Suet For Bluebirds – 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, 1 cup lard, 2 cups quick oats, 2 cups cornmeal, 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, berries like currants optional.  Mix dry ingredients.  Melt peanut butter & lard together and mix with dry ingredients.  Press into pan, cool, cut into squares and freeze until needed.

My notes:  I think adding soaked currants or cut up soaked raisins or other dried cut up fruit is helpful.  I prefer to crumble up the suet and put it out for the bluebirds and other birds, too, along with live and dried mealworms in an open platform-type feeder or jailhouse mealworm feeder.  A crumbly mixture is easier for the bluebirds to eat.

If you can, keep water available using a birdbath or large dish with a deicing device to keep the water from freezing.  Birds need water year round!

Photo is by Dave Kinneer — used with permission.   Thanks, Dave!

Christine

Snowcap Landing!

The trail is winding down for the season.  I don’t expect any more nestings to take place.  Soon the fun really begins–collecting and analyzing my trail notes for the nesting season, summarizing them and writing notes of those summary findings, and then submitting those summary notes to the Virginia Bluebird Society.  Those state records will go to the North American Bluebird Society, along with the rest of the state records around the country from the other bluebird societies.  This includes the records of other species of birds occupying the nestboxes.  This is how we know how the birds are doing, year after year.  If House Sparrows tried to nest in these boxes, the records of the nest attempts and evictions of that non-native bird is included in those notes.  Any predation, unhatched eggs, number of eggs, problems during the nestings and how treated, and the number of successful fledged birds is included.  Some trails have more than one style of bluebird boxes–those notes are also sent to VBS.

I just recently read an article on the Texas Bluebird Society’s website that Audubon’s unpublished data showed a decrease of 19% of Eastern Bluebirds in Texas during the period between 1966 and 2005.  Read on here:   http://www2.texasbluebirdsociety.org/

If you are enjoying this site, and you haven’t already, you may want to support your local bluebird society of your own state or the North American Bluebird Society.   Your support is always needed.   Here is the NABS site:   http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/

These guys are growing! One thing I look for at this stage, as a monitor, are any welts on their tender skins for any blowfly larvae which latch onto baby birds at night. Since I treat ALL my nests for blowfly infestation (I have this problem in every box and in every nest!), I can see how the treatment (very carefully administered!) is working to help these little guys grow naturally, safely, and survive to fledging day. These little ones look great! I am very pleased! This is my first ever WHITE eggs and hatching from white eggs that I have experienced since bluebirding started for me Spring 2006.

Fa-La-La-Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! These-4-day olds are ready for WHOLE grasshoppers now!

"Hi, there. Now that you've seen us, can you please leave now so Mama and Papa can bring us some yummy food?" Look closely....you'll count 4!

http://home.earthlink.net/~lviolett/testwoolwine.html

About 13-15 Days Old....Almost ready to fledge! Photo taken July 26, 2011. CAREFUL and fast photography at this age is a must so as not to spook these little guys!

Text below per Audubon Source Online:  http://audubon2.org/watchlist/viewSpecies.jsp?id=41

 “The bird requires snags (standing dead trees) for nesting and roosting; but forages on live pines. It is more abundant in older pine stands compared with younger stands as well as burned stands. Nesting includes excavating cavities in trees, most commonly between February and April. Incubation lasts two weeks. Young fledge 18 to 19 days. The bird subsists on bark-dwelling cockroaches, beetles, and spiders in the warmer
months and various arthropods and pine seeds when it’s colder.  This non-migratory species generally does not
disperse far from its breeding range; although widespread decline in pine seed crops one season may force birds to extend their range. One of few species of passerines known to use tools; the nuthatch finds loose bark flakes to pry attached flakes where insects are hiding.  The biggest problem this pine-forest specialist encounters today is the destruction of southeastern pine forests.  Commercial logging as well as private and public land management practices has reduced its breeding and foraging habitat. After clear-cutting, a forest needs at least 12 to 25 years of regeneration before it can become suitable for Brown-headed Nuthatches to nest. Clear-cutting as well as fire suppression reduces the number of snags available as nesting sites. Since this bird makes limited movements away from its breeding grounds, forest fragmentation is also harmful. Birds aren’t re-colonizing where suitable habitat has once again become available.”

