| Nature Society News Article - August 2007 |
Food Source Changes may increase predation for Blues
Steve Garr- Bluebird Columnist, Nature Society News
Over time we can sometimes experience different problems and predators one season that we may
view as new problems. For example this year bluebirders in parts of the Midwest are rethinking raccoon
control and baffles. Baffles that have worked for years are not stopping the predators this year. Why is this
year different? We only have to look at this past spring’s record cold that came after a few weeks of above
average temperatures to find the answer. That cold snap changed the eating habits of the predators.
Many of the fruit and nut trees in the Midwest did not produce a crop as a result of the unusual weather.
Raccoons, snakes and squirrels had to find another source for their food and unfortunately that other
source was often a bluebird trail. When nature affects the natural food source with freezes or droughts the
predators can become more dependent on your bluebirds and your bluebird trail as a dependable food
source.
Frequently we only need to look at the past to find a solution; we do not need to reinvent the wheel. In
the late 80’s and early 90’s bluebirder Ron Kingston was doing research on a snake and raccoon baffle
made from stovepipe and wire mesh. The baffle proved a success and his testing method proved how
well it worked. Often we will try something different and not know for sure whether it really worked or if the
predators just didn’t return. Ron tested his baffle by putting some grease underneath the baffle and the
snake would leave a trail of grease going up and down the pole. This path of grease was an indicator on
how well the baffle worked for stopping snakes. The hardware cloth used at the top of the baffle fooled the
snake into thinking that there was a straight path to the food. Unable to get past the hardware cloth the
snake would turn and leave. Only once in my own testing of this baffle did a snake decide to go on the
outside of the stove pipe, however, the baffle and grease did slow the snake long enough for the young
bluebirds to fledge from the box and escape the predator. In order for the baffle to work properly it has to
hang high enough to force the snake to start up the pole leading him under the baffle to a wire mesh dead
end. You also need to mount the baffle as high as possible in order to stop the raccoons. The diameter
and length of the baffle are important when trying to stop both raccoons and snakes. The baffle needs to
be at least 6 inches in diameter and a minimum of 24 inches long. My personal preference is baffles that
are 7-8 inches in diameter. Although a snake has managed to get past the baffle once, the baffle has
never failed to stop raccoons in my experience and in Ron’s published research.
Ron Kingston designed his baffle with 7 in x 24 in stovepipe. Evra tool and Nature House have
designed a baffle with these features, including a partial wire mesh top to discourage snakes. Although
this was designed for the martin house pole it can be easily adapted for most bluebird poles. For poles
that are too large for this baffle to fit, the Erva baffle ( # SB-4) for 4 x 4 posts can be adapted with hardware
cloth to work on larger poles and poles that have mounting plates that can not be removed.
Also, the Nature Society website ( www.naturesociety.org) has plans for a variation of the stove pipe baffle
that can be helpful and are easy to use.
Some more raccoon preventive research was done in the late 80’s by Jim Noel the inventor of the
Noel cat and coon guard. Jim’s most successful and final design was made from hardware cloth and
extended 6 inches from the entrance hole in the shape of a box that prevented raccoons and cats from
reaching the eggs or nestlings. His final design was 3 ½ x 5 ½ x 6 inches deep. This design was made
for the front opening Peterson Nest Box, and has also been successfully used on NABS style boxes with
side openings doors and boxes with front openings that fold down to inspect and clean out. The noel
guard did improve the success rate of the bluebirds in the testing but was not 100% in stopping raccoons.
The solutions to many of the problems we encounter on our bluebird trails can often be found by looking
to the past. Old issues of “Sialia” with research information can be found on the NABS website, www.
nabluebirdsociety.org. While there, check out the websites of many of the NABS Affiliate & state Bluebird
Societies. They offer a variety of defenses against bird house predators.
Steve Garr- Bluebird Columnist, Nature Society News
Over time we can sometimes experience different problems and predators one season that we may
view as new problems. For example this year bluebirders in parts of the Midwest are rethinking raccoon
control and baffles. Baffles that have worked for years are not stopping the predators this year. Why is this
year different? We only have to look at this past spring’s record cold that came after a few weeks of above
average temperatures to find the answer. That cold snap changed the eating habits of the predators.
