Thanks to everyone for all the info. The chickadees are long gone and the
bluebirds have nested again in one of the other holes. When they finish I WILL
PLUG THE HOLES! I don't want to repeat this event next year. My bluebirds
first nested this year in my traditional bluebird box but the nest was robbed
by a predator. I plan to put up a new box for next year with a predator guard.
Thanks again for all the advice.
Larry
Blue Ridge, VA
On Sun, 26 May 2002 12:53:42 -0400 barbara chambers <bj.chambers@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
on 5/25/02 10:45 PM, wvfootball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx at wvfootball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
wrote:
Larry, and Peggy Spiegel,
You are getting lots of advice. And YES! bluebirds will not tolerate
others nesting that close to them and they will, on occasion be very
aggressive, when they have young in the nest and sometimes with just eggs in
the nest. You didn't say but I have to assume that the bb robbed a Chickadee
nest hole!
Peggy Spiegel gave you the best advice. Close up that ornamental 4-hole box
and use it only for ornament. Get yourself two single boxes that can be
opened from the side or the front...not the top! {this is for ease of
cleaning, which you should do at the end of every nesting cycle.]
Place them out of sight of each other. This conserves the bird's energy for
raising chicks rather than fighting over territory. Too close and they will
spend all their time arguing about who was there first! ;-)
the Virginia Bluebird Society has a web page, with links to other good bird
pages and lots of good advice about boxes, predator guards, and nesting
habits. check it out at: < geocities.com/virginiabluebirds >
The chickadees, and I am hearing this from across the state, have run into
lots of nesting trouble this spring...it may be because they began nesting
later than usual, because of the cold weather and therefore lack of insects,
and when they began nesting it ran into the bbs usual cycle. Chickadees are
usually thru raising their chicks before the bbs begin in earnest. That is
my theory at least.
I hope this helps you to understand the behavior you and your wife saw. ALL
birds will do this and, even tho we think of OUR bbs as being gentle things
and peaceful happy birds, their instincts are exactly the same as any other
bird's [house wrens and house sparrows!] when it comes to protecting their
own brood. I keep reminding folks that it's a jungle out there!
Barbara Chambers
VP for EDU, VBS
I have an "ornamental" birdhouse with 4 separate
compartments and entrances that a pair of bluebirds and a pair of chickadees
decided to use. I believe the bluebirds hatched and fledged a family...the
box is so deep that you can't see in and the top does not come off. When the
chickadees hatched the bluebirds were still around and would frequently peek
their heads into their neighbors house. One day my wife and son saw a
bluebird carry a hatchling from the box and then peck at in on the ground and
then carried it off. The next day I saw two dead hatchlings in my yard. Has
anyone heard of this kind of behavior, why is it done and is this common?
Larry Lewis
Blue Ridge, VA
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