As a bluebirder monitor and manager of my own trail as well as a mentor to others in monitoring nestboxes and having a love for all our native birds, I find it appropriate to welcome and allow this wonderful little bird to have its one brood in our bluebirds’ boxes and let the bluebirds move in, too, to raise families, as I’ve seen on my own trail with the Carolina Chickadee (CACH).  It is illegal to evict native birds from our nestboxes, per federal law (Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918).  We can try to deter other birds to use our boxes other than our beloved Eastern Bluebird, but why?   Though we help the bluebirds find a place to nest and raise a family, the bluebird numbers have increased in the past decade, thanks to us for installing nestboxes and monitoring them for best success.  However, it is prudent as a birder to help other native birds raise families, as well, particularly those
species also losing habitat.   The recent Summer 2011 issue of the Virginia Bluebird Society’s newsletter, The Bird Box, has an article written by one of our County Coordinators about how she helped the Brown-headed Nuthatch (BHNU) raise her one brood in her backyard box and watched their 7 babies fledge, and then bluebirds moved in after.   It’s very interesting her efforts to help
both species succeed.  One has to admit it’s fascinating to see different native birds use our boxes!   I know I enjoy other species using my boxes on my own trail.  It adds to the learning experience about all of our nesting species, many raised so close to home where we live.

The following series of photos below are by Bill Matthews taken at his backyard Homes for Bluebirds nestbox of both the bluebird couple and the female nuthatch during the competition to use the box.  I think you’ll really enjoy these outstanding photos!  Many thanks to Bill for sharing these with me.  After some back and forth of both species attempting to nest in this box for first brood, the bluebirds won over the nestbox.  It is assumed this nuthatch couple moved elsewhere.  I can only hope this female found another suitable place to nest—perhaps another nestbox in the neighborhood or in an old woodpecker hole in the pine woods nearby the property.   As we continue to prosper, if that’s the right word, and create new homes for ourselves, the human, our
beautiful pine forests in the Southeastern United States are being destroyed.

In addition, I would like to share the following links in an easy pop-out for interesting reading online about this nuthatch and also about the late Jack Finch (1917-2006), who designed the Homes for Bluebirds in North Carolina.

Homes for Bluebirds:  http://www.danfinch.com/birds.htm

Tribute to Jack Finch, Homes
for Bluebirds, on Sialis.org (A MUST READ!):  http://www.sialis.org/jack_finch.htm

Virginia Bluebird Society
Summer 2011 Issue, See Page 4:
This is the story of how one of the VBS’ County
Coordinators assisted the Brown-headed Nuthatch (BHNU) raise her one brood in
her own backyard nestbox by creating a temporary “retrofit” to the box so that
the nuthatch could nest first and then changed it for the bluebirds for their
broods after the nuthatch fledged babies (Adobe Acrobat Reader needed).  You really should read the whole newsletter
and see what VBS is up to!  http://www.virginiabluebirds.org/newsletters/birdboxsummer2011.pdf

Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds– Brown-headed Nuthatch: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown-headed_Nuthatch/id

Photo used with permission. All rights reserved.

Photo used with permission. All rights reserved.

Photo used with permission. All rights reserved. (What a beautiful little bird!)

Photo used with permission. All rights reserved. (Ma and Pa Bluebird saying, "Hey, we were here last year!"

Photo used with permission. All rights reserved.

Photo used with permission. All rights reserved.

1.  Share my own bluebird monitor experiences and what I have learned on the Woolwine House Bluebird Trail, my own nestbox trail for bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting birds.

2.  To help others and speak in lay terms for those new to bluebirding.

3.  To cover anything that can happen on a trail…what is new and different…the problems and how I solved it.

4.  To have a website feel with blog capability.  I try to update this site once a week during the nesting season and less during the winter covering topics for our birds during this period of time.  Quality of material and graphics is priority.

5.  I am able to share it on networking sites, such as Facebook, and to encourage dialog and questions from all sources, including this one!  I ENCOURAGE comments and questions here–please do so.

PLEASE will you post here your suggestions for improvement?  One I have received is to create more videos and post them.  I am researching that now the easiest way to do so with the equipment I currently have.  One person suggested I post a video how I apply the Diatomaceous Earth to all of nests to keep blowfly infestation at bay and the “how-to” on that so the birds are safe during this process.  This will be my first video posting in the near future.  I may need a helper on this.

So, tell me your thoughts, suggestions, etc., here, please.  Your privacy will remain–your Email address will not appear public here.  Be sure to at least list your first name.  I thank you for your assistance in making this site better so that it can help others in bluebirding and proper nestbox monitoring and training the website way.  It is my hope you are enjoying it!  Thank you, all.

My next post is presently in the works–a rather large one on the plight of the Brown-headed Nuthatch (BHNU) in my locale.   Check back soon!

Christine

FIRST BROOD FOR SEASON BY CACH: To summarize happenings at this box, the first brood using this box was the  Carolina Chickadee (CACH). This chickadee female (at least I think it’s the same female) made two nest cups in the box and laid 2 eggs in each cup. There was ONE hatchling from the 4 eggs. On box checks the sole hatchling appeared to be struggling to survive. I wonder now were there two CACH females fighting to lay eggs in the box and one female was finally chased off by the other and she only incubated her own eggs? I followed the sole hatching grow but with very slow development. It appeared to me the one nestling fledged but all other eggs had disappeared. I cleaned out the box.

SECOND BROOD BY FIRST EABL COUPLE: Within two weeks, a new nest was completed by an EABL–this nest had been built out of grasses. 5 blue eggs were laid within one week after that. All nestlings did well and fledged. My observations of the parents were both were active in caring for their young and always present on my box checks. I cleaned out the box after those baby bluebirds fledged.

THIRD BROOD BY DIFFERENT EABL FEMALE: Within 5 days (!), another EABL female (yes, a different female) had built a pine needle nest and laid ONE WHITE egg so far on my box check. White eggs are rare but do happen. 4-5% of bluebirds will lay white eggs instead of blue ones. These eggs are generally as fertile as the blue eggs. This means it is a different female laying in this box. I am waiting for the completed clutch. Since I think yesterday was the first date of this one laid egg, I will return in 5 days to
see if a clutch of 5 eggs have been laid. If I see 4 eggs, I can assume “yesterday” was the last lay egg date to document in my trail notes.

The best part of monitoring nestboxes, in my opinion, is watching  the variety of happenings with all of our native cavity-nesting birds that like  to use man-made nestboxes. This is why I always carry two cameras with me on my  regular trail checks. It truly is a learning experience. Additionally, this is  why we monitors keep detailed trail notes (I think it’s rather fun, actually!)
and I write everything  down, such as time of day I am at the box, if the box is in shade or sun,  temperatures at box check, other environmental differences such as do I hear or  see any of the bluebird parents and are they swooping at me or just watching me
from a distance, are the nestlings struggling and having labored breathing from  the heat, does the base of the pole need to be trimmed of taller grasses or  weeds, is the stovepipe baffle sturdy or in need of tightening or repair, is the  nest material dry, are there any attempts of insects such as wasps, small  spider web building, possible ant invasion, etc. I also see different nesting
materials on cavity-nesting species in competition and who wins over a box and  how each species wither removes OR incorporate the other species’ nest  materials into their own. I have learned the bluebird cannot remove House Wren  sticks, so once a house wren wins over the box, a monitor can learn to  establish if the sticks are for a real nest for egg laying or if it’s a dummy  nest (which once determined, a monitor can remove the sticks). It is illegal to  remove an active native bird’s nest, so this is a challenge to determine this.  House Wrens are tricky. This bluebird laying the white eggs is indeed a different  female. I wish I knew if it was the same male or not. Perhaps something  happened to his original mate (killed?) or he decided to pick a new lady to  raise another family. Since I’m not a licensed bird bender, I cannot know for  sure. My experience and from discussions with other expert luebirders is the  couple stay together for the nesting season, then split apart into the mixed  flocks in autumn. There are occasions for one reason or another why he look for  a new mate to raise a family. OR….perhaps the couple using the box before was  finished breeding and a new couple needed a nest box to raise a family.

