Bluebirds fledged! - Page 3 - Wildlife Gardeners

havalotta · 05-26-2010, 09:43 PM

Or a ladies compact mirror.

linrose · 06-27-2010, 02:58 PM

Bluebird box update. The two boxes that produced one brood already were renested. One has 4 eggs, the other has three. I checked today and two of the three eggs have hatched in one box. As I was going down the trail I noticed a pile of blue feathers on the ground, maybe 50 feet away from the nest. Apparently one of the bluebirds, maybe the male?, was attacked, perhaps by an owl or hawk. The feathers weren't there yesterday. Do I have to worry about the nestlings? I know one parent can feed young and that sometimes siblings can pitch in on second or third broods but I'm worried. Those two just hatched today. Should I monitor the box closely? What about putting a mealworm feeder near the box to help out the single parent?

Equilibrium · 06-28-2010, 12:24 AM

Yes!!! Put out a meal worm feeder. It doesn't need to be special ordered or fancy. You could literally screw down an old pie tin or a drip tray from a planter to a broom handle to act as a feeder then ram it in the ground. Flukers had the best bulk pricing on mealworms. 1000 for under $10. I've ordered from them before, they'll overnight to you if you need them fast, Live Bulk Mealworms. Check Ed's Fruitflies too. He used to carry them. I think his pricing was better on fruit flies though or else I would have bought the mealworms from him instead of Fluker's.

linrose · 08-01-2010, 11:38 AM

Both boxes fledged 3 babies each. Now one has renested (third brood!) and has 4 new eggs. No cowbird eggs yet, thankfully. Apparently either one parent successfully raised the nestlings by themselves or some other bluebird was killed. Anyway I didn't have to put out any additional food for them. I wonder if bluebirds will tackle a cicada because they are everywhere right now. They really creep me out, I'm afraid to walk under trees because they drop from them constantly. Not a pleasant feeling having one of them land on your head, or worse, down your back!

New eggs!

dapjwy · 08-01-2010, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linrose

Both boxes fledged 3 babies each. Now one has renested (third brood!) and has 4 new eggs. No cowbird eggs yet, thankfully. Apparently either one parent successfully raised the nestlings by themselves or some other bluebird was killed. Anyway I didn't have to put out any additional food for them. I wonder if bluebirds will tackle a cicada because they are everywhere right now. They really creep me out, I'm afraid to walk under trees because they drop from them constantly. Not a pleasant feeling having one of them land on your head, or worse, down your back!

New eggs!

Congratulations, linrose!

Your post makes me want to go out and check my nest box. So far the bluebirds here have raised two successful broods--I want to go check for a third. I figured they may need a break, but they could've started again.

I've been meaning to post about "my" bluebirds, but as usual, I'm a bit of a procrastinator.

I hope they will tackle your cicada "problem"... I must admit, I'd rather not have on go down my back either!

TheLorax · 08-01-2010, 08:58 PM

Accolades to you linrose. You are a wonderful bluebird landlord.

linrose · 08-17-2010, 05:34 PM

Two new babies in the nest! Looks like they just hatched today. I've been away from the trail for awhile so I was anxious to see what was going on. I tried to spy the other two eggs, I saw one intact, the other looks strange, maybe has a hole in it. I'll wait to see what happens, I didn't want to disturb the hatchlings too much.

No action in the other two boxes. Looks like this is it for the season.

Equilibrium · 08-17-2010, 08:04 PM

Happy dance for linrose!!! 2 outa 4 so far and going for 4 outa 4!!!

05-26-2010, 09:43 PM	#21
havalotta WG Prize & Gift Coordinator Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Michigan	Or a ladies compact mirror. __________________ The successful woman is the woman that had the chance and took it! A walk among the elusive Whitetail Deer

06-28-2010, 12:24 AM	#23
Equilibrium Official Plant Nerd Join Date: Dec 2008	Yes!!! Put out a meal worm feeder. It doesn't need to be special ordered or fancy. You could literally screw down an old pie tin or a drip tray from a planter to a broom handle to act as a feeder then ram it in the ground. Flukers had the best bulk pricing on mealworms. 1000 for under $10. I've ordered from them before, they'll overnight to you if you need them fast, Live Bulk Mealworms. Check Ed's Fruitflies too. He used to carry them. I think his pricing was better on fruit flies though or else I would have bought the mealworms from him instead of Fluker's. __________________ "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

08-01-2010, 11:38 AM	#24
linrose WG Fundraising Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Kentucky	Both boxes fledged 3 babies each. Now one has renested (third brood!) and has 4 new eggs. No cowbird eggs yet, thankfully. Apparently either one parent successfully raised the nestlings by themselves or some other bluebird was killed. Anyway I didn't have to put out any additional food for them. I wonder if bluebirds will tackle a cicada because they are everywhere right now. They really creep me out, I'm afraid to walk under trees because they drop from them constantly. Not a pleasant feeling having one of them land on your head, or worse, down your back! New eggs! Attached Thumbnails

08-01-2010, 08:58 PM	#26
TheLorax Unicellular Fungi Join Date: Nov 2008	Accolades to you linrose. You are a wonderful bluebird landlord. __________________ "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we have been taught." -Baba Dioum, Senegalese ecologist

08-17-2010, 08:04 PM	#28
Equilibrium Official Plant Nerd Join Date: Dec 2008	Happy dance for linrose!!! 2 outa 4 so far and going for 4 outa 4!!! __________________ "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

06-27-2010, 02:58 PM	#22
linrose WG Fundraising Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Kentucky	Bluebird box update. The two boxes that produced one brood already were renested. One has 4 eggs, the other has three. I checked today and two of the three eggs have hatched in one box. As I was going down the trail I noticed a pile of blue feathers on the ground, maybe 50 feet away from the nest. Apparently one of the bluebirds, maybe the male?, was attacked, perhaps by an owl or hawk. The feathers weren't there yesterday. Do I have to worry about the nestlings? I know one parent can feed young and that sometimes siblings can pitch in on second or third broods but I'm worried. Those two just hatched today. Should I monitor the box closely? What about putting a mealworm feeder near the box to help out the single parent?

08-17-2010, 05:34 PM	#27
linrose WG Fundraising Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Kentucky	Two new babies in the nest! Looks like they just hatched today. I've been away from the trail for awhile so I was anxious to see what was going on. I tried to spy the other two eggs, I saw one intact, the other looks strange, maybe has a hole in it. I'll wait to see what happens, I didn't want to disturb the hatchlings too much. No action in the other two boxes. Looks like this is it for the season.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode