Basically on my trail for 2009, here are the challenges so far: House Sparrows (not protected); House Wrens (protected), Blowflies, Black Rat Snakes (A snake got to chicks from one box. A very large enough rat snake can stand on end and bypass the stovepipe baffle). I’ve fought off paper wasps, buffalo gnats, and spider webs inside my boxes.
Yes, I monitor my trail AT LEAST once a week….sometimes 2 to 3 times a week if I’m having issues. Because of the problems bluebirds have in nesting, it is why we monitors step in as human intervention…to help them be successful and survive. Because of man-made nestboxes and human monitoring, the bluebirds have come back in North America in the past decade. What happens in the woods in natural cavities is not up to us. All we can do is hope they have at least a 50% survival rate. In Virginia, we have only Eastern Bluebirds. Eastern Bluebirds are the most common in the United States. The Mountain and Western Bluebirds are larger than the Eastern Bluebird. They require a larger entry hole in nestboxes. Monitoring a trail takes work and dedication….it’s all weather-permitting, particularly during hatchling time! The birds’ safety is Number One!
No, No, No! (I found this picture on the Virginia Bluebird Society's website).
On my trail, House Wrens (HOWR), a protected species by federal law, continue to stuff to the top and out the entry hole sticks as dummy nests, establishing their territory and deterring other cavity nesters to use a box. Most bluebirders know the House Wren can cause havoc to other cavity nesters, particularly the bluebirds, by piercing eggs and throwing out chicks. When I know the HOWR is not nesting, I remove the sticks, freeing up the box. Here is a photo of a HOWR stuffed box. HOWRs are protected species, therefore their eggs and and chicks cannot be disturbed. They are very cute and have a beautiful song. But this nest is a dummy, thus removal by me and allowing other birds to use the box. Interestingly, the Carolina Wrens do not cause problems to other birds as much as the House Wrens do. For more info on the wrens, go to the Sialis bluebird website: http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm
- I took this photo of Box 7 on 6-9-09. It is just stuffed to the brim, out the hole with sticks…no nesting at all in this box. I removed the sticks, allowing another cavity nester to nest here.
SEE THIS VIDEO ON YOUTUBE of a naughty House Wren attacking bluebird babies. House Wrens are smaller than bluebirds and can access a bluebird nest easily. Read the full text that comes with the video….the outcome is posted by the poster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt9BfiGULdQ&NR=1
Blowfly larvae, black rat snakes, paper wasps, spiders and webs inside boxes, ants, bad weather (too much rain)….all seem to be the biggest problems on my trail for 2009. My biggest loss is 5-day old chicks, not feathered well due to blowfly larvae, but nevertheless saved by a nest switchout by me with antoher clean needle nest, have been succumbed to a rat snake the following day. I use the predator guard to ward off snakes, but this snake was too large and was able to get by the guard this box. The chicks were 10 days old. Other boxes close to town have had some House Sparrow and House Wren territorial issues, as I had noted above. Here are two photos of blowfly larvae and nest material (below). Not the most pleasant photos to post, unfortunately; but it’s educational to many who have no idea how nature works sometimes and howewe bluebirders deal with it. If you want more info on blowfly issues on your own trail or in y our back yard nestbox, I find, again, www.Sialis.org the best source, and go to the Index and look under Blowflies.
GOOD NEWS UPDATE FOR 2010! Thanks to Harry Schmeider’s presentation at the recent NABS conference, I’ve learned about Diatomaceous Earth, a natural substance that can be inserted in infested nests to kill the larvae. Here is’ Harry’s Ambassador for the Bluebirds site and page on dealing with blowfly problems in nests: Thanks, Harry! Click Here: http://livingroomtunes.com/newambassador/?tag=diatomaceous-earth
Here is an interesting 10-minute demo video I found on YouTube expaining what this organic matter called Diatomaceous Earth is–Click Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQn6GSHNzBE
- This is the part of bluebirding that’s not so fun, but we want to help as best as we can. This is what is shaken out of an infested nest. Note all the dust and broken pine needles and the number of larvae.
Ugh! You get the idea here. Dropped from a nest of 9-day old bluebird chicks.
The past two years of bluebirding for me, I’ve seen the blowflies. The first two years of bluebirding for me was during a drought; thus, no blowfly problems. High heat accompanied the drought, however, another problem for nesting birds if not enough ventilation is allowed and provided for nestboxes or the box is in the afternoon soon during the hottest part of the day.
INSECTS: On my trail, it’s Paper Wasps and Mud Daubers! See photo below:
This is one of the two species of wasps I have to deal with on my trail. This is the mud dauber built mud tunnel nests. The other species of wasp I have is the Paper Wasp. Paper wasps are not aggresive and easier to deal with. I make an ivory-soap paste and a pastry brush to paint the inside of my boxes to deter wasps building in my boxes! Most of the time, it works! I have to be diligent about it. The mud tunnels are actually rather pretty, when you think about. Nature is amazing--such artwork! We cannot let wasps build nests inside our nestboxes!
BELOW: THE USAGE OF ARTIFICIAL NESTCUPS…. I LIKE THEM, BUT THE JURY IS STILL OUT IF THEY ARE BETTER FOR THE BIRDS OR NOT….MORE ON THIS TOPIC SOON.
I experiment using these artificial nestcups on my trail. There are pros and cons to using them. I think it's better for the birds not to use them in my particular boxes. They can be problematic. More on this topic soon on this page. I like them for some reasons for my purposes; for the birds' purposes, I am not absolutely sure.This is one of the two species of wasps I have to deal with on my trail. This is the mud dauber built mud tunnel nests. The other species of wasp I have is the Paper Wasp. Paper wasps are not aggresive and easier to deal with. I make an ivory-soap paste and a pastry brush to paint the inside of my boxes to deter wasps building in my boxes! Most of the time, it works! I have to be diligent about it.
WEATHER CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS, like this ice storm for winterizing adult bluebirds on our property. I took this photo during the big ice storm of 2008. This is where the mealworms come in handy for adult birds in the winter that can’t get food or during early Spring during first hatchlings during cold snaps! I also like using mealworm feeders sometimes, not year-round, so that I can get good photos of the birds.
Iced White Pines. Photo by Christine.
- Here is a 2008 ice storm photo of our willow inundated with ivy. I call this Icy Strings. Imagine what the birds had to do to find food!