To learn more about why bluebirds sometimes will lay white eggs, see the Sialis.org website to read up on this interesting topic:   http://www.sialis.org/whiteeggs.htm 

It is always good to have a camera ready on box checks to document interesting happenings! 4-5% of bluebirds will lay white eggs instead of the normal blue ones. The thrush-family of birds generally lay blue eggs (i.e., Robin). It is documented in my notes this egg was laid on July 18, 2011. Third broods are starting for the bluebirds on my trail. I have another box starting a third brood. Last year, my last fledging date for bluebirds was August 27, 2010. Not all my boxes are getting third broods, but that can change as I will find out on my nest trail box checks.

 Plan to build this:     http://www.virginiabluebirds.org/forms/bb-guards_03-27-2011.pdf

Bluebirds like this guard. Most of the boxes on my trail show nesting materials laid on it under the entry hole. It looks like a sign to other bird species: OCCUPIED!

As you can see, one is not as developed as the others. He (or she) caught up later, though, and they all fledged. Maybe he wasn't getting enough to eat. Blowfly larvae was minimal in this nest. You can see the original white pine needles put there by bluebirds, and then the chickadee added in her own nesting materials.

Filed under: Birds, Bluebird Trail, Bluebirding and Bluebirds, Bluebirds, Nature, Virginia Bluebirds ]]> http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/06/20/carolina-chickadees-on-the-bluebird-trail-late-bloomer-nestling/feed/ 0 Woolwine House Bluebird Trail CACH Nestlings--With One Underdeveloped Kid! http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/06/14/photos-of-an-incubating-female-bluebird-did-she-trust-me/ http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/06/14/photos-of-an-incubating-female-bluebird-did-she-trust-me/#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:09:19 +0000 Woolwine House Bluebird Trail http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/?p=2295 ]]> I am posting several photos taken on my trail check administered on Monday, June 13.  On occasion, I’ll find a female bluebird not wanting to leave the nest. I always carefully open a box so as not to spook her. I talk or whistle my tunes as I approach a box to give her or her hatched young fair warning I am approaching. This is the box that recently had a carpenter bee. After I took care of the bee, she returned a few days later to finish nest building.  Theory again on my part, but I’ve noticed with my monitoring schedule that  the birds don’t seem to fear me looking in their nestboxes–never more than twice a week as that is over-managing the
birds. Unless I have a special problem to deal with, I might monitor more than twice a week.  I really wanted to share these photos on my site because this female was particularly interested in me, showing her face and letting me see her and her eggs. She even let me watch her turn her eggs with her feet. Generally, I advise new monitors to be very quiet and quick and careful while opening a nestbox to check on the birds; however, in my case, I have learned how to take photos without spooking the birds–more
experienced monitors can do this–it seems the bluebirds in particular are very trusting of us. Other birds, such as the House Wren and the Black-capped or Carolina Chickadee (the species here in SW Virginia) is more stressed by our presence, so when monitoring boxes with them using a nestbox, we must be particularly diligent to respect their solitude to be sure they do not abandon their nests because they are frightened of us. I was able to successfully take some pictures of a Carolina Chickadee nest and young yesterday, as well; I’m glad I did, as I found one baby is not developing as well as the others. That will be another post soon. I may have to start a new tabbed page on other cavity nesting birds. What you see below is this female bluebird who is sitting on a clutch of 4 eggs. I’m so glad she is enjoying this box—the same box that I had to deter a carpenter bee from boring a hole. I hope you enjoy the pictures below.  Photographing nesting birds can be tricky.  Be sure you don’t spook them too much if you choose to do it.   Never do this during the morning hours–the females lay eggs in the morning–she is laboring and breathing heavily as she lays one egg per day.  She is at her most vulnerable at this time.   I ALWAYS monitor my trail in the afternoons.  I never monitor on very cold days or rainy days.   I wait until it’s a good time that is safe for the birds first, and then what is convenient for me.  (My next post…. in a few days…..will be about the beautiful cavity-nester, the Brown-headed Nuthatch!)

