Bluebird season is in full swing here

[rb]

I've got birds in all phases of the hatch. Some have hatched, some have sitting on eggs, some are laying, and some are building new nests. It has been a struggle this year. Sparrows have been a PIA to deal with. Got the traps out and I'm eliminating the problem.They are now coming onto the porch to eat mealworms. They see me walking back from the chicken house and are waiting on me. I started keeping some notes, there have only been five days since last September that I have not seen a bluebird. Usually don't see any in the winter, but they were all around this year.

[Doorman1]

They are such graceful flyers I have 5 or 6 that come to my bird houses that are placed in the back of my lot. My wife likes to watch them follow me around when I mow the grass I guess I’m kicking up insects for them to eat.

[basscatlildave]

[191 champ]

Been putting out meal worms since last fall or summer and haven't gotten any bluebirds yet. As mentioned before, I only saw them in the yard a few times in the last 4 years.

However, we do have a peregrine falcon that lives nearby that is really cool to watch. I believe my wife has actually seen it catch a bird and I saw it fly into a tree after a bird. I only looked because I heard his wings beating up the branches. I would never have thought it would take such a gamble.

[mean_dean]

Got one with a nest in a tree in my front yard, awesome birds!

[BP in ME]

You guys are way ahead of us. Due to moving and the late snowstorms, I didn't get a single house up until the evening of the 4/12. When I got up the next morning a pair of bluebirds had already claimed it. Went back to my old house and got three more birdhouses and gradually got them up in the following week. Two more were occupied by bluebirds but one has since been taken over by barn swallows and the 4th was claimed by swallows right away. They're a little shy and I don't own a zoom at the moment
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Bluebird 1.jpg

[n2ratfishin]

We have one in the yard as well. They are great source of entertainment.

[yanknbass]

[Big Orange Basser]

Have about 7-8 houses up and have yet to see any activity. More squirrels than in the past and am wondering if that is my problems with my bird houses.

[tcesni]

I’m inundated with bluebirds. Never had them in the Midwest so very cool.

[BP in ME]

Just a side note about bluebirds. Everyone knows they like meal worms but I've found that in late fall they also love magnolia seeds, esp. the pink dwarf that we had up against the house. Don't know the exact variety. So if you like bluebirds, you might consider more magnolias

[rb]

I’m inundated with bluebirds. Never had them in the Midwest so very cool.

Bluebird landlords over the last 50 years have saved this bird. It was in serious danger. When I was a child I would hear my family talk about them but we never saw one. My grandpa built a bluebird house and put it up beside the garden. One day we were going to pick tomatoes and saw a bluebird on the box. It was stunning. In the last 20 years I have fledged over 500 birds. My best year was 97 birds. I still stop every time I see one they truly are magnificent

[tcesni]

Bluebird landlords over the last 50 years have saved this bird. It was in serious danger. When I was a child I would hear my family talk about them but we never saw one. My grandpa built a bluebird house and put it up beside the garden. One day we were going to pick tomatoes and saw a bluebird on the box. It was stunning. In the last 20 years I have fledged over 500 birds. My best year was 97 birds. I still stop every time I see one they truly are magnificent

When I was growing up in Iowa putting up bluebird boxes was quite a thing in an attempt to restore populations but I never ever saw an actual bluebird and my Mom would talk about how much she missed them. Many years later (around 2016) we moved to southern VA and seeing my first bluebird I put up a house that is used every year. I don’t know where all the others are nesting but they are very common. Back to Mom, she only got to visit here twice before passing but she could sit on the deck all day watching the bluebirds. In fact, I can hear them outside right now as I type this at 6:08. Time to get up and fish!

[red tzx 190]

YUP we have them too !! fun to watch !

[tnsnow]

We have a few families of them and some purple martins I think.
The bluebirds are waging poop war on our vehicles. I have had to cover the mirrors but they are fighting their reflections in the windows and making a mess all over the cars and truck.
Any ideas to help ???

[rb]

We have a few families of them and some purple martins I think.
The bluebirds are waging poop war on our vehicles. I have had to cover the mirrors but they are fighting their reflections in the windows and making a mess all over the cars and truck.
Any ideas to help ???

As many as I've have had I've never seen that from bluebirds. Is there anything for them to perch on? If not put some kind of pole up for them to perch on. Try a couple of those blow up owls on the cars. The pooping thing sounds a lot like barn swallows

[spcrangle]

I've averaged 3 or so broods each year in a house I put up in the back yard - fed them meal worms all winter. This Spring the wrens have taken over the house - I keep emptying it. Anyone with a solution (outside weaponry) please chime in.

[BP in ME]

I've averaged 3 or so broods each year in a house I put up in the back yard - fed them meal worms all winter. This Spring the wrens have taken over the house - I keep emptying it. Anyone with a solution (outside weaponry) please chime in.

Not that I don't like wrens but they're persistent little SOB's and I'd rather see bluebirds. I doubt you'll convince them to leave without using lethal means. The bigger question is: how do you know they aren't bluebirds? If they identify as bluebirds then they are. It's your problem and your bias that you don't see their inner blueness cloaked in drab brown feathers.

Seriously though, are the houses up early or year-round? Around here the bluebirds arrive before the wrens and generally claim the houses they want. If you feed the bluebirds in the off season you'll probably be more likely to have them nesting nearby

[rb]

I've averaged 3 or so broods each year in a house I put up in the back yard - fed them meal worms all winter. This Spring the wrens have taken over the house - I keep emptying it. Anyone with a solution (outside weaponry) please chime in.

It’s sparrows and they are brutal this year. If you only have one box take it down and clean it with a vinegar water mixture. Let it dry and put it back up in a few days. Sparrows will kill bluebirds

[BP in ME]

We have a few families of them and some purple martins I think.
The bluebirds are waging poop war on our vehicles. I have had to cover the mirrors but they are fighting their reflections in the windows and making a mess all over the cars and truck.
Any ideas to help ???

I've never heard of this problem with bluebirds. And you're sure the bluebirds are doing this? They must be over populated is all I can think. Bluebirds need places to perch so they take turns with the phoebes pooping on my double Adirondack but that's on me for putting it where they're gonna use it for a crapper.

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