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Fingers crossed. I hope it works.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
If you just “have to” move the vehicle… first, set up the new bluebird box in the most desirable site and monitor it to keep house sparrows (English Sparrows) and Starlings away from it as best you can. Given a day or two if that box is close then the blues will know its there and would likely inspect it.
In the wild when a newer nest is disturbed or becomes unusable the blues will regroup to a new site and start over. Maybe it’s better to just get that disturbance over with rather than allowing them to lay two or three more eggs and waste the energy on them. I guess what I’m saying is get on with it soon.
Good luck and keep us posted on what happens. It will be an experience to add to our knowledge for me and probably most of us.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
I’m dusting off my Bluebird gear and scoping out some new locations. I know we are probably a couple months away from seeing bluebirds but I don’t know if this weird winter will stay weird and encourage them to migrate early.
ILB said…
… I decided to put the meal worms in the gourd this year and the blue birds have gone in and out several times a day eating them. I only put about 20 in per day because I have read they lack nutrients that bluebirds need. It seems controversal but I feel like I don’t over do it.
I tried live mealworms last year. After getting about 3000 of the little buggers and putting a small handful out every few days at several of my Bluebird trails I decided that they were not a necessary supplement. I think natural prey is plentiful enough for my bluebirds to find. Your geographic location is different and supplements might be helpful.
I’ve read articles by a couple “experts” that feeding dried mealworms while hatchlings were present doesn’t provide any hydration for those young birds. The moisture in naturally acquired worms and other bugs is enough to contribute to their development. Eating too many dried mealworms seems like a poor substitute for natural food. I think it is more important to provide the adults and the fledglings a source of clean water.
I have also read that mealworms are deficient in calcium. Some add powdered calcium supplements to the mealworms which may help. Still, a natural source is probably better.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
I’ve removed most of my nest boxes for minor maintenance and to keep flying squirrels and woodpeckers from damaging them. I wonder if others remove the boxes they set out. I have read that in areas that having winter bluebird populations many keep the boxes available for shelter. I don’t believe we have bluebirds overwintering here (WI/MI border).
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
Same experience here on the WI/MI border. I might spot one or a pair between clutches but just after they fledge they are gone. I chalked that up to my bluebird trails being in remote spots since I am only around them for a few minutes every few days.
I can’t wait for next spring to see them get back to it. My first spotting was May 16th. If the weather is similar in the spring to last spring I think I will set up the boxes the first week of May. I think I’ll bring them in each fall to do minor repairs and keep the flying squirrels and woodpeckers from damaging them.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
August 12…
In 20 nest boxes…
11 Nesting pairs (includes second brood with two pair)
49 eggs produced (includes three non-viable/destroyed)
46 hatchlings
46 fledglingsToday I found the last nesting pair’s hatchlings had fledged. I am going to keep monitoring for a week or two but I feel that the nesting season is over. Being a rookie bluebird landlord I don’t know if mid-August will prove to be the end. I’m really happy with the results of the first season.
I have a date to talk about my experience at our local library in early March. I’m hoping to get others interested in this effort to increase bluebirds in our community.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
Ha! Keeping up is one way to describe it!
August 2
In 20 nest boxes…
11 Nesting pairs (includes second brood with two pair)
49 eggs produced (includes three non-viable/destroyed. Last tally was off by one.)
46 hatchlings
42 fledglingsOne pair still nesting. Four hatchlings in the nest. I’m very happy with how this all turned out and will look forward to next spring.
I don’t know if I should bring all the nest boxes in for the winter. We only have migrating bluebirds here. I think it might help with less exposure to weather and some minor repairs.
Tim
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
July 31 and things have definitely slowed down. Out of nine nesting pairs only two pair are in the middle of a second brood.
Saturday I took a hike to my most distant trail and as we approached one of the boxes with that second brood my son-in-law noticed a female bluebird dead on the walking path. She didn’t appear to have been attacked and was fairly fresh (still a little soft belly). I was concerned that this was the mom of the box only about twenty yards away. We peeked into the box and there were three beaks staring at my camera.
Well it turns out there were four babies in there. Today I went out to watch the box for a while and what I think was a female made a couple of trips to the box while the noisy babies tweeted, twittered, sang, whatever. I forgot my binos and couldn’t really get a good look but I’ll say it was the mom.
On the way home I stopped at the other second brood box and there are four very mature looking babies in that box. So happy the breeding season here has been so successful.
Tim
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
Thanks for the encouragement David. I think I’ll just focus on making sure they have water available.
