[wisb] Re: Bluebird removes chickadee egg from nest box-Sawyer County
- From: "Korkor Mary" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "marekor@xxxxxxx" for DMARC)
- To: mugzy1960@xxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2014 21:17:10 -0500
Fascinating story! Thanks for sharing. Horse hair and dog hair also works for
Chickadees.
Mary Korkor
Hartland, Waukesha County
On Jun 15, 2014, at 6:40 PM, Rick Pertile <mugzy1960@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Yesterday I saw something that I found to be unusual, not so much that it
> doesn't happen with some bird species but rather I didn't realize eastern
> bluebirds would do this too.
> I have a pair of chickadees that recently completed a nest near my front
> deck. There is also a pair of bluebirds showing interest in another house
> relatively close to this one. Yesterday morning the female bluebird saw the
> chickadee enter the nest and then flew down to the house where she was acting
> extremely anxious. She landed on the entrance hole and the other chickadee
> (guessing the male) made a few futile attempts to scare her off. She kept
> looking in and then finally entered. She was in the box for about 30 seconds
> and I had to wonder if she was beating the heck out of the chickadee inside
> the box. All of a sudden the female bluebird poked her head out and I could
> see she was removing an egg which she dropped about 3 feet from the box upon
> exiting.
>
> I was a bit taken back and about 10 seconds later the chickadee also exited
> the box. I'm guessing this was the first egg the chickadee had laid since
> there were no other eggs in the box (I checked afterwards) or perhaps it
> wasn't the first egg the bluebird removed. Later that afternoon I saw the
> chickadees going back in their house and again the female bluebird lading on
> the roof acting anxious.
>
> I figured I would do the chickadees a favor so I reduced the size of the
> entrance hole to 1 1/4 inches. This morning they were busy adding rabbit
> fur to their nest and the female bluebird could not gain access. The female
> bluebird then spent all morning today nest building in the other house she
> originally showed interest in. Everyone happy now including the landlord.
>
> Speaking of nest material for chickadees, if you have access to rabbit fur
> put it in a suet cage and hang it in trees. The chickadees LOVE it for
> lining their nest and I have also had chipping sparrows, pine warblers and
> redstarts use it on occasion too.
>
> Rick Pertile
> Edgewater Township
> Sawyer County
>
>
>
>
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