Many of the fruit and nut trees in the Midwest did not produce a crop as a result of the unusual weather.
Raccoons, snakes and squirrels had to find another source for their food and unfortunately that other
source was often a bluebird trail. When nature affects the natural food source with freezes or droughts the
predators can become more dependent on your bluebirds and your bluebird trail as a dependable food
source.
Frequently we only need to look at the past to find a solution; we do not need to reinvent the wheel. In
the late 80’s and early 90’s bluebirder Ron Kingston was doing research on a snake and raccoon baffle
made from stovepipe and wire mesh. The baffle proved a success and his testing method proved how
well it worked. Often we will try something different and not know for sure whether it really worked or if the
predators just didn’t return. Ron tested his baffle by putting some grease underneath the baffle and the
snake would leave a trail of grease going up and down the pole. This path of grease was an indicator on
how well the baffle worked for stopping snakes. The hardware cloth used at the top of the baffle fooled the
snake into thinking that there was a straight path to the food. Unable to get past the hardware cloth the
snake would turn and leave. Only once in my own testing of this baffle did a snake decide to go on the
outside of the stove pipe, however, the baffle and grease did slow the snake long enough for the young
bluebirds to fledge from the box and escape the predator. In order for the baffle to work properly it has to
hang high enough to force the snake to start up the pole leading him under the baffle to a wire mesh dead
end. You also need to mount the baffle as high as possible in order to stop the raccoons. The diameter
and length of the baffle are important when trying to stop both raccoons and snakes. The baffle needs to
be at least 6 inches in diameter and a minimum of 24 inches long. My personal preference is baffles that
are 7-8 inches in diameter. Although a snake has managed to get past the baffle once, the baffle has
never failed to stop raccoons in my experience and in Ron’s published research.
Ron Kingston designed his baffle with 7 in x 24 in stovepipe. Evra tool and Nature House have
designed a baffle with these features, including a partial wire mesh top to discourage snakes. Although
this was designed for the martin house pole it can be easily adapted for most bluebird poles. For poles
that are too large for this baffle to fit, the Erva baffle ( # SB-4) for 4 x 4 posts can be adapted with hardware
cloth to work on larger poles and poles that have mounting plates that can not be removed.
Also, the Nature Society website ( www.naturesociety.org) has plans for a variation of the stove pipe baffle
that can be helpful and are easy to use.
Some more raccoon preventive research was done in the late 80’s by Jim Noel the inventor of the
Noel cat and coon guard. Jim’s most successful and final design was made from hardware cloth and
extended 6 inches from the entrance hole in the shape of a box that prevented raccoons and cats from
reaching the eggs or nestlings. His final design was 3 ½ x 5 ½ x 6 inches deep. This design was made
for the front opening Peterson Nest Box, and has also been successfully used on NABS style boxes with
side openings doors and boxes with front openings that fold down to inspect and clean out. The noel
guard did improve the success rate of the bluebirds in the testing but was not 100% in stopping raccoons.
The solutions to many of the problems we encounter on our bluebird trails can often be found by looking
to the past. Old issues of “Sialia” with research information can be found on the NABS website, www.
nabluebirdsociety.org. While there, check out the websites of many of the NABS Affiliate & state Bluebird
Societies. They offer a variety of defenses against bird house predators.
It's OK to Feed Bluebirds
Steve Garr
Bluebird columnist - Nature Society News
Much of the United States has experienced a hot, dry spell this year during the bluebird nesting season. Depending on
your area, habitat and availability of natural food, you may want to consider feeding your bluebirds. Not only could this be
helpful to the birds, but it also adds a whole new level of enjoying the bluebirds in your yard if you have never fed them.
While, by and large, bluebirds are ground insect and berry eaters, they can certainly be enticed to feeders where they
can be viewed and enjoyed routinely.
