(3/7/24) Thursday (It didn't rain) Finally got the bluebird and the chickadee houses up yesterday. Some vents sealed off for cooler weather. Level and slightly tilted forward this time like they're supposed to be. The one on the new post is now 18" higher. Compared to last year, it's late for bluebirds, but early for chickadees. There were very few birds around this winter. Squirrels kept eating all the food I put out. I wasn't in the mood to police the deck all day every day. Didn't see any birds at all yesterday. It's spring break. Maybe they went to Jacksonville. Whatever, both bluebirds were back checking out both houses already at 8:00 this morning. I believe this is a different female. Then they disappeared. I worry about cutting out all the hedge. Fledging birds always headed straight for the hedge for cover before.
Some people might say, "Nancy, why are you making such a big deal out of giving this cat a pill? Just shove it down her throat!" .I would tell them, "You try it!" If this experience had remained as unpleasant as it was the first few weeks, the cat and I would not be on speaking terms now. It took 33 days just to be able to reliably catch her. This pill also can't be given on an empty stomach. A second breakthrough happened a couple weeks ago. Thanks to squeezable, lickable, cat treat tubes, the whole process now runs like a well-oiled machine. Trial and error. Every morning around 8:30 (EST). .. Isn't she a good little cat? As soon as it's over, it's like nothing ever happened and she's begging for breakfast. . .
Our Blue Birds must be why, we seldom see them, but we see lots of Cardinals and Doves. I love seeing the Dove peeps run around, its like they are on wheels instead of legs. More like rolling than walking.
The bluebirds haven't been back to the house as far as I can tell. The female is the one who decides on the nesting site. The male searches for several options to present to her. I figure either (1) she has picked out another place she likes better, or (2) it's still a little early for this pair to start on a nest. (We had an unusually cold winter).
We have sparrows every year nesting in the pole building door frame. They clean them out themselves. But this morning there was a starling checking the place out and a flock of them by the barnhouse. I HATE strarlings. The smell, the sound, the mess...Think, think think...
I don't care for starlings either. They don't even make pretty sounds. I didn't know they were cavity nesters. Too big for bluebird houses. We only see them in large flocks. They come all at once, then leave. Sparrows are cute and get along with everybody. So far we don't have any house sparrows. If this bluebird house stays empty I'll close the hole off or make it smaller. It might attract house sparrows.
I saw a tiny sparrow taking a "dirt bath" this morning in my tall raised garden box. He was having a great time making circles in the soil. I had to shoo him away because I just planted that bed yesterday!
We had to take all of our bluebird houses down. It became too stressful. I couldn’t take all the murdering. Sparrows, starlings, and some wrens were always taking over the houses, mostly sparrows though. Sparrows would squeeze in and throw the newly born baby bluebirds out on to the ground, or peck them dead. I had seen this happening from my window a few times and I would run outside like a crazy person cussing them out, like that would stop them. We did all sort of things to the bluebird houses to try and keep the sparrows out, but we eventually gave up.
I know how stressful bluebird houses with babies can be. It's why I won't get too upset if they choose somewhere else this year. I've never seen but one house sparrow last year, and ALL the birds attacked it and chased it away. Freezing spells and heat waves were a worry because the bluebirds started the 1st nest so early and the last one went through July. I do hope the chickadees decide to nest though.
This guy was sitting too close to my bedroom window at 1:00 a.m. I turned on the Ring camera to see if it would record him. https://ring.com/share/7bbf2d8b-9158-4071-b8da-6fde1899c4c9