Mrs. Bluebird is watching me watching her!

Though she's on "high alert" here, she allowed me to peek on her eggs, as she stood in front of them. However, I DO NOT RECOMMEND new bluebirders keeping a box opened for a long period of time if the female won't leave the box for you to check on the eggs. You can try again another day. I was able to take these photos without the use of flash fairly quickly. When we spend extra time at a box, we risk spooking the female to possibly abandon her clutch. I don't make a regular practice of photographing an incubating female. This girl stayed true to her eggs. A House Sparrow attack on this female could have been deadly. More than likely she would die to protect her eggs. However, the bluebirds are very tolerant of us looking in on them.

I llike this picture--it really shows her tail markings well.

She let me watch while she did this. I snapped the picture and quietly and quickly closed the box and left her alone.

I just waved a Q-Tip saturated with insecticide around the female carpenter bee to deter her to continue drilling this hole underneath the box hole. After I knew she had left for good, I took the Q-Tip and just rubbed the inside of this partially drilled hole. She never returned. It's the female carpenter bee that drills the holes. Now I need to caulk and even out this this partially-drilled hole.

Every year on the trail, I find something new to deal with regarding “problems” — some problems are larger than others.  In this case, I discovered my problem was actually easier to deal with than I had expected.  I found a spinning carpenter bee boring a hole in one of my nestboxes!   The bee was spinning her whole body around while drilling into the underside and outside of the nestbox’s floor.  Thankfully, a partial bluebird nest was built–temporarily abandoned as my theory goes–possibly BECAUSE that bee was there.   Bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds will abandon a nest location (whether it be natural or manmade) if pests such as bees and wasps attempt to occupy the cavity.   I have detailed how I took care of the carpenter bee on the PROBLEMS tabbed page of this site, including two new photos.  Be sure to check it out.  This is not something I’ve seen before at my nestboxes, so hopefully it won’t be a recurring issue!  GOOD NEWS:   I have an active bluebird female incubating 4 eggs in that box today!

http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/problems/

This is why MONITORING is so helpful to our native birds using our nestboxes–my point is:  why even bother taking the time and effort and expense of putting up nestboxes if the birds cannot use them?  Keep an eye on your backyard nestbox or a trail of nestboxes.   Be an attentive “landlord” and make sure the birds can really use them.

Filed under: Birds, Bluebird Trail, Bluebirding and Bluebirds, Bluebirds, Nature, Virginia Bluebirds ]]> http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/06/14/the-carpenter-bee-my-problem-and-how-i-solved-it/feed/ 0 Woolwine House Bluebird Trail Carpenter Bee Half-Hole--I stopped him. http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/06/14/look-who-made-the-cover-of-this-catalog-for-summer-2011/ http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/06/14/look-who-made-the-cover-of-this-catalog-for-summer-2011/#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:11:39 +0000 Woolwine House Bluebird Trail http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/?p=2273 ]]>

My catalog came in the mail the other day. It was nice to see our bluebird on it. This is one of my favorite bird-supply companies. I have a metal mealworm "cage" hanging feeder from them that I use in the winter and early spring.

I have had people ask about this bird competing for a nestbox–my reaction is always enthusiastic, as it’s been my wish to be able to monitor this gorgeous bird for myself, along with other cavity nesters.  I have not had that opportunity yet to monitor a nesting pair of tree swallows.  I still wait to see it on my own trail, and I still hope it will happen, as I do see them in our area.   I am fascinated with the nest building of the TRES, as it will fly for many miles from its chosen nesting site to obtain large feathers from other birds to place on top of its nest materials of grasses, such as goose feathers or other waterfowl feathers.  You will see the TRES near agricultural fields (open habitat just like the bluebird) and many times near water sources, such as ponds if available, probably for the reason of finding waterfowl feathers there and insects being available surrounding the ponds, such as dragonflies that I see by our pond.  This bird is marked strikingly, particularly the male, with a bright white neck and belly and a greenish-violet-iridescent blue on its back and wings.  It’s a gentle, assertive bird, as I have stood next to a monitor in one of my counties at a newly-installed nestbox just 4 feet away and watched a female enter to build the nest and the male sitting on top guarding the box and looking at me as if to say, “Hey there—hope you don’t mind us using this box you installed.   First come-first serve, so thank you for providing us this perfect nesting place!”  Of course, I smiled, and the new monitor I was training appeared seemingly a little disappointed, because she also wanted bluebirds.   I immediately explained that this bird, the tree swallow, has the same issue as the bluebirds with needing nesting sites which is cavity only and having the same challenge as bluebirds in finding “available” cavities to raise a family, in natural habitat, used woodpecker holes for nests.

