Update on Farm Bluebirds

Well, I am sorry to say that my little Female Bluebird has not been in the nestbox for almost 3 days. I witnessed a scuffle a few days ago between her and another female and Old Mama was hopping on the ground but not flying. I saw her try to entice Big Daddy and then I think he flew off...not sure if he went with the New Female or not.

I later saw Old Mama hopping across the road and could not find her. I can't tell you how helpless I felt. I couldn't find her or hear her and watched for her 'til nightfall but she didn't show.

The next morning (yesterday) I saw her by the barn and also witnessed Big Daddy fly over to her (at least I think it was him). I took 2 pics of her and that is the very last time I have seen her. I have looked and listened but to no avail. I know she is injured since I hadn't seen her fly the last two times I saw her.

In the meantime I have a nestbox with 6 Bluebird eggs in it and a new pair of BB's (not sure if it is Big Daddy and the one Old Mama was fighting) have been checking out all the nestboxes including the one with the nest and Sparrow spooker! What a confusing mess this has turned out to be. I am still checking the boxes and if they decide to nest over the existing nest I will have to remove the eggs and old nest.

This is a poor pic of her and Big Daddy right after the scuffle.

Edited 'cause I can't spell!


This message was edited Apr 7, 2008 11:03 AM

This message was edited Apr 17, 2008 9:00 PM

Here is another of the two.

This is the last time I saw her yesterday morning by the barn.

This is the last pic I took of her.

This is the new female.

Here is the male feeding the new female this morning.

And here is the male...not sure if it's Big Daddy or not.

Another pic of a Male!!

This is the new female checking out one of the nestboxes.

I don't know what will happen with the BB's but I will keep you posted. It is sad and I waited until DH went to bed so he couldn't see me boo-hooing.

On a happy note the BB's have been coming into the little fenced yard right outside my window...they haven't done that since the first day they showed up in Jan. for water. They are eating worms...not meal worms but worms in the ground. That will save $ so that is a good thing.

Oh Rose I'm so sorry!!! You know we all understand how you feel; its awful to see such a beautiful bird become injured especially after watching them for so long. You really become attached to them.
I'm glad their coming closer to the house for you now. Is the new female in one of the nestboxes now?

I certainly feel for you, Rose. In many ways this is so similar to what happened here last summer. In my case the eggs had hatched before the new female challenged and ran the old one off, so she then apparently was the one that got rid of the hatchlings, which were by then 6 days old. In your case, since the eggs have not hatched, let's hope some of those eggs are hers, so that she becomes bonded to the nest and incubates them. This time of year, if it's as cool there as it is here -- and I know it is, the eggs may be beyond incubation already.

But if there are already six, and if she lays even a few more, whew! that's a full house! It's hard to imagine her tending to so many, if most of them were to survive. Six is a large clutch so I would not be surprised if some of the six were hers.

The hardest part of hosting, at least for me, is that there is so much about their behavior that we haven't previously seen and certainly don't understand.

Excellent pictures, incidentally.

Dave

((hugs)) So sorry about this Rose… Encouraging that you've got more activity though. And I'd MUCH rather have those eggs not hatch than have the 6 day olds be killed like Dave's.

I DO hate seeing injured birds. A good portion of my house finches have conjunctivitis and it's driving me crazy. I've been cleaning feeders but I'm not the only feeding station in the neighborhood. Sigh.

MrsEd... I know EXACTLY what you mean... my neighbors have a hummingbird feeder hanging under the overhang of their deck.... It's been there since last summer — I would bet with the same syrup. I want to say something to them but I'm already the neighbor who puts notes saying "one more dead bird and I'm taking kitty to the pound" on a ribbon and ties it around the cat's neck.

Thank you Pelle, Dave and Mrs Ed...I know that all of you understand. :0)

When I first saw the scuffle the other day I immediately thought of what happened with your female Dave and was at least aware of what could happen. That being said it was still surprising to hear and witness this behavior. The more I observe the birds...the more confused I become!

OMG...the Brown Thrasher just landed in the tree outside my window...geez...never a dull moment!! When we had the dairy we always said never a dull "mooment"!!

Anyway back to the BB's...the male was in the backyard this morning with nesting material in his beak!

And the new female is here also!

And they headed down the field to the nestbox with the eggs! Now what do I do?

Rose,

I'm so sorry for your loss of the old female! It breaks my heart and I feel my eyes watering with sadness for you and the old female.

Please keep us posted on the happenings with the old female (if you see her again) and the new female and the male.

Marilyn

Thanks Marilyn, Well it appears that they are taking nesting material and putting it in the box with the nest! Still no sign of Old Mama but the new pair are very active today!

Oh, my! dellrose, What a story about your bluebirds. I guess it isn't all sweetness and light in their lives either...I hope you aren't too saddened by their antics, but I guess mother nature knows best, even if it's a bit much for us to understand. )-:

I will look forward to pics and news of the new nesting arrangements, whatever they may be...

take care. t.

Thanks Tab! I am no longer sad..I know these things happen and things go on whether we feel bad or not. It just goes to show that every life is a soap opera...even in the bird world!! Who knew?

The new pair of BB's continue to fly around and make their presence known wing waving and all that stuff. Spending most of their time by the nestbox!

Hang in there Rose. God put all of us here to help the bbs to prevail. Survival of the fittest and all that stuff. Hopefully the next clutch will survive.

I'm new to dg! I live in zone 6 - how do you attract BB to your nest? My husband builted one for me and I don't know how to put out the welcome sign. Please let me know if you've got the answer.

