Minnesota Outdoorsman
General Category => 🐦 Forum... => Topic started by: glenn57 on July 07/14/17, 01:55:01 PM
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Anyone else that's feeding bluebirds or have nesting bluebirds still have them around?? Mine seem to have flown da coop??? Babies are no longer in the house either.
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Haven't seen any around here for years. But, I never look for them in the house, either... ;) :rotflmao:
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I saw a pair feeding their young today....
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How come I never see any??! :scratch:
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How come I never see any??! :scratch:
you need to quit spying in the neighbor ladies windows. :crazy: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: oh you make it Sooooo easy!!; :moon:
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Seriously though if you don't have bluebird houses and feeders it would be tough. It took several years before we had any.
Same with wrens, and there done darn noisy birds for there size but there bug eating machines!
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Those stupid wrens tear up my hanging flowers trying to make a nest in 'em!! :mad1:
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Dam Coons ripped up 3 of my houses on my bluebird trail. ... I think I've got 16 houses up! I need to trap some of those buggers.
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Here is a pic of a coon raided nest.. note deer stuck in fence!
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so reading the paper this morning, there is a guy that owns the bird feed store, or something close to that name has a blurb in there daily said bluebirds should start arriving around march 16th. i think the guy go into rebs stash but think he is nuts.
anyway tinkin of heading to fleet farm this week to pick up some meal worms to put out for the robins here in a week or so. they also had there 10-10-10 in the flyer ...........2 fer 15 bucks so gonna stock up on dat to!!!!!
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Bird food is on sale at Flat Farm right now...all different kinds. I've really never seen a bluebird here, dang it! :pouty:
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Bird food is on sale at Flat Farm right now...all different kinds. I've really never seen a bluebird here, dang it! :pouty:
don't think i seen the mealworms in the flyer.
we didn't have bluebirds till we put up a couple houses, even then it took a few years for them to find them. putting out the mealworms also helped.
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Do they eat seeds and stuff?
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Bird food is on sale at Flat Farm right now...all different kinds. I've really never seen a bluebird here, dang it! :pouty:
don't think i seen the mealworms in the flyer.
we didn't have bluebirds till we put up a couple houses, even then it took a few years for them to find them. putting out the mealworms also helped.
SamE here none till nEst boxes were put out,Now we have em every year one box down by cattails blue birds wont take,Tree swallows take that one.Guess their pickie on location? They sure knock down insects.
Watchin a flock a Grackles that arrived this morn
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Do they eat seeds and stuff?
i don't see them on our feeders, just the mealworms so i don't think they eat much for seeds. i believe there main diet is insects, its why i think they usually show up later. i only feed sunflower seeds, sunflower seeds mixed with safflower for grosbeaks and cardinals and thistle seeds. the other millet crap just attracts sparrows!!
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Rebel SS,
Just put out some blue bird houses and you will see them.
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Might haveta try that....I'll look 'em up so I can make a few. :happy1:
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Might haveta try that....I'll look 'em up so I can make a few. :happy1:
yea i can see that already.........
ole reb in da garage....... :angry2: :angry2: :doofus: :bonk: :bonk: training-087 :banghead: :taz: :taz: damn nabit.......i cut dat twice and its still to short!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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Hey skwirrel brain....who ya think built the wrap around deck on my house? And two of the tables in this house? And the bookcases? I've built more than a few feeders...think I can handle a birdhouse!
Just wish I never woulda sold my table saws! Ya maybe wanna run me one down? I could build a smurf coffin..... :evil: :moon: :moon:
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Hey skwirrel brain....who ya think built the wrap around deck on my house? And two of the tables in this house? And the bookcases? I've built more than a few feeders...think I can handle a birdhouse!
Just wish I never woulda sold my table saws! Ya maybe wanna run me one down? I could build a smurf coffin..... :evil: :moon: :moon:
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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Ya know.....If I placed a bottle of KATCHUP in there, bet I know what I'd catch!! :evil: :rotflmao:
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Hey skwirrel brain....who ya think built the wrap around deck on my house? And two of the tables in this house? And the bookcases? I've built more than a few feeders...think I can handle a birdhouse!
