
Connie (PA)Oh Dana, I am so sorry to read about your experience with HOSP. I do not have any experience with a slot box either. Are you still seeing the pair of Bluebirds around. If you are, giving a slot box a try might be worth it.
Connie (PA)I agree Dana, it is a very rewarding hobby. I was always enthralled with hummingbirds and loved feeding and watching them, then after moving here to PA, I started seeing
in the spring from time to time and sometimes they checked out the bird houses the previous owner had left, but none ever stayed, probably because the opening wasn’t the correct size.
Then a few years ago I was in Walmart looking at Hummingbird feeders and spotted a box. I decided to purchase it and had my husband put it up for me and I was lucky enough to have 
take up residence and raise a family. Since then I have been hooked, and have read and learned so much about this delightful bird species. :dancing:. I plan on continuing this hobby as long as I can, and am glad I found this group of people that love and enjoy these birds as much as I do.
Connie……PAHi Dana:
I am happy to report my pair is still here. I finally caught sight of them yesterday. This morning I had lots of bluebird singing and figured the Blues are either moving up from the south or it was my pair talking to each other. Later I saw a pair at the back box and I saw papa go into the mealworm feeder and eat either the few mealworms left from last year or some suet. Later I caught mama at the front box for an extended period of time, either completely in or looking out of the opening.
I am so glad to hear your pair is still there, I know how exciting that feeling is. Like you I can’t wait for the nest building to begin. It won’t be too long now.
Connie…PAGood Luck with the nesting and the target practice. I don’t know where my pair went, have not seen them in days. Keeping my eye out for them and hope I spot them again soon.
Connie….PADana, good to read about your blues, are they still around?
I had a pair here all winter, and up until last Wednesday i was seeing them a lot, but not once since. Have no idea if they left or if I am just missing them. Hope it is just a case of looking outside at the wrong time.
Connie…..PARaining here in PA after a few spring like days. See my Blues at the front box every day now. Had one pair at the back box on Monday, might be the same pair. Going to turn real cold here again tomorrow night and thru the weekend, then warm up again. Good work Carol with the HOSP elimination, would be great if we could get rid of all of them.
Carol, no I did not try feeding on the ground, I put it in the mealworm feeder for weeks. The titmouse, chickadees, nuthatches and juncos ate it but I never saw a Bluebirds in the feeder, unless they snuck in when I wasn’t looking. I was very disappointed.
Like you I cannot do live mealworms in the winter, too cold here too.
I had what I call my pair of Bluebirds at my front box early this morning, both going in and staying for awhile one at a time, then sitting on top, leaving for a while, then returning for a few more checks of the box. I think they are as ready for spring as we are.
Bring it on.
ConnieI will have to try this recipe next year. I made the original recipe but never saw a Bluebird eat any of it.
It does sound interesting.
ConnieHi Judy:
That is great news that the BB numbers went up. I have seen Bluebirds on and off all winter long. I have one pair?? or at least i think it is one that check out the box that was in use last year every so often. I do have one box that no one seems interested in so I might switch it out for another one to see if I can entice an additional pair this year.
Hope all is OK with you and that you are not having too rough of a winter.
Happy Blue Birding,
ConnieDavid, my blues are still here, all 6 of them, I see them almost every day. It is going to be bitterly cold tonight but I have a feeling they are either staying in a huge hemlock tree here in the yard or down the road in an old barn.
I still have live mealworms so I am giving them those along with the freeze dried ones.
So far I have not seen them staying in the nest boxes, but I have not opened them to check that out. It will be interesting to see if they remain for the remainder of the winter.
Wishing you a good winter too.
ConnieWell that was certainly some exchange but I would not consider my
boxes as roosting boxes. I have seen them checking the boxes out but have not seen any birds staying in them this year. Last year I did have a woodpecker roosting in one. This year I am seeing very few birds but maybe when we all start filling our bird feeders things will change.
I for one would not purchase any of their boxes as a roosting box. Would avoid them too as birthing boxes too.Connie
Carol, my blues are still here too. We were away from last Thursday noon till after lunch on Sunday and I was wondering if they would still be here. I put both dried and live mealworms out and I didn’t see a thing on Sunday but I did see 4 on Monday. This morning I saw 6 and this afternoon there 10 that I could definitely count. So maybe they are going to hang around for the winter. I have not put any suet out yet, bears are still on the move.
To be honest I don’t see too many other birds, a blue jay here and there but no Chickadees, Titmouse, and only a couple nuthatches.
So glad your blues are finally accepting the suet, hope mine do the same when the time comes to switch.
Happy Birding,
ConnieJudy, what an amazing thing it is about the female hummingbird. The ones here left in Sept. sometime, I left the feeder out but never saw anything come to it in days so I took it down.
The Bluebirds are a different thing. They are here on and off all day, sometimes I see 3 males and one female, other times it will anywhere from 5 to 8. I have seen them check out both houses and one day I saw the female carry a piece of dried grass in. I am still feeding them live and dried mealworms. Just now 5 flew in, and one is dominating the feeder.
We are going to be away for 5 days so it will be interestingly to see if they are still around when we get back. It has been an interesting fall season so far.
Happy Birding,
Connie