I get it that people want to feed mealworms to their blues. I enjoyed watching the wrens in my yard polish off a batch that I gave them in the first couple weeks I tried to raise them. I certainly enjoy feeding birds all winter. What it comes down to is limiting additional hobbies, if you can call raising mealworms a hobby. My time is filled with many other pursuits and I hope to continue with my bluebird trails next spring. They were certainly a success this year.
Tim
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
I’m just a newb in the bluebird world but I have learned a similar lesson. Bluebird moms and pops will provide for their young without my help. I tried raising mealworms but ended up with a mess of Darkling beetles and after months have no worms. The blues have thrived without them.
I do provide a water source for one nest box that is far from a water source. I found that to be visited regularly by the area blues and Tree Swallows. I think they would find water without my help but I have a need to help withh more than providing a cavity.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
In 20 nest boxes…
11 Nesting pairs (includes second brood with two pair)
50 eggs produced (includes three non-viable/destroyed)
42 hatchlings
38 fledglingsThings seem to be slowing down. Our “drought” is over but we still need lots of rain. Drought is a relative term and is nothing like other parts of the US and Canada are experiencing.
I attempted to raise mealworms to feed the birds but have decided that making sure they have a nearby water source is more important. Now I just need to know what to do with thousands of Darkling Beetles. The bluebirds find their way to food even in our drought. I’ve read that feeding dried mealworms is not a good idea for hatchlings. The author’s reasoning was that the moisture in the bugs is the hatchlings only source of hydration until they fledge. Dried mealworms do not provide that very important hydration.
The number of hatchlings and fledglings I report are based on laid eggs. I monitor the nests regularly but I don’t open the boxes and count and I’m not there to watch the fledgling process. It is difficult to count hatchlings when they are laying on top of one another. I refuse to open the nest boxes during laying, incubation and raising of the hatchlings. I saw a video of an expert holding a nest with four eggs he removed from a box. Then holding another nest with two hatchlings and a couple eggs. One of the hatchlings rolled out of the nest and almost fell to the ground before he picked it up and replaced it in the nest. He rambled on about his method not bothering the parents. Opening a box and removing the nest is ALMOST never necessary. But what do I know as a rookie bluebird landlord.
I use a wifi endoscope that transmits a video image to my phone (and can take stills). I peek in, try to do an assessment of the nest and move on in less than three seconds if eggs, hatchlings or an adult is present. If none of them are in the box I may take a few more seconds to peek to check nest materials, wasp nests, etc.
Done with my lecture. If you are opening and handling babies please reconsider your methods.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
As long as we are on the Wren subject I will say the little jerks are entertaining to watch. I think I’ve frustrated my Wren enough with dumping their stick. This afternoon they started hauling sticks in the box they were in the last month. At one point he had a Y shaped stick trying to put it through a very small entrance. I think it is the minimum size for a Wren. For close to 15 minutes he tried every which way to get the whole stick inside. He was noticeably frustrated making interesting noises when the stick would fall on the ground. He never did get it completely inside. Right now I’m debating whether to help him out by snapping the one leg off that’s sticking out of the hole. Little stinker doesn’t deserve my help but I’m probably going to weaken!
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
I’m amazed with the differences from one Bluebird pair to another. One pair’s babies, my earliest nest on a nearby trail, fledged. I cleaned the box out the next day. A day later I find an almost fully built nest and the next day an egg. There were three eggs last I checked. Another pair, which I never saw or heard, built a nice nest, laid three eggs and then the eggs were abandoned. I don’t know what happened. Maybe the adults succumbed to predators. And then there is the nestbox in my yard. The BB pair laid six eggs. Successfully hatched all six and they fledged on Sunday. I cleaned out the box Monday morning and haven’t seen or heard them in the yard since. Stinkin wren is taking over the box which kinda ticks me off because their babies fledged a couple days before the blues from a box across the yard. That box is clean and ready for occupancy but they decided to ignore it and build in the blues nestbox.
I’m just happy that I’ve had the success I have had. It really helped me get through a very long winter/spring.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
Same here. My yard’s BB little guys fledged on Sunday. I cleaned out the box and the stinkin wren keeps piling sticks inside. I’m about to give up and let them have it since I don’t see or hear the Blues in the yard at all. Keeping my fingers crossed. One more day of stick dumping then I’m out of town for five days. Upon return I expect eggs to appear so I’ll settle with the little stinkers.
WI/MI Border, about 100 miles north of Green Bay
Tim C. WI/MI border.