Just wish I never woulda sold my table saws! Ya maybe wanna run me one down? I could build a smurf coffin..... :evil: :moon: :moon:
sone Viet cong midget working for wally world!!!! :sleazy: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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Hey skwirrel brain....who ya think built the wrap around deck on my house? And two of the tables in this house? And the bookcases? I've built more than a few feeders...think I can handle a birdhouse!
Just wish I never woulda sold my table saws! Ya maybe wanna run me one down? I could build a smurf coffin..... :evil: :moon: :moon:
sone Viet cong midget working for wally world!!!! :sleazy: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
now dats funny!!! :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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;)
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Hey skwirrel brain....who ya think built the wrap around deck on my house? And two of the tables in this house? And the bookcases? I've built more than a few feeders...think I can handle a birdhouse!
Just wish I never woulda sold my table saws! Ya maybe wanna run me one down? I could build a smurf coffin..... :evil: :moon: :moon:
sone Viet cong midget working for wally world!!!! :sleazy: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
:doah: :rotflmao: Dung lai!!!!
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I just read that sparrows like to take over bluebird houses, will even kill them. Hole is supposed to be 1 1/2" to discourage that...how the hey will that do anything??! That's plenty big for a sparrow to wiggle into, isn't it?! I've got my 1 1/2" Speedbore bit...might haveta slap one togedder in the next couple...
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Keep in mind when you put it up that the hole needs to get facing an open area. They like open spaces to go into the birdhouse.
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Can I hang it about 7' up from my apple tree limb? Or does it need to be on a pole?
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Not sure about the 7 ft. I have 2 hanging on wash line poles.
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I just read that sparrows like to take over bluebird houses, will even kill them. Hole is supposed to be 1 1/2" to discourage that...how the hey will that do anything??! That's plenty big for a sparrow to wiggle into, isn't it?! I've got my 1 1/2" Speedbore bit...might haveta slap one togedder in the next couple...
Keeping the sparrows out of them can be a challenge in town or out here in the country where there's livestock. Also cats and raccoons. Predator guards like the Noel predator guard can help with the latter; not so much on sparrows. I've tried the fishing weight & fishing line trick on the Peterson style houses. It seems to help somewhat. Nothing makes my blood boil more than finding a tree swallow or bluebird pecked to death in the bottom of a nesting box with a sparrow building a nest over the top of it. Reputedly sparrows are not fond of the Gilbertson style house made with PVC. That type of house is mounted on a chunk of conduit that's slipped over a rod or piece of rebar anchored in the ground. Pretty much predator proof as I understand. If these sparrows don't knock it off I'm going to try them. My present houses are of varying design, wooden & mounted on pasture fence posts. As the little blue feller says, they like to have a clear area for access although most of the successful houses here are on the edge of a wooded area. I've had them nesting at the neighbor's pasture for years now. Wrens also seem to pick some of the houses there. The bluebirds like certain boxes and will generally nest at least 100 yards from another bluebird.
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Thanks guys. I'll see what I come up with.....could be interesting. :bonk: Have some more diagrams to peruse...
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Along with the wooden ones, I have three of the pvc style ones on a pvc pipe. I have them about 5 foot off the ground. I can lift the top off to check on the nest and clean it out. Tree swallows and wrens have nested in them but never saw a sparrow. I would take a picture but I can hardly see where they are due to falling snow. We put a couple at our land but the #$%^^&$# bears bend them down to check for eggs.
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Blue birds are nesting. Here are some of my backyard boxes
(https://tinypix.top/images/2018/05/01/d6xo.md.jpg) (https://tinypix.top/i/d6xo)
(https://tinypix.top/images/2018/05/01/d2mO.md.jpg) (https://tinypix.top/i/d2mO)
(https://tinypix.top/images/2018/05/01/dh5H.md.jpg) (https://tinypix.top/i/dh5H)
(https://tinypix.top/images/2018/05/01/dYZX.md.jpg) (https://tinypix.top/i/dYZX)
(https://tinypix.top/images/2018/05/01/dmlr.md.jpg) (https://tinypix.top/i/dmlr)
(https://tinypix.top/images/2018/05/01/dkqS.md.jpg) (https://tinypix.top/i/dkqS)
(https://tinypix.top/images/2018/05/01/dJbV.md.jpg) (https://tinypix.top/i/dJbV)
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Kewl! Where did you get the PVC houses from or did you build them deadeye? Some of my older wooden houses are getting about depreciated out. :sad:
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I bought them from a guy at the Anoka Game Fair about 8 years ago. At one time I found him on line but couldn't find it today.
