[TN-Bird] Re: Bluebird Saga and House Sparrows
- From: Charlie <cmmbirds@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: roymel@xxxxxxxxx, Bird line <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 08:26:18 -0700 (PDT)
Melissa, and all,
I used to maintaina 64- box bluebird trail in a wildlife refuge in
Maryland. House Sparrows (HOSP for short) were a big problem at the
boxes near the visitor center, where we had feeders. HOSP problems
were never documented at the boxes that were more than 200 yards away
from the feeders, which I've heard is typical.
The HOSP will push Eastern Bluebird (EABL) chicks out of a box,
sometimes killing them first. I have also witnessed HOSP kill adult
EABL. Twice I found adult EABL woven into a HOSP nest. Usually
when HOSP decide to take over a box, they will win. Our reaction was
to essentially throw up our hands for the boxes near the feeders.
Instead of trying to get rid of the HOSP there, we chose instead to
use them. Since the center had snakes on display for education, we
simply harvested HOSP eggs and chicks for the snakes. After a
season, EABL never went back to those 4 boxes. HOSP kept them, but
never sucessfully reproduced. I was amazing how much snake food we
obtained in this fashion!
In areas of large fields, many bluebird box afficienados believe that
having 2 boxes back-to-back is a good solution. The reasoning is that
Tree Swallows will often take one box and EABL will take the other.
The swallows are more successful (so I've read, but not experienced)
at keeping the HOSP away.
Good luck to your friends and their bluebirds. I just hope the 2
trap-smart cats in my neighborhood don't kill any more of the
bluebirds on our property!
Speaking of which, Wisconsin has made cat hunting legal... smart
folks, those cheeseheads :-)
charlie
--- Roy and Melissa Turrentine <roymel@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Jerry & Dean Walker have experienced a rather odd incident
> regarding their bluebirds. In Wilson County (Lebanon TN), they have
> been faithful in record keeping and observation of their
> bluebirds.Many of you probably have experienced their saga but this
> is our first.
> The bluebirds hatched on the very day the Walkers thought they
> would, although they were uncertain if all five eggs hatched. This
> was on Fri, April 8.
> Yesterday (April 13), they called to ask me if I knew what could
> have interfered with their baby bluebirds. The morning began in a
> more odd fashion as the adult male came to feed from the mealworm
> feeder. He just didn't do his usual routine. Later, it was observed
> that the male would approach the box with the worm and come back
> out, with the worm still. Meanwhile, the female was staying away
> from the box and had nothing to do with the box. Dean then told his
> wife Jerry he was going to check on the birds after a full day of
> this odd behavior.. It was also noted that no fecal sacs were
> carried out the entire day. When Dean went to the box, three baby
> bluebirds were out on the ground, one already dead. The other
> (definitely one...possibly two) were still alive and inside the
> box. Dean then was curious but decided to use his handkerchief to
> gently place the two alive ones back into the box, of course taking
> care of the deceased one. The Walkers then knew this was all they
> could d
> o because nature would have to take its course. They hoped the
> parents would return to its nestlings and feed the remainder of the
> birds.
> The mystery was what had tossed the little birds out like this.
> I agreed that a snake would have eaten them, just like a coon or
> opossum. I also had experience with house sparrows chasing
> bluebirds away or pecking at the eggs, usually harming the survival
> chances yet nothing more.
> The mystery was solved this morning, it appears.She wrote me,
> saying,
> "Dean was up early this morning watching our box #1.
> When he put the meal worms out and tapped on the
> glass, the adult blue birds came to the feeder got a
> worm and took it to the box. This was about 7:00am. AT
> 7:40 a brown bird showed up and the adult blue birds
> began to attack. This bird persisted until about
> 8:30,during this time all we saw was a brown back. I
> saw it attempt to land at the box hole, and it was
> immediately hit by both adults, who continued to
> attack where ever it lit.
> This makes us think that a house sparrow is probably
> the culprit.
> Later at about 11:30am we looked in the nest. There
> are two live babies. There was another dead on the
> ground. This leaves Dean and I with the question of
> how many there were to begin with. If all five eggs
> hatched, there are three that have died.
> At this time of 4:30 all seem back to "normal". The
> adult are feed the babies and carrying out fecal sacks."
>
> Thus, perhaps the mystery is now solved but very interesting. I had
> trouble with house sparrows being like squatters (I know- could not
> help the anthropomorphism here)
> Dean said the box was very clear of any brush and was on a
> galvanized pole. This box was store bought rather than one of his
> own construction and he was concerned that maybe the hole was too
> large.
>
> Anyhow, how many other "bluebirders" have shared similar
> experiences? We all are just curious.
>
> Melissa Turrentine
> Normandy TN
> Bedford Co
> reporting for Walkers- Wilson Co
>
>
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*******************************************************************
Charlie Muise, Naturalist in
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
"To the dull mind all nature is leaden. To the illuminated mind
the whole world sparkles with light." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
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with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
endorse the views or opinions expressed
by the members of this discussion group.
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
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