The bluebird checked out the suet feeder, but as soon as it landed, a starling came along and it flew away. Should I set up some bluebird feeders far away from my regular feeders? I don't know how to discourage the starlings, but I was thinking if I did a mealworm feeder and suet feeder in a different area than my main feeding station it might help the bluebird feel more secure? Will the starlings be attracted to the mealworms?

Also, I do not have any bluebird nesting boxes, but I intend to purchase some. Where should they be placed..and should they face a certain direction or be placed at a certain height?

I know these are novice questions, but I want to make sure I provide the proper environment for these beautiful creatures :)

Thanks!

:) jeana

This place is rather quiet right now but in a month or so things will really start jumping. You should find it very interesting and educational.

I have nine bluebirds that come for meal worms every day. Normally I put the worms in a cage feeder to keep the starlings from eating them all. The bluebirds have a definite pecking order. The adults eat first, then the older juveniles and lastly the youngest and most timid juveniles. With all the snow and cold we have been having here lately, I worried for the younger birds so I took a bunch of cat food cans and fastened them to a board and put a few worms in each can. It seems to work a lot better. It also gives me a chance to get pictures of several of them at the same time. Here are five from day before yesterday.

Dave

Welcome to the Bluebird addiction! There is a page on the Sialis website about feeding mealworms with information about feeders, location, etc. mealworm feeding
There are even instructions for building your own feeder if you choose to go that route. In my experience, nothing brings them in like mealworms. Since you only have a single bird so far, it should be quite inexpensive to keep him him coming by feeding him.

I too have bought a pair of bluebird boxes in the hopes of attracting a pair of those pretty birds.

I have visited the sialis site, it is full of information.
I think that quite a few people from the bird watching forum have blues too.

I think I can manage everything you need to do for these birds except the mealworms...the thought of doing that makes me feel pretty queasy. I grew up around hunters and everything, but handling those worms is something I'm not sure I can do. So if it turns out I HAVE to do that and I can't, I will give up the nestboxes.

Let me know how you are doing with this new project. I think we have been "bird habitat people" for about the same amount of time! :)

I did find a nice "bluebird banquet" recipe through the Sialis website, and I will gladly make that and put some out on our fruit and jelly feeder; but as you said, the summertime bugs etc. will probably be enough.

We never use insecticides or herbicides on our property.
I use Miracle Gro in our vegetable garden and container flowers and that's it. I know the birds enjoy finding bugs and worms in the garden. I appreciate the heads up though Kendra, because you never know.

I was evaluating our back yard today (it's pretty good size) and think I have good places for the nestboxes. Thanks again for your encouragement! :)

The second is a reminder that your nestboxes should be mounted on metal conduit with a predator baffle. Someone may have said this already, but I didn't see it.

I hope everyone has a safe and productive nesting season!
Kathy

For the note about the nestboxes and for the link to the calcium page, very helpful!

Donna

Last summer, a pair of Bluebirds raised 3 broods in the pine snags in the back yard. They didn't seem to have any trouble finding a steady supply of insects in the area. Some days, especially if it was wet or cool, I would spread a few suet crumbles and tap on the tray, and they would immediately fly over to get a few crumbles. I observed them feeding suet nuggets to the nestlings and fledglings sometimes too.