Bluebirds

[Rebel SS]

Thanks guys. I'll see what I come up with.....could be interesting.    Have some more diagrams to peruse...

[deadeye]

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. 

[deadeye]

Blue birds are nesting.  Here are some of my backyard boxes

[Dotch]

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. 

[deadeye]

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.

[mike89]

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....

[delcecchi]

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.   

[LPS]

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. 

[glenn57]

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.

[dew2]

 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

[mike89]

they are all here today too!!!  good to see!!!

[Rebel SS]

Only bluebirds I've seen here are jays!

[glenn57]

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.

[Dotch]

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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[glenn57]

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!!!!!!!

[Dotch]

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.     

[roony]

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!

[Dotch]

You old wren hater you!