Good year!

akp · Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:38 pm

I don't keep track Purple Martin fledglings anymore. My two houses stay pretty full and I try to look out for problems. They're going to raise similar numbers at my location as long as the weather permits. Anyway, my bluebirds have also had a very successful year.

I have two bluebird houses. They've already fledged 15 chicks and there are four eggs in one of the houses now.

In the past, I have not been successful at all with bluebirds. I made one change before this season. I GOT RID OF THE CAT! Unbelievable the difference it has made. I am going to go from zero fledged to probably over twenty out of two houses.

Keep this in mind folks if you have wandering cats out there. They do a lot of damage to our native birds.

taxidermy lady · Thu Jun 26, 2014 6:15 am

Oh yeah I think there's wild cats here. The neighbor that is just up the road does not neuter and they also breed like flies. I think the coyotes and bobcats take care of a lot of them. But the Moma cats always show up at dark. I do not throw nothing out. All my scraps go to the dumpster. They kill everything small. A cat hunts like a snake no noise.

lynnh · Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:40 am

We used to have a lot of feral cats around here.Last year we got Bo,a Jack-Rat cross , and he hates cats.No more cats.

taxidermy lady · Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:48 am

Great hunting dog. He is the cat hunter love that

DornCounty · Thu Jun 26, 2014 1:55 pm

Do you have predator baffles on your bluebird houses? that's the biggest key after keeping HOSP out.

Also.. feral cats are the biggest human caused killer of birds. 2nd is windows. Those might be flipped.. but they are #1 and #2.

akp · Thu Jun 26, 2014 2:28 pm

I put grease on the pole (3/4" conduit). The houses are the sparrow resistant houses with a slot at the top. House sparrows don't bother them at all here.

akp · Thu Jun 26, 2014 2:30 pm

Speaking of windows. One of the male bluebirds would wake us up EVERY morning fighting his reflection at the window on the front porch. I tried a rubber snake, but it didn't help. He would make quite a mess.

CHenry · Fri Jun 27, 2014 9:01 am

Glad your having a good year. I am as well but sad to say its coming to an end. the nice March weather we had allowed them to get an earlier start laying eggs I think and now all but a few have fledged. I bet they are all gone before the weekend is over. I wish they would lay a second clutch on years like this.

akp · Fri Jun 27, 2014 9:08 am

Funny, my birds have nested earlier every year. This is about the fifth year I've had birds. I lost about half of the hatch in 2011 when it was so hot and dry. They have nested earlier every year since. Mine will be done soon also. Seems like it was mid to late July when mine were finished last year. It will be quiet here in another two weeks.