With many thanks to a new monitor in Floyd County who has been taking excellent photographs of bluebirds and tree swallows nesting in some of her nestboxes, I can now share this wonderful bird with you here on the Woolwine House Bluebird Trail’s website.  Many thanks, Karen, for sharing these lovely pictures of this bird which you are lucky to be able to see a nesting cycle.  Many of our cavity nesters have one brood per season, so after the TRES are completed, you may get a second or third brood
nesting cycle from our beloved bluebirds after…perhaps another native species.   It’s all part of the fun of monitoring, isn’t it?

I will be highlighting other cavity-nesting birds that use nestboxes shortly.  In my opinion as a trail monitor, trail manager, and trainer to new bluebirders, I find monitoring other bird species helps us learn more about our native birds and the joys of monitoring brings variety of experiences  and joys to being a good landlord of our nestboxes.  If you find you have both bluebirds and tree swallows where you have one or more nestboxes, they will nest peacefully side by side with each other if you pair your boxes 5-20 feet apart.  Some have actually put two nestboxes on one pole.  I have included a video of that below the photo set, which you may find interesting.   This box was installed on PVC, looks like about 4” wide, with a cap on
the PVC.  I’ve seen other setups with one pole and the boxes installed with opposite directions for the entry hole.  I have heard stories from others who have successful nesting of tree swallows and bluebirds of a bluebird parent feeding a tree swallow set of nestlings when one of the tree swallow parents disappeared (probably killed).  They WILL nest next to each other if they don’t feel threatened by the other.  However, if you have one box, there COULD be the usual territorial war over the nestbox, understandably so, since both birds need an available cavity to bring up a family.  I’ve seen this with chickadees and bluebirds on my trail this year.  If this happens, you could quickly install another box right away near the other one where the competition is taking place.   You then could have both birds nesting as friendly neighbors–all the while monitoring, enjoying them, keeping notes, and seeing behaviorial antics, some similar and some different.   I still recommend the two predator guards on a pole because of the amount of predation we get here in Virginia, both ground and avian predators.  As a monitor, I want success, so I go all out to be sure the birds can be protected.   If I put up a nestbox for the birds, the least I can do is help them succeed.  Otherwise, the time and expense of installing a nestbox seems fruitless–as I say, it’s like luring them to use your setup and then playing a practical joke on them because we make it easy for those predators to get to them.  It’s not my style of managing nestboxes.

I hope you enjoy the 5 pictures posted below—photos by Karen Hale in Floyd County, VA.   I adore the Tree Swallow—I want to have some nest in my boxes SOON.  Thanks, Karen!  I support all native birds.  Lucky we humans it’s not always bluebirds we are helping.  My next post will be about the  fascinating Brown-headed Nuthatch…a bird found in the South near pine forests.  Stay tuned!

In the meantime, underneath these photos I have linked direct viewing to a YouTube video of bluebirds and tree swallows nesting side-by-side and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s info page on the Tree Swallow.  There you can also hear what the TRES song sounds like–a chittering sound that requires good listening ears to ID.  I hope you enjoy.  Questions and comments welcomed and encouraged on this post!

Great photo of pinkish-white eggs. Tree swallows have white eggs, but they appear to have some pink hue here, probably because of the lighting. This is a good-size mirror for seeing a nest in its entirety and taking photographs. Of course, as monitors, when we do this--we learn to be quiet and fast so as not to stress the nesting parents too much. Good job!

Great photo of the couple resting on a nearby fenceline. The male is on the left. Like the female bluebird, the female tree swallow is a muted grayish-blue. Depending on how the sunlight hits them, the coloring can be bright hues of blues-violet-greens! They have tiny bills, like the bluebird. If you go to the Cornell "All About Birds" link at the bottom of this post, you'll see an outline of the bird in flight--forkish-pointy wings and tail.

This is one of the most exciting moments of monitoring nestboxes!

See how the soft feathers are placed on the nest. These young nestlings cannot hold their heavy heads up yet.

All 5 are doing well. They will be ready to fledge in about 20-24 days from hatching date. Both the male and female feed their young, like the bluebirds. When adults, these guys will join large flocks and migrate. They need to do this to get insects in the winter. Bluebirds eat berries in the winter, so many of our bluebirds in Southwest Virginia stay as residents.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BELOW: 

FIND THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO CORNELL’S PAGE ABOUT THE TREE SWALLOW AND A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE OF PAIRED BOXES FOR SUCCESSFUL NESTING OF THE BLUEBIRD AND THE TREE SWALLOW AS NEIGHBORS– ENJOY!: 

CORNELL:    http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tree_swallow/id

PAIRING NESTBOXES FOR EABL AND TRES:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkir2NkdQ-I

Filed under: Birds, Bluebird Trail, Bluebirding and Bluebirds, Bluebirds, Nature, Photography, Tree Swallows, Virginia Bluebirds ]]> http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/06/10/the-lovely-tree-swallow-a-native-cavity-nesting-bird-using-our-nestboxes/feed/ 2 Woolwine House Bluebird Trail Photo by Karen Hale. Tree Swallow Eggs. Photo by Karen Hale. Tree Swallow Couple. Photo by Karen Hale. Tree Swallows Eggs to Hatchings! Photo by Karen Hale. Young Tree Swallow Nestlings Photo by Karen Hale. Tree Swallow Nestlings. http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/06/06/tree-swallows-and-the-brown-headed-nuthatch/ http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/06/06/tree-swallows-and-the-brown-headed-nuthatch/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:22:11 +0000 Woolwine House Bluebird Trail http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/?p=2248 ]]> Stay tuned for two additional posts on this site about these two fantastic native cavity-nesting birds–the Tree Swallow and the Brown-headed Nuthatch.  I have received some great photos of these birds from monitors in my area, either using the nestboxes to raise a family, or the competition with the Eastern Bluebird to use a nestbox and how we can enjoy ALL our native birds by helping them thrive and survive using us as their “landlords”.  It’s not just the bluebird that needs our help.

 As you can see from this picture, this sturdy hardware cloth Noel Guard over the 1.5″ entry hole is no problem for the bluebirds–as a matter of fact, they actually like them and use them to guard their nestbox and also as a “porch”.   VBS highly recommends the use of these guards for ground predators that may get past the stovepipe ground guard on the pole and underneath the nestbox and also for any avian predators.   As County Coordinator for VBS, I encourage the use of them to others who want to install a nestbox; I use them on my own trail, as well, since most of my boxes are installed in rural Patrick County habitat.

For more info about this gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains resort location in Patrick County, Virginia–a beautiful retreat, spa, and vacation spot with something special for everyone, see their website:  http://primland.com/

This is a full VBS recommended nestbox installation, including the two predator guards. The nestboxes were made in Primland's workshop. The wood is Western Red Cedar (not aromatic cedar!)

The female Eastern Bluebird with food for her brood--it appears to be a grasshopper!

Filed under: Birds, Bluebird Trail, Bluebirding and Bluebirds, Bluebirds, Nature, Virginia Bluebirds ]]> http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/05/28/very-cute-video-clip-of-a-fledging/feed/ 0 Woolwine House Bluebird Trail http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/05/28/photos-to-help-you-id-house-sparrow-nests-and-eggs-do-not-allow-this-non-native-overpopulated-invasive-species-to-reproduce-in-manmade-nestboxes-designed-to-help-our-native-birds/ http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/2011/05/28/photos-to-help-you-id-house-sparrow-nests-and-eggs-do-not-allow-this-non-native-overpopulated-invasive-species-to-reproduce-in-manmade-nestboxes-designed-to-help-our-native-birds/#comments Sat, 28 May 2011 19:40:29 +0000 Woolwine House Bluebird Trail http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/?p=2203 ]]>

Some elements to this House Sparrow nest.

