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Author Topic: Bluebirds  (Read 15684 times)

zwiggles

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #45 on: Dec 19, 2020, 09:32 PM »
We have a wide variety of birds at our feeders. We only feed black oil sunflower. It limits the English sparrows and starlings. Our suet feeders attract all kinds of clingers. We have house finches, purple finches, gold finches, Nuthatch, juncos, titmice,grosbeaks, cardinals, downys, hairy woodpeckers, chickadees and even the occasional pileated woodpecker.

We seldom see the bluebirds at the feeders. I’ll probably put out a couple of mealworm blocks for them when I mount the roost box. I’m thinking of incorporating  feeding stations on the sides of the box to get them to investigate it.

All the songbirds have been enjoying the water dish. Glad we put that out.

Rg

Try putting some mealworms closer to you windows in the house, or the feeders. Our bluebirds are totally territorial with the mealworms, and hang out around the feeders and bath simply because of how close they are. Although perhaps your songbirds are a bit more competitive then ours.

And the water is awesome this time of year. I’m confident our heated bath is the reason we have so many here year round.

rgfixit

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #46 on: Dec 20, 2020, 06:28 AM »
There’s a mealworm block on out feeder outside the kitchen picture window. They visit it but not like the way they went after the block I put out on the roost box. They were there several times yesterday. The song birds and jays haven’t gone near that spot. They’re much happier with the feeders. I don’t thing the jays can get at the food on the roost box. I purposely made the platform small and deeper. The bluebirds are more than content getting right in there.

The nuthatches and chickadees like the meal worm block too. The finches will go after the sunflower hearts but like the seed better. Can’t believe how many birds we had out there yesterday.

Rg
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

rgfixit

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #47 on: Jan 09, 2021, 06:37 AM »
No less than 5 bluebirds in my yard right now. They’re feeding on the meal worm blocks at the roost house and feeder station. Really cool to see that many around. They appreciate the heated water dish as well.

Rg
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

iceman260

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #48 on: Jan 09, 2021, 07:46 AM »
How high does a bluebird house have to be off the ground .saw a bluebird yesterday and built a house, want to put it out in an open area. Want to now how high to make the post for it.

zwiggles

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #49 on: Jan 09, 2021, 08:12 AM »
Height around 6-7’ but make sure it’s away from your feeders. Also make sure it’s pointed in the direction of some trees within a short flying distance. They teach the young to fly back and forth.

rgfixit

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #50 on: Jan 09, 2021, 08:34 AM »
Right! Audubon Society says 6-8’. Mine is around 7’. Away from roosting areas like bushes and dense trees is important. They don’t like company when they’re nesting or claiming a territory. I’ve watched ours go after anything in the general area of their box. Squirrels, cats, other birds...even saw the pair harass a couple crows on the ground enough that they left.

Ours have big trees with low branches around our  yard. They use the low branches to hunt insects on the ground and to keep watch on the nest box.

Putting out the meal worm blocks has successfully given them a food source. We’re thrilled to see them around. Of course the downside is we have to chase the starlings off the feeders , but we do that anyway.

Rg
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

iceman260

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #51 on: Jan 09, 2021, 03:26 PM »
Zwiggles and Rg thanks for the reply will put it on 7ft. Pole.

yankmyline

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #52 on: Jan 10, 2021, 09:48 AM »
An idea to keep sparrows out of nest boxes is use heavy monofilament line. Hang the line in front of the entrance hole.

yankmyline

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #53 on: Jan 10, 2021, 10:52 AM »
Here is a picture.


rgfixit

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #54 on: Jan 10, 2021, 12:22 PM »
Not recommended by any of the bluebird societies. Too great a chance of the bluebirds getting caught. I’ve read many accounts of finding dead bluebirds strangled in line.

Just saying....

Slot entrance on a Petersen style box is the most recommended. Some folks seem to think skylights help as well. For us, we don’t feed anything sparrows will eat. Greatly reduces the population in our yard.

Rg
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

rgfixit

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #55 on: Jan 18, 2021, 05:37 AM »
My Bride called me out to the kitchen yesterday to see a Coopers Hawk perched on our feeder pole that’s not 10’ from our kitchen picture window. Pretty cool to see. It hung out for a minute or so and then took off. Too quick to get a picture.

Rg
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

Bartman44

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #56 on: Jan 18, 2021, 06:25 AM »
I had one in my pine tree just after Christmas as I was out grilling  a steak on the deck. Was perched on a limb watching me cook and seemed content just hanging with me.

On the subject of birds, my oldest son decided to have a family bird watching contest to help pass the winter, running from New Year's Day through the end of March. We have 8 family teams and we're having fun with it. You get a point for each unique sighting and 2 points if, at the end of the contest, you were the only ones to see that species.  Last night, my wife and I were sitting next to a field at dusk up in in Washington County, waiting for groups of short-eared owls to emerge from their burrows to feed. Sure enough, here they all come out  at about 5pm like the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz, screeching and feeding. I've never seen that many owls (about a dozen) at once.  My youngest son and his fiancée are leading with 42 points.   

old man river

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #57 on: Jan 18, 2021, 07:46 AM »
Not a blue -bird , on my walk the other day
saw my first robin on path way,
today snow!!
ralph

rgfixit

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #58 on: Jan 18, 2021, 07:55 AM »
What a great idea Bart.

Rg
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

zwiggles

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Re: Bluebirds
« Reply #59 on: Jan 18, 2021, 10:31 AM »
What a great idea Bart.

Rg

X2! In suitors to here if some of the birds in the list if you don’t mind? Unless I missed something with the scoring 42, is a lot of birds!

Also very cool story of the owls. I used to go every night and have a drink/smoke on a trail in the woods by my house we’re the bats would pour out of my neighbors barn, down the trail, and out in the fields to feast.

 



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