There are many commercial bluebird foods now available at bird stores, plus several variations you can make. Many
people prefer to feed live mealworms during nesting season when bluebirds are searching for an abundance of food to
feed their nestlings. By placing a bluebird feeder containing mealworms within sight of the nest box, perhaps close to
the adults favorite perch, you can "train" the bluebirds to utilize this food source. Generally, this only takes a matter of
hours when they are feeding babies!
It can also be helpful to put mealworms next to, or mixed in with, commercial bluebird food or your own homemade mix.
My bluebirds also like sunflower meats or "hearts" (the inside of the sunflower seed). Even suet feeders with a peanut
butter and cornmeal base will sometimes satisfy the bluebird's appetite.
Many bluebird feeder designs are available on the market, and sometimes a simple platform or bowl works best. Most
wild bird shops have at least one style of bluebird feeder available. These feeders are usually designed so that the
bluebirds can enter the feeder but larger birds that like the same food are restricted from entering. Generally, birds such
as robins, mockingbirds, starlings, blue jays and large woodpeckers cannot easily feed from most commercial bluebird
feeders.
I have been feeding bluebirds for about 25 years now, and this has allowed me to enjoy them in my yard most of the
year. I have tried most all the bluebird feeders on the market, and have designed several of my own.
I have discovered that one of the most important benefits of feeding bluebirds in my yard have been the safety of the
bluebirds. The bluebirds are getting food in a protected environment, spending less time and energy searching for food,
and therefore more time around the nest box warding off an occasional house sparrow. There is less chance of the adult
bluebirds picking up contaminated food (i.e. chemical spray) by searching for food elsewhere. Also, the bluebirds that
take advantage of my feeders are not affected as much by hot, dry weather or even excessively rainy weather.
This is not to say the bluebirds become dependent on bluebird feeders any more than other songbirds become
dependent on bird feeders. Studies have shown that wild birds are keenly aware that a food source could dry up at
anytime, and therefore do not rely on just one stash of food for their meal ticket. Just one more way we humans could
learn a thing or two from the birds.
Steve Garr
Bluebird columnist - Nature Society News
Much of the United States has experienced a hot, dry spell this year during the bluebird nesting season. Depending on
your area, habitat and availability of natural food, you may want to consider feeding your bluebirds. Not only could this be
helpful to the birds, but it also adds a whole new level of enjoying the bluebirds in your yard if you have never fed them.
While, by and large, bluebirds are ground insect and berry eaters, they can certainly be enticed to feeders where they
can be viewed and enjoyed routinely.
There are many commercial bluebird foods now available at bird stores, plus several variations you can make. Many
people prefer to feed live mealworms during nesting season when bluebirds are searching for an abundance of food to
feed their nestlings. By placing a bluebird feeder containing mealworms within sight of the nest box, perhaps close to
the adults favorite perch, you can "train" the bluebirds to utilize this food source. Generally, this only takes a matter of
hours when they are feeding babies!
It can also be helpful to put mealworms next to, or mixed in with, commercial bluebird food or your own homemade mix.
My bluebirds also like sunflower meats or "hearts" (the inside of the sunflower seed). Even suet feeders with a peanut
butter and cornmeal base will sometimes satisfy the bluebird's appetite.
Many bluebird feeder designs are available on the market, and sometimes a simple platform or bowl works best. Most
wild bird shops have at least one style of bluebird feeder available. These feeders are usually designed so that the
bluebirds can enter the feeder but larger birds that like the same food are restricted from entering. Generally, birds such
as robins, mockingbirds, starlings, blue jays and large woodpeckers cannot easily feed from most commercial bluebird
feeders.
I have been feeding bluebirds for about 25 years now, and this has allowed me to enjoy them in my yard most of the
year. I have tried most all the bluebird feeders on the market, and have designed several of my own.
I have discovered that one of the most important benefits of feeding bluebirds in my yard have been the safety of the
bluebirds. The bluebirds are getting food in a protected environment, spending less time and energy searching for food,
and therefore more time around the nest box warding off an occasional house sparrow. There is less chance of the adult
bluebirds picking up contaminated food (i.e. chemical spray) by searching for food elsewhere. Also, the bluebirds that
take advantage of my feeders are not affected as much by hot, dry weather or even excessively rainy weather.
