[va-richmond-general] Re: Message From RAS Website Link
- From: Anita Storino <astorino11@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Catharine Tucker <cath.tucker@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2015 10:56:56 -0200
Bluebird update from Stratford Hills in Richmond.
I have had more bluebirds coming to feeders this year than ever before.
Years past, one would come to suet on very cold days. This year (since the
cold snap around Feb. 12) as many as 4 at a time converge on seed feeders
filled with shelled sunflower, white millet and shelled peanuts. They even
stick around and watch me fill feeders.
It has been a pleasure to host them.
Anita Storino
On Mon, Mar 2, 2015 at 12:20 AM, Catharine W. Tucker <cath.tucker@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> Here in central Hanover Co in woods, bluebirds usually stay in edge of
> woods out by county road 1/4 mi north. This winter, the small flock has
> been back near the house often. About a week before the snow on 2/17, 3
> birds (2 males, 1 female) checked out the nest box & scoffed up 1/2 c. of
> mealworms. Since the 2/17 snow, I've seen 1 here at the house on suet cake.
> None since last week.
>
> Birds have come to water here as well as food. Three of the suet cakes & a
> thistle-seed sock all hang from the awning over the back steps, so any
> birds there are easily identifiable from inside the back door.
>
> Today, there were 7 m. doves & 2 male towhees among the doz. juncos, 8-10
> white-throated sparrows, 4 jays, 6 titmice, 6 Car chickadees, 2-3
> nuthatches, 3 downies, 3 red-bellied wdpkrs & 3 goldfinches, Car. wrens
> (3), all coming close to house for both seeds & suet. Last "warm" day,
> there were 2 pine siskins on the suet & 1 bedraggled yellow-rumped warbler.
> Last Fri, a female redwing & 2 crows joined the jays. After seeds on
> ground. An hour or so later a large, noisy, mixed flock of redwings &
> grackles flew over. Also, 3 hermit thrushes kicked up leaves in few open
> areas around the driveway. Today the yard was so full of birds it looked
> like a chicken yard.
>
> Since latest cold, wet freeze, I haven't seen bluebirds, warbler,
> siskins or thrushes. Flock of robins cleaned the berries off big English
> holly bush between snows. Native holly berries were gone by New Year's.
>
> There are 2 hawks in the woods, a red-shouldered & Cooper's. I hear &
> see them occasionally. Crows alert to their whereabouts. They keep the
> small birds restless & wary. They may also be picking off the weak
> stragglers. Wish they'd get a couple of squirrels.
> Catharine Tucker
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> ____________________
> On Mar 1, 2015, at 5:14 PM, Betsy Shaver <emailbetsy@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> We live in the city, near Willow Lawn. We have had more bluebirds this
> year than in the other 4 years we've lived here. They show up to feed in
> groups and like the suet cylinders or balls, although I have seen them
> eating whole shelled nuts from the pole system feeders.
>
> Sorry to hear about others' bluebirds. :-(
>
> Haven't seen any drop off in bluebirds or anything else... In fact I feel
> like we've been going through birdseed more quickly this season and getting
> more birds. I've been tossing a few scoopfuls on the ground each time I
> fill the feeders and the robins and towhees are on it as soon as I get
> inside. (And the squirrels of course.)
>
> -Betsy
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 1, 2015, at 3:31 PM, juliekazz@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> We live in a very residential area with deciduous trees, brush piles,
> water sources and more bird feeders then I can count. We have been hatching
> and feeding Bluebirds for decades. They have been very active, or perhaps I
> should say, more visible since we have had the snow and ice. Their favorite
> food seems to be suet although they are feeding on sunflower seeds, peanut
> butter and the most certainly mealworms when I scatter them.
>
> We do not use any chemicals, rock salt or anything for that matter for
> melting ice. During the spring and summer we just let the "lawn" do what it
> will. The only thing we do to it is mow it. Zero fertilizers, pest control
> etc. We had one instance of a female Bluebird found dead, but that was
> during the breeding season. She was found with her eyes pecked out in her
> nestbox. I think a Titmouse did that...grrr.
>
> Will watch for any signs of illness or worse.
>
> Here's a little happier action from ice-central today.
>
> JulieKacmarcik
> Chester
>
> <IMG_4631.jpg><IMG_4541.jpg><IMG_4659.jpg>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From: *"Wendy Ealding" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> *To: *joelively@xxxxxxx, va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> *Sent: *Sunday, March 1, 2015 2:59:13 PM
> *Subject: *[va-richmond-general] Re: Message From RAS Website Link
>
> I live in a densely developed neighborhood in Midlothian, it is my first
> winter at this location. Because this is a new development, there is very
> little in the way of trees or shrub cover. I have been having Bluebirds
> come to my feeder regularly since mid-December. The feeder is a
> pole-mounted hopper type, fairly close to the house, and I feed sunflower
> hearts and have a peanut butter suet cake in a basket mounted on the pole.
> The Bluebirds are taking the sunflower hearts, and haven't shown interest
> in the peanut butter suet.
>
> Because this is my first winter at this location, I don't know if this is
> typical.
>
>
> Wendy Ealding
> Midlothian
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joe Lively <joelively@xxxxxxx>
> To: va-richmond-general <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sun, Mar 1, 2015 2:35 pm
> Subject: [va-richmond-general] Message From RAS Website Link
>
>
> Re: Report of dead bluebirds by Alyssa Salomon.
>
> I live in a very rural
> area near Farmville. After reading your report, I checked my boxes today and
> found two male bluebirds dead (each in seperate boxes). Another was found on
> the back deck. There were no external marks to indicate dying due to predator
> action. Although bluebirds will tend to crowd into a nesting box on cold
> nights,
> no active bluebirds have been observed subsequent to the two snows.
>
> First
> thought: I would think that a die-off might well be related to the unusually
> cold conditions. During our recent snows, two bluebirds were observed feeding
> at
> suet blocks, along with other species that are not commonly seen around house.
> In past years, I have taken photographs of bluebirds showing them consuming
> berries from wild sumac bushes. They have also been observed visiting a
> hanging
> feeder filled with black-oil sunflower seeds that had been liberally sprinkled
> with freeze dried meal worms. So from field observations, supported by
> photographic documentation, I do know bluebirds eat seeds. Each observation
> (and
> photographs taken) occurred during snow, ice and unusually cold conditions.
> Record cold conditions prevailed this past month.
>
> The questions are:
> 1.
> Was a source of wild seeds or supplemental feed available?
> 2. Was this apparent
> die-off due to the frigid temperatures
> 3. Did pathology have a role?
>
> If more
> reports come in from a wide radius, concerned bluebird hosts might consider
> delaying the cleaning out of nesting debris from the previous season. This
> would
> provide addition insulation against the cold.
> Should numerous reports continue
> to come in, it might be an issue for Audubon to explore.
> Joe
> Lively
> Jetersville, Va.(804) 561-3082 You are subscribed to
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