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Return to the Bluebirding Forum | Post a Follow-Up

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surreal nesting experience

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Posted by chrsvic (My Page) on
Mon, Jun 8, 09 at 9:56

Thats the only way to describe it. This year, for the first time, i bluebirds in the front yard ready to fledge.

I preface this by saying ive been bluebirding over 20 years, but the only success ive had have been trails i established in a park, relatives farms, etc. They've nested twice previously in my yard, only to be destroyed by HOSPs.

This year, they nested in a box 40 ft from my bedroom window. Ive never had the opportunity to observe their behavior this closely. I'm feeding them mealworms, the parents cram their beaks full to take and feed the young.

Happy Bluebirding!

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RE: surreal nesting experience

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How marvelous. I'm happy for you. I have not yet been able to host them, but I do feed them. I have a pair that has been bringing their fledglings to my mealworm feeder and even that is amazing. To have them nest where you can watch them from your window must have been quite the experience.

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RE: surreal nesting experience

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Congratulations BUT if you do not have a sparrow spooker on that box chances are you may lose this brood to hosps before they fledge. There are many ways to deal with hosps. Have you ever been to the sialis website we all talk about? Everything you need to know about Blues and hosps is there. I lost one nest to hosps the first year I put up a box and then found sialis and haven't lost a nest since.
Cathy

Here is a link that might be useful: sialis

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RE: surreal nesting experience

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Yes, aware of the sialis site and the sparrow spookers, haven't tried that. I do use the Van Ert traps on the houses, and also an ST-1 cage trap - ive been fairly aggressive in controlling them. What happened in years past i would travel for my job, be gone a week, and come home to find the nest destroyed. So far the blues have been aggressive in chasing any marauders.

Do you think installing a spooker at this point might spook the bluebirds? The young are around 10 days old.

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RE: surreal nesting experience

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No it will not spook the blues - they are tightly bonded to the nestbox, please put the spooker up now. I put mine up (though I should know better) when the babies were about 5 days old. The bluebirds couldn't care less about it. Ideally you should put it up as soon as an egg is laid but anytime after that is fine. Now GO!!!! Wishing you success.

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RE: surreal nesting experience

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I hope you can protect this nesting... there is truly nothing like having them where you can watch often. It is one of the joys of my life now...cannot imagine why so few people do the few things necessary to have them..... Hope you get to see when they fledge... its so rewarding... keep us posted!
Cindy

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RE: surreal nesting experience

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chrsvic,
I too lost a set of 5 eggs and the Bluebird mom to a treacherous HOSP.It was devastating.I trapped and disposed off the culprit within an hour; but that did not bring my Blebird mom back.I felt so guilty.I then started to take the spooker principle seriously.I have not lost another Bluebird in the last 10yrs.
michelle

  
 

 

 


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