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I just seen something the other day for PVC wood duck houses I think too.... got to remember where!!!!
just found them!!! google PVC bird house and wood duck houses.... saw them on Minn. bound or some show like it on PBS....
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It is also said to be helpful to check the box and evict any nest that isn't from a bluebird. Used to be a whole bunch of bluebird houses along mayowood trail. I'm not sure if they became a casualty of all that construction out there or not.
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I get bluebirds along the driveway in houses. We love the tree swallows that nest in 2 houses right by the house. They are very friendly. Well the other day we saw our first two tree swallows. I decided to check to see if I had cleaned out the houses. I opened the door and out flew a swallow. Darn. Well that was a few days ago and I have only seen one since. I think I traumatized her. We put martin houses up too and had some 2 years ago but none last year. We play a martin CD on the deck to try and attract them.
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It is also said to be helpful to check the box and evict any nest that isn't from a bluebird. Used to be a whole bunch of bluebird houses along mayowood trail. I'm not sure if they became a casualty of all that construction out there or not.
in my birding experience, the only bird house you DONT clean out every year is the Martin houses.
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Been watchin for bluebirds aint seen any yet houses are ready,The tree swallows are here as of today,Pelicans mallards, teal, Mergansers, western Grebes showed today BUT NOT A SINGLE Wood duck,Got boxes ready made 2 more and no ducks?Kinda weird to me
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they are all here today too!!! good to see!!!
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Only bluebirds I've seen here are jays!
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Anybody still have bluebirds around? I haven't seen the pair we had in a couple weeks. Same with those tree/ barn swallows that like to inhabit bluebird houses.
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They were still at our other pasture yet over the weekend. Tree swallows packed up a couple weeks ago here. So did the orioles, both the Baltimore and orchard types. Still some barn swallows in the granary. Didn't get bluebirds at the ranch itself but hatched out bunches of tree swallows & wrens of course. A couple pics of the nesting box that produced six bluebirds at the pasture. Was able to keep close tabs on them. Seemed like the fence kept grounding out almost daily.
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in today's st cloud times, Jerry Carlson had an article about the bluebirds......or lack thereof................ he writes some interesting articles.
his article pretty much said the polar vortex or the bad storms down south this spring pretty much raise cane with the bluebird population. his sister lives in Missouri he said and is bluebird possessed.........when the weather cleared they found an awefull lot of dead bluebirds in there nesting boxes. both they say from the weather and lack of food. i guess they only eat seeds when its a dire need, so they had no bugs to feed on!!!!!!!!!
his article also said the robins took a hit too!!!!!!!
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Have been concerned about the bluebirds here too. Have seen none at the ranch for several years after fighting an ongoing battle with the house sparrow population. Tree swallows have fared somewhat better. The kindly neighbors whose sheep pasture we rent usually has bluebirds but they constantly fight not only house sparrows but wrens as well. Was scouting the field there a couple days ago and was checking one house not occupied by a wren. It was breezy and the Gator (diesel) was running so I couldn't hear much. All the sudden I felt a sudden rush of air by my head then felt it again. The female bluebird was dive bombing me! I decided they were the likely occupants so left them alone. Also noticed the roof on the house was in bad shape. Had a piece of plastic decking already cut so while spraying the fence yesterday, screwed it down over the top of the original roof board. Didn't want to disturb them any more than I already had.
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The kindly neighbors whose sheep pasture we rent usually has bluebirds but they constantly fight not only house sparrows but wrens as well. Was scouting the field there a couple days ago and was checking one house not occupied by a wren.
YES!
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You old wren hater you! :rotflmao: