There was a pileated woodpecker hanging out on my next-door neighbor's dead palm tree. The tree was a casualty of the big freeze a couple of years ago and was basically just a very tall trunk waiting to fall. The most annoying thing about that woodpecker was his call; very loud and strident. They finally had that rotting tree taken down last week so the 'pecker has relocated.
I look at the colorful birds of other hemispheres and wonder if the locals "just get used to it," or if they continuously step back and enjoy the moment.
Life isn't fair. I guess I jinxed things by mentioning the weather has been cooperating. Today it got to 95 and one little bluebird is poking it's head out the birdhouse, mouth breathing. There might be 2 others in there. It should be too early for them to leave. It's definitely too late in the day, again. Tomorrow one weather website is predicting 101, another has 97, 99, 99, 98 and 97 for the next 5 days. It hasn't been even close to 97 here in 3 years. If it gets above 107 in there it will kill them. It's past the peak heat of the day right now. I'm going down in a couple of hours or so and put up sun shades again, for tomorrow. The house is not that much in the sun this time, except right at the peak of the day. If one jumps out too early they say you should try to catch it, put it back, and stuff a sock in the birdhouse hole until it settles down. Maybe it's better they leave a little early in this weather? But not at night. I can't think of anything else to do. Help. It's been going so well this time, until now, right at the end. None of those birds did anything to deserve this.
I don't think the term "put a sock in it" applies to bluebird houses... Life is not fair, is is designed to permit survivors to breed survivors. The result will be more bluebirds, not less. These fledglings are not up for adoption....sorry.
Have you looked at any bluebird websites for advice? I've never put up birdhouses. Shading their house might be all you can do. I don't know if a slow moving fan will reduce the heat...for humans it mostly cools through evaporation. It may give some benefit if the house gets hotter than the surrounding air. And I'd like to know where you saw the 107° threshold. Doesn't their range include areas that get that hot?
All they say is use sun shades and leave a crack 3/8" along the top of the box on both sides for cross ventilation. I did the 3/8". One guy invented a summer box with a small stove pipe sticking out the top. There might be some good news. The male bluebird was acting "funny" this evening. Jumping around nervously, fluttering his wings and chirping rather loudly. Just before dark, he carried some waxworms up into a tree, twice, rather than to the box. He hasn't been feeding the female lately. I don't know where I found that 107 degrees. I looked again and found an estimate of 110 mentioned. Their normal body temp is 105. So that would be like us out in 104 degrees, and people sweat. I want to know how many there were and how many made it. The pattern makes me think there were 3 this time.
Have you peeked in the box? My understanding is that bluebirds do a good job of communicating when things are wrong: invaders in or at the nest, begging for the treats they've been accustomed to, etc. They seem to be among the most animated. I like the idea of venting the top. Having a vent in the bottom to create an airflow might work, too (this is for next year.) I read about attic vent systems where the peak of the roof is open (the two sides do not join) and there's a protective ridge cap on it. Then the eaves are vented. The hot air rising out through the peak continuously draws in cooler outside air through the vented eaves via convection.
My house has a ridge vent like that now. It used to have 3 of those spinning turbine things. Looked like a barn. No peeking. Haven't been near that birdhouse since I put it up, except to gingerly whiz by with the lawn mower a few times. There is at least one baby bird in the trees this morning. Didn't see it, but food is going up there. Not so sure about the box. Only one trip with food, and that may have been a diversion. Slapped a sun shade on the side a while ago and no one seemed to notice or care. Will put one on the top later if I see anything different.
I don't know if you've seen that you can buy a kit to replace the strings on your DR Trimmer with a 12" brush-cutting blade: I happened across this when trolling Craigslist and saw a DR Trimmer that included one. I don't know if these fit all models or any details like that, and I don't know if this is a current DR accessory or if this is a legacy item. The pic came from an EBay listing. $170 + $17 shipping. They make these same blade conversion kits for regular weed eaters.
There is a Beaver blade with it, and that disk, with a bolt and some kind of bushing. Looks like a regular chain saw chain. Looks dangerous. Just received a new belt, $10 plus shipping from V-Belt Guys. The carburetor may come Wednesday. If it starts, I'll get a battery. Could it be all the engine gaskets and things that seal where parts go together are ruined? If I think of these things first, they don't usually happen. Everything bad happens by surprise.
I love my dr trimmer! Handyman says to use no ethanol gas with anything with seals and gaskets--mowers,tractors, older cars and trucks,... ethanol eats them.
I love my dr trimmer! Will have to look into this. lots of saplings started under and around the fences (wood). Thanks.