Thanks,

This message was edited Apr 8, 2008 10:45 AM

OP...Thank you! The Bluebirds are active in the rain today. This morning I saw them checking out 2 different nestboxes and also digging for the grub worms. I can watch them from the window I am sitting next to right now. I don't know if it is more than one pair or not...time will tell!

Plantedz...I am not sure what makes a Bluebird visit some yards and pass others by. The first time they came to our yard was during our first ice storm and they came for the water I kept in heated bowls. Some people use meal worms and I have tried that but have never seen them eat those...although I see them getting worms out of the ground. I know they prefer open areas which is why they can be seen in golf courses and cemeteries. Here is an excellent site that may help http://www.sialis.org/ to answer some of your questions. They are beautiful birds and delightful to watch. Good luck in attracting them.

This is a poor pic but one from earlier this year..I think the second day they showed up. It was awesome to see so many at one time.

Yah, that's the picture that sold a bunch of Blue heated bowls across the nation!

LOL Mrs. Ed...you're too funny but it sure got me hooked big time!

LOL Well, I think that's true! After you posted that pic all the stores sold out!

Something is nesting in my bluebird box! But how do I tell if it's a bluebird nest or house sparrow or house wren nest? I haven't seen any bluebirds around, yet.

Anybody know?

Hi tab, Over at Sialis they give description of different birds nest and they also have photos of different birds eggs.

Let us know what kind of nest it is Tab if you find out!

Now we're afraid to look in the box. I don't know why...I guess because if it's a house sparrow nest we will have to do something about it....

I'm watching the nest box this afternoon to see if I can ID any visitors.

http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/monitoring.htm

I found these sketches comparing different nests which is helpful.

I had tried to read this the other day but it wasn't working for me. Glad to see the new pair may be nesting but it to bad about the original female. My lone female was out front agin yesterday evening. I was wondering if she will be a homewrecker too???

edited for bad typo's!!

This message was edited Apr 8, 2008 10:47 PM

Color-coordinated water bowls. What's next, bb blue nesting boxes? Must we call you "Martha", rose? ha ha

I have a nestbox with a House Sparrow nest in it and I check it everyday for eggs. It has been over a week since it was completed and I think it has been abandoned...which is fine with me. I read someplace that sometimes you can set up two nestboxes fairly close together if you have the BB's and House Sparrows competing over a box and they will co-exist that way as long as the BB's can't see the other nestbox. So far neither of the boxes that are close together have eggs in them, just the nest in the one. I think the Sparrows have moved to DH's work shop/barn as I see them going in there all the time under the roofline.

Nanny...I've seen pics of your little female and I don't think she will be a homewrecker!

OP...it is interesting that they were attracted to the blue bowls!

I dunno Rose. I thought I read on Sialis (or somewhere) that there's no way they'll coexist as Sparrows try to claim all nestboxes as their own. They have some passive ways to control… but also some sad stuff about attacks.

We opened the box after dinner and it looks like a Carolina Chickadee nest. (after comparing it to the pictures in the link above.) Couldn't see any eggs.

Some say birds are attracted to their own colors--orioles to orange, ruby throated hummingbirds to red, and so on. The Bluebird Box blog talks about birders painting blue bluebird shapes on their boxes to entice bluebirds to stop and have a look. They don't recommend painting the boxes blue because they would retain too much summer heat.

Of course, I don't know much from personal experience (yet) but I am hopeful. We have two boxes set up, so maybe the other will attract a bluebird now...

Oh tab Chickadees would be great to have!

Tab...I hope it is a Chickadee nest. That would be cool!

Mrs. Ed...I can't remember where I read that..I'll go try and see if I can find the info.

Well I think if you allow House Sparrows to nest and procreate they will take over the habitat and the bluebirds will go elsewhere. Or, worse, the house sparrows will kill off the bluebirds. (at least that's what I read on one of the Bluebird sites)

Isn't the two nest box plan more for the purple martins (?) or swallows or some other bird whose name I am not sure of at the moment....? (-:

Well, dell, I just don't want your purdy bluebirds to get run out of town by the house sparrows. I 've enjoyed their story in the past few weeks.

Tab...I plan on doing what is suggested on the Sialis sight if they do nest in one of the boxes. DH is in charge of what is going on in the shop/barn.

Here is one of the links I was talking about, scroll down to Clustering and Pairing and see how you read it http://www.sialis.org/hosp.htm#cluster . I'm still looking for another link where I read something about pairing boxes because I remember distinctly reading that the Blues don't want to see the other nestbox. Of course...there's always the chance that I'm a nut case!

Rose, sorry to hear about your female BB but congrats on your new nest. And I love that picture with all the BBs on the heated feeder. Had you posted that picture earlier this Winter, I would have bought that feeder, too (Mrs. Ed, you are onto something there--a marketer at heart I think).

Tab--I just put up my first BB house, too, thanks for the link on nests. Don't have so much as a stick yet, but crossing my fingers. My neighbors have lots of houses and bluebirds, they say the trick is to not mount the houses too high. Max of 5 feet (and I think that's the minimum according to the Web sites, so it's gotta be just right).

don't you hate it when you read something and you can't remember where? I gave up on finding what I read. And then YOU found it. From that site:

"Putting up an additional box(es) does not DETER HOSP nesting. It is not possible to saturate an area with enough boxes so other species can safely nest."

I would believe that about the blues not wanting to see another nestbox. Since Dave said they won't even let other blues eat at his worm cafe!

Did you see these slot types of houses?
http://www.wild-class.com/servlet/the-64/bluebird-house,-blue-bird/Detail