HOSP defeats TRES slot - 7/8", injures nestling

[KathyF]

Have I mentioned how MUCH I hate these insidious, nasty little creatures?

Seriously.hate.them. Went outside with coffee this morning at 6:30. Saw the TRES parents sitting on top of their nest box. Checked through the scope & sure enough, a male HOSP has sitting in the box, poking his head out of the slot.

I left my deck in a full run in my house slippers, grabbed my screwdriver in the garage and headed down the field to the box. He flew out just as I got there and I found one of the nestlings on the ground. The nestlings are fully feathered and are about 3-5 days from fledging, so they're big. this guy must have bailed out to escape the HOSP's beak. I captured him and opened the nest box to put him back in. Found the other nestling with his left wing extended and several flight feathers pulled out in his "armpit". It looked kind of bloody there too.

So, I returned to the house to get antibiotic for his injury. Walked back out and the HOSP was BACK in the box again. They were too far away to shoot from the house, so I spent 2 hours chasing him around. I have a van ert trap set in another nest box right now that's empty....hoping he'll go there next.

I took the slot off the house & measured it - it was just a hair over 7/8" high - not even to the next "16th" tick mark. So, I found another slotted entrance that was exactly on the mark and replaced it. But I watched him go in another slot further out (empty nest). This guy looks rather small - not sure if he's lost a lot of weight from feeding his first brood somewhere else or not....but he's getting ready to gain more weight.

Kill.them.KILL.THEM.ALL. What an evil little @#$%@#%. There are plenty of EMPTY boxes, but he wanted THAT one.

[Aaron H]

Hello, Kathyf....Sorry to here about the devils little helper getting in
the TRES's house. I read where you said it was to far, for you to
shoot the trash bird from your house, Not sure if this will help you
are not.

But when i can't get close enough to shoot the trash birds, i put my car
close enough to the bird house to use as a blind, I put a dark towel
over a side window, with the window down just enough to see through
the scope. I have taken a lot of trash birds out that i couldn't get close
enough to any other way. If you can use this info, Hope you have
good hunting.

[KathyF]

Hi Aaron,
I had heard of using a car to shoot from....I was so panicked, I didn't even think of that. Chased him around for 2 hours. Thanks for the reminder.

THEN, I did manage to trap him with the VanErt trap, but he managed to get out while I was fumbling around (blindly) in the box trying to grab him.

Oh well, maybe he won't come back...but that's wishful thinking. I *know* he will. I'll be waiting.

I don't know if this little TRES will be able to fledge. He's missing 3-4 flight feathers right in his left 'armpit'.

[RC Moser]

I was afraid of that Katy I had read about this entry and failures was reported. I just don't see how we can keep them out of any hole size other than chickadee or juco 1" to 1 1/4" hole and I think 1 1/4" is boarder line IMO and evey then I put tunnels on them to keep them from sticking there hammer heads is so far and also limit the reach of screech owls... SOrry for your heart ache.

[ljd-kc]

Kathy,

I know how much this much mean to you. I lost a clutch of 10 day old bluebirds to an unmated male house sparrow. It took me a day and a half to get rid of him, by then it was too late. To me it never gets any easier, but where would they be without you.

Jack

[JamesG]

OK Kathy.....
I have to ask this. I tried not to because Hosp's are not funny. I even left this post so I wouldn't ask what was running through my mind and went to the next one but the devil made me come back to this post.
I apologize in advance.

My question is ....what was you going to use the screw driver for??

I love your posts but the visual on this one was just tooooo much to resist.

A friend.
(Real name with-held for safety reasons)

[KathyF]

OK Kathy.....
I have to ask this. I tried not to because Hosp's are not funny. I even left this post so I wouldn't ask what was running through my mind and went to the next one but the devil made me come back to this post.
I apologize in advance.

My question is ....what was you going to use the screw driver for??

I love your posts but the visual on this one was just tooooo much to resist.

A friend.
(Real name with-held for safety reasons)

James, I was going to stab him to death!

Seriously, it was to remove the door screw that keeps the door on the nestbox secure. No kidding, I was about 12" away from grabbing him as he squirmed to get out the slot.

[KathyF]

Kathy,

I know how much this much mean to you. I lost a clutch of 10 day old bluebirds to an unmated male house sparrow. It took me a day and a half to get rid of him, by then it was too late. To me it never gets any easier, but where would they be without you.

Jack

Jack, thank you for the empathy. You know exactly where I'm at with these little beasts. You're right - they would be a lot worse off somewhere else. I'm watching this box closely today....the first fledgling has left the box and mom & dad are trying to coax the other one (the injured nestling) out. I'm hoping he can still fly! I'll let everyone know if he makes it out!

[~Ray~Gingerich]

This morning I got rid of the pesky sparrow that moved in while I was away for martinfest. He knew I was after him and would fly away every time I went after him, couldn't even get a bead on him with the shotgun, I finally put a CB load in my .22 rifle and drove out in the car, got a bead on him through the scope and dropped him right off the house.

[Aaron H]

The car is the best bet on trash birds, you can get close to the
trash birds with out them getting scared, if they do fly off they
will usually come right back. even if you miss a shot it don't seem
to scare them as bad so you can get another shot. good luck.