Good photo of the HOSP eggs. This is the nest removed from my Two-Hole Test Box on May 16, 2011. Note the variable spotting-type markings on the eggs.

It's a sure thing none of us need to be told what a cigarette butt looks like, but I'm always amazed at how much the House Sparrow likes them in their nests. This is a good example of a splayed cigarrette butt on the left bottom of this picture. Since the HOSP likes to hang out where humans are, often we see our trash in their nests!

I learned early in bluebirding how to ID nests of different cavity-nesting species.  Bluebirds are easy to ID.  They build tidy, clean nests (at least those I’ve seen on my trail, which is the Eastern Bluebird) of either soft grasses or pine needles, depending on habitat close to their chosen nesting site, and create a perfect cup for the egg laying.   Our other native birds have a variety of materials and nesting behaviors I have learned to look for to ID the species.  After having some experience, I know the species without seeing eggs.  For instance, our Carolina Chickadee (CACH) is easy to ID by using plenty of mosses first and then layering on top with more materials, including plenty of animal and plant hairs and fibers.   The Tufted Titmouse (TUTI) will also use mosses as well as the Carolina Wren which intertwines mud and dead leaves in the mosses.   If I’m not sure on a nest what the species is, I wait for the eggs to arrive to ID for sure, as the eggs are distinct in markings and color.

My two-hole test box (House Sparrows vs. Eastern Bluebirds for territory rights over a nestbox) has had the House Sparrow (HOSP) very persistent in building nest and laying eggs.  Between the dates of March 24 and May 24, I have removed six (6) HOSP nests.  Out of those six nests removed, three of them had laid eggs–so far a total of 12 eggs removed so far.  My last two box checks dated May 16 had 5 eggs in the nest.  My next box check after that was May 24 (due to storms, I could not monitor and check the boxes sooner than this, as I recommend monitoring about twice a week when it’s safe for the birds), There were 3 laid eggs in that nest.  When I remove these nests and eggs of this invasive species, I conserve them for educational purposes (such as displays and for photographs).  Remember, the House Sparrow is not protected by law so it is legal for me to remove those nests.

We should never allow this species to reproduce in our nestboxes designed for our native birds.  To help new bluebirders to know what to look for to ID the House Sparrow nest and eggs, I’ve included a few photos below of the two nests removed on May 16 and May 24.   Leave questions here for discussion on this Two-Hole Test nestbox (HOSP vs. EABL) or about House Sparrows in general.  This is the ONLY sparrow species that are causing havoc for our native birds.  This is the ONLY site on my trail I have the House Sparrow issue.   For this three-year test, I am not to trap them.  Last year, a bluebird family was successfully raised after I evicted the HOSP.  I am hoping to see this again this year for our native bluebirds.   If not for this test, I’d either move this nestbox away from the House Sparrow locale, or I would trap them and take them to a rehabber for our native raptors.

Two HOSP nests. Eggs laid. Nest dome not completed. Photo looking into nests from side view.Top side of the two nests; eggs barely visible.

The 17th Annual Event is scheduled for June 25, 2011.  Mark your calendars for this fascinating event about those amazing Purple Martins!

Photo by Kathy Laine and used with permission.

If you find bluebird nestboxes fascinating, you’ll love seeing a monitored and strategically built Purple Martin colony in action!  You’ll meet expert birders at this event, hear lectures, get materials, learn what creates a successful colony of Purple Martins and why they need to be cared for, monitored, and why the use of predator guards towards their breeding and fledging success of a colony, and how to get them to return and bring joy year after year.   This is located in central Virginia.  Take a look at this website for more info on this event, maps and directions, and more!   http://www.purplemartinfieldday.org/

Look at these beautiful birds live and talk to great bird people dedicated to this marvelous cavity nesting bird, the Purple Martin.