Comments on: Deter Predators http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com CONSERVATION of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS and NATIVE CAVITY NESTERS in SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA USING MONITERED NESTBOXES. TAKE A WALK ON MY TRAIL and say along with me........"WOO-HOO FOR BLUE!" Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:15:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Woolwine House Bluebird Trail http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/predators/#comment-781 Tue, 03 May 2011 22:04:04 +0000 http://virtualprojectpoint.wordpress.com/?page_id=624#comment-781 I know it will not deter the House Wren, as I’ve seen them use one of my boxes and bring up a brood with the Noel hardware cloth guard over the entry hole with no problems. Whether it deters House Sparrows remains to be seen. I’ve heard from other bluebirders they think it has deterred them. It needs to be tested. I can certainly write to some of our Virginia Bluebird Society monitors/coordinators, and ask them about it and try to get back here to update this post in the near future with another reply. If anyone reading this knows, feel feel to post a reply here. Thanks!

]]> By: Woolwine House Bluebird Trail http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/predators/#comment-749 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:40:21 +0000 http://virtualprojectpoint.wordpress.com/?page_id=624#comment-749 I’ve not heard of the milk carton approach. However, if you need really good info on how to deter the House Wren , I suggest the best bluebirds website out there, compliments of Bet Zimmerman at: http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm(Remember, it’s a protected native species; so by federal law, we monitors are not allowed to remove nests and eggs and young of the HOWR–we ARE ALLOWED, however, to remove “dummy nests” — this is when the HOWR fills up a nestbox with just sticks to the the ceiling so no other bird species can use that nestbox–a territorial thing the HOWR does. It takes some learning to distinguish the differences between a dummy nest and a REAL HOWR nest. Believe me, I know, as I’ve made the mistake of taking a HOWR nest out that wasn’t a dummy nest! Thankfully, I was able to fix my own problem without harming the birds–I learned quite a bit that day! Learning about all native cavity-nesting birds is what’s good about monitoring. I do know that the HOWR can cause havoc on other birds’nests, including throwing out the babies of another species. I have a video posted on my site about it….under PROBLEMS.

]]> By: Marianne http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/predators/#comment-747 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:22:17 +0000 http://virtualprojectpoint.wordpress.com/?page_id=624#comment-747 Would the modified noel guard (made from a plastic milk carton) deter House Wrens?

In 2010, I had a BC Chickadee nest in a box with a hole that may be borderline too small for a House Sparrow. As soon as the House Wren came back, it proceeded to remove the Chickadee nest. I hope that the young Chickadees had already fledged, but I am not sure.

I would prefer that the Chickadees could have a successful brood.

Thanks again!

]]> By: Woolwine House Bluebird Trail http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/predators/#comment-746 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:56:57 +0000 http://virtualprojectpoint.wordpress.com/?page_id=624#comment-746 Hi, Marianne. It has not deterred the House Wren on my trail. I only have a House Sparrow problem in one area, an in-town location, but it’s my TEST box (see my tabbled page for info on that test box); that box does not have the Noel guard on it because it’s a two-hole box. After the test box is completed after the 2012 nesting season, I would like to install another box somewhere in that area to see if it does indeed deter the House Sparrow. If the House Wren has enough assertiveness to enter a box with one, I’m thinking the House Sparrow might also. I certainly can ask some of my fellow County Coordinators in Virginia to see what they say about it and can update this post with another reply in the near future. Thanks for asking this question–it’s an excellent one!

]]> By: Marianne http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/predators/#comment-717 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:36:21 +0000 http://virtualprojectpoint.wordpress.com/?page_id=624#comment-717 Does the wire noel guard deter The House Sparrow and the House Wren?

Thanks, Marianne

]]> By: Woolwine House Bluebird Trail http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/predators/#comment-312 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:54:11 +0000 http://virtualprojectpoint.wordpress.com/?page_id=624#comment-312 I’m glad you have enjoyed what you’ve seen. The intent is not only to share the joy of bluebirding but also to educate what bluebirding is and why we are so passive about it. The main goal is to help the birds be successful. Bluebirds have a lot going for them and a lot going against them. Human intervention has helped them in the past decade to come back in greater numbers and survive through nestboxes, predator guards, and installing those boxes in habitat that helps them be successful in breeding and fledging bluebirds.

]]> By: Lenore http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/predators/#comment-310 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:15:42 +0000 http://virtualprojectpoint.wordpress.com/?page_id=624#comment-310 Your site looks absolutely awesome! I love it and you should be proud! I see you already have over 2k hits. WOW! Keep up the good “birding”…can’t wait until our trip to the Bluebird Convention. I’m really getting excited…

]]>