This is not to say the bluebirds become dependent on bluebird feeders any more than other songbirds become
dependent on bird feeders. Studies have shown that wild birds are keenly aware that a food source could dry up at
anytime, and therefore do not rely on just one stash of food for their meal ticket. Just one more way we humans could
learn a thing or two from the birds.
| Simple Bluebird Food Recipe From The Bluebird Monitor's Guide by Berger, Griggs and Kridler, page 75, Harper Collins publishing. MIX: 1 Cup peanut butter 4 Cups yellow corn meal 1 Cup unbleached white flour or whole wheat flour Add: 1 Cup fine Sunflower seed heart chips 1 Cup peanut hearts 1/2 cup raisins - cut in half STIR in one cup of melted rendered suet (or commercially purchased beef suet). When mixture cools it should be a crumbly texture. Add more flour or melted suet if necessary to correct texture. Refrigerate. |
| A Caged Feeder keeps some of the larger more aggressive birds away from the Bluebird food and mealworms |
Bluebird "Family" Behavior
Steve Garr
Bluebird Columnist- Nature Society News
Many times in my articles I have highlighted some of the characteristics that make bluebirds so enjoyable to watch.
However, some of their actions may be more noticeable to the person that has one bluebird box in comparison to
someone that may care for dozens or hundreds of nest boxes on a bluebird trail.
In my attempt to help bluebirds I have learned many things wile managing my bluebird trail that have helped me enjoy
them more when they have nested in my backyard. While the North American Bluebird Society ( NABS) recommends
monitoring your bluebird box at least once a week, many backyard bluebirds check them daily. ( Monitoring usually
means Physically checking your boxes for parasites, wasp, predator problems or invasion from non-native birds.
Visual observation from a distance is also part of monitoring.)
Knowing that the female bluebird will incubate the eggs for approximately 14 days allows me to project when the eggs
are most likely to hatch, and to observe it taking place. Generally young birds are able to fly at 14 days after hatching ,
but usually do not fledge until 18-21 days. This allows me to monitor their situation and insure there are no problems
,even on a daily basis if I deem it necessary, up to approximately 12-13 days of age. When I see the young birds
coming up to the entrance hole for food ( and the adult bluebirds bringing them food as quickly as they can!) , I know
that the day the bluebirds will fledge is close at hand. This gives me the opportunity to see the babies actually fledge
from the box.
The young birds often proceed with caution as they squeeze their body through the same entrance hole that their
parents glide through effortlessly. Often the young peer out several times as their parents call for them from a nearby
bush or tree. Rarely is their a chance to turn back once their shoulders and wings have squeezed through the entrance
( now exit) hole. Hopefully, their first flight is to a nearby tree , shrub, or other perch area where they are better protected
from predators than they would be in the nest box.
While the young are now able to fly, they still cannot survive without their parents. Much of their first week out of the nest
box is spent sitting in the safety of foliage on trees and shrubs as the parents bring them food. It will be at least another
week before the young try to get food on their own- even when that food may be right at their feet and crawling right past
them! As their flight skills improve, they will follow the adults to food and perch nearby, flapping their wings and calling
as they beg for food.
Once I watched an adult bluebird teach his young about tent caterpillars. First he would retrieve the caterpillar from the
infested tree, and take it to the waiting young on an overhead power line. After making several trips, he flew down to the
caterpillar-covered tree and began to call until the young joined him. There, they all finished lunch together! Whether it
is a small caterpillar in the yard or meal worms, suet , or sunflower hearts in a "bluebird feeder", they must be trained
to find their food. Rarely do the young survive without this training.
Even bathing seems to be learned. The young venture into the water after watching their parents, first one and then
another, until all have splashed in the available water! This is another advantage of a backyard Nest box- the ability to
place a bird bath in proximity to allow frequent viewing of this entertaining behavior.
Rarely do