Hi all,
I am in East Texas and I saw the first hummingbird for this year, yesterday. I was not expecting one so soon so I am washing out the hummingbird feeder and mixing sugar water today. Has anyone else seen one yet?
Also, I have a birdhouse I bought for decoration only located on the front porch high on a shelf. Now we discover a female bluebird is nesting there and her mate is the brightest blue with a white chest and red on the throat. What can I feed them, and how should I place the feed? Will adding other birdhouses in the yard disrupt their nesting?
New to birdwatching.....saw the first hummingbird yesterday!
Congratulations MPF!!! I'm hoping to see one up here soon.
One of our members from Miss. and another somewhere, I'll have to check where,
Keep us posted! :-)
The Bluebirds will enjoy mealworms, especially when there are chicks in the nest.
I don't think other species nesting nearby will bother the Bluebirds.
Congrats on your first hummer. I've had a feeder up for a week and haven't seen anything. I saw one come flying by on 3/26, but he looked like he was migrating. My yard is a rainbow of colors right now and he never gave it a second look.
Are these mealworms alive? Where do I purchase them?
Hi Pony, Here is a page at Sialis that talks about Mealworms and gives places that you can Mail Order mealworms. Under left side photo.
Yes they are live. It's rare that freeze dried ones are enjoyed by Bluebirds.
http://www.sialis.org/feeder.htm
Thanks! I'll check it out!
Good point about ordering mealworms online. I paid way too much at the local Wild Birds Unlimited the other day, but I wanted them now-- $22.95 for 1000. Can order them online for less than $10.
I keep them in the fridge. No. My wife doesn't like it. I take them out one afternoon a week and put a baby carrot in the box. They will devour it.
Update on the bluebirds nest:
I do think we have hatched baby birds....both parents flit in and out feeding them.
Thanks for the link to the website above....i learned quite a bit. Then I realized that the huge colony of HOSP under my back porch eaves may be a problem. Fingers crossed here that the bluebirds are able to raise their young to maturity without interference from the HOSP. Then, this winter I will have my husband hang the cieling for the back porch, which has been on his honeydo list for several months.
I don't think I have the heart to kill the sparrows as suggested on the site. But I don't mind reducing their habitat.