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Replies: 20
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All-In [25838]
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Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 10:21 AM
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Have 3 younguns in the house. Can't believe how early they hatch. Just have to make sure I keep the dang black snakes from making a meal of them. One year I caught a black snake in the blue bird house. He was curled up inside and had already eaten the young. I used my .22 pistol on him and he had his last meal. I blew that house full of holes and had to tear it apart to get it out. Normally don't kill black snakes and that was the only one I ever killed. Just don't be eating the blue birds.
Bought some meal worms for them yesterday. Those things are more expensive than filet mignon.
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All-In [26067]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 12:31 PM
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I have 2 boxes and don't have a single bluebird this year. Last year, one box had 2 hatchings and the other had one. Don't know why none this year.
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Tiger Cub [12]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 12:50 PM
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If you want more info on Bluebirds and birds in general or need anything associated with back yards song birds, visit our store Birds of a Feather on Laurens rd in Greenville.
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110%er [5677]
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Re: Bluebirds
Apr 18, 2024, 9:05 PM
[ in reply to Re: Bluebirds ] |
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Same here. We have five houses on our property. We have one house that Chickadees have raised in for years and not a single one has come to nest and they nest early. Have a Blue Bird box close to this nesting site. I have seen males scouting the houses out. They will flit inside come back out and start calling. No females to be seen. This is the first year in at least the past twenty that we have not raised multiple broods. Another thing the Gold Finches were few and far between this year.
We have had plenty of House Finches, Sparrows, Red Birds, Blue Jays, Doves and hundreds of Cow Birds. Thank goodness the left about two weeks ago. What a nuisance. Maybe they affected the Blue Birds and Chickadees who knows.
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1st Rounder [612]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 1:50 PM
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My wife and I have turned into our parents, we sit on the back porch with a cocktail and watch the birds, especially the bluebirds, we have 2 houses full.
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CU Guru [1540]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 2:19 PM
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Well the bluebirds made it to Vermont once again this year...saw one this morning . Thank you, they may have over wintered in your neighborhood. We are about an hour from Canada. I understand taking on the snake...I once had a confrontation with a Black Bear over his shaking of a blue bird box. He did not seem terribly impressed that I was yelling at him...and only grudgingly moved on when I started toward him while continuing to yell. Maybe not the smartest thing to do...but he got me mad and that overcame any fear . We have to take care of those Bluebirds.
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All-In [38654]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 4:17 PM
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Bear has come here, but just a few times. He tears down my feeders as bears do w tf they want.
I am a fan of bears.
One year when it was too often put a short electric fence around my feeders, that works.
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All-In [38654]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 4:14 PM
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I have been raising them near Clemson for decades.
They will renest again in the same box and the new kids will help feed the 2nd batch.
Put out suet and freeze dried worms for them.
No snake is welcome in my yard, not one of any type. They raid the nests and I like birds more than I do snakes.
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110%er [5466]
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Blue Birds are awesome...
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Apr 17, 2024, 4:15 PM
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...I had the same event where I had been checking in on the babies and then found a black snake coiled up in there. I went nuts like a protective parent. I tried to get him out by poking him. Then tried to smoke him out. He stayed put. Finally just set the nest on fire and he exited quickly.
I have a metal guard around the post and I'm amazed that snake got around it.
I used to raise the meal worms and had a feeder. That worked great until those little wrens started stealing them.
Blue Birds haven't nested in my box since the snake got in there. I guess the word got out.
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All-In [38654]
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Re: Blue Birds are awesome...
1
Apr 17, 2024, 4:20 PM
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Black snakes are great climbers. They can come across tree tops like a squirrel. Keeping them from any place is difficult. Unlike most snakes they are also out in the day light. I hate them.
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110%er [5466]
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Black snakes...
Apr 18, 2024, 12:35 PM
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...can climb straight up a brick wall just like they climb tree bark.
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All-In [25838]
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Re: Blue Birds are awesome...
Apr 17, 2024, 4:30 PM
[ in reply to Blue Birds are awesome... ] |
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That snake smell is still in box. That's why I blew mine up with my .22 lr hollowpoints when I blasted that snake. I knew I would never use that BLUEBIRD house again.
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Trainer [46]
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Re: Blue Birds are awesome...
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Apr 17, 2024, 4:47 PM
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Couple of things we’ve done for the snakes
1) use bleach to clean out the house at the end of every season. Worked for us at least
2) get a snake guard. We have a metal plate with sharp jagged edges all around it. Like a saw blade. The snakes will crawl over a regular squirrel guard but they avoid those sharp edges on our guard.
So far so good. We have 3 little in the nest. Hoping they make it. Fun watching the parents feed them all day. Not sure how long until they are ready to fly out on their own
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All-TigerNet [10647]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 7:07 PM
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Checked my two boxes when I mowed my field on Saturday. One box empty, the other with six eggs ..... I think the most I have ever had in one nest! Also saw about a 6ft. skinny black snake on my pool cover yesterday ..... left him alone ..... not near bluebird boxes.
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All-In [27347]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 7:14 PM
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No bluebirds around me. Very few and far between. But I have 3 baby cardinals. They're like eagles in that the mom and dad cares for the young. This is the fourth year in a row.
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CU Guru [1026]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 9:34 PM
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I have blue bird houses too. I think that they are feeding their babies because they are making a lot of trips in and out.
Last year, for the first time, I put out dried meal worms, but mocking birds would hog them. Any suggestions for limiting access to just blue birds?
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All-In [25838]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 17, 2024, 11:00 PM
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I put a feeder near, about 50 feet or so from the bluebird box. I use a feeder with a small perch that does not allow larger birds to perch on it . I only put a small amt. Of meal worms at a time in the feeder. I don't put any thing else in feeder so as to not attract other birds, although most birds will eat the meal worms. However they will be roo busy at the other feeders. The blue birds rarely visit my feeders with song bird food.
Anyhow, this works for me.
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CU Guru [1026]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 18, 2024, 9:36 AM
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Thanks. I put out a small feeder, but the mocking birds would still go for it. It was difficult for them to get to the meal worms but they finally found a way.
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CU Medallion [53028]
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Re: Bluebirds
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Apr 18, 2024, 1:43 AM
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Had 5 eggs, they have hatched but not sure the count. Would have to mess with the nest to much to know. Will try and count when they fledge. Will try and keep the BS away as I have the nest in a safe place but wouldn't kill the snake to prevent.
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110%er [9046]
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Re: Bluebirds
Apr 18, 2024, 8:42 PM
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they love a good bird bath too
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CU Guru [1087]
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Re: Bluebirds
Apr 19, 2024, 7:41 AM
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Several times in the past few weeks I've noticed 4-5 bluebirds in the same tree right outside the house.
This seems odd to me because I've heard they're highly territorial.
Perhaps they're from the same family ?
I would put up a cedar home for them but I have a " Ratter " that would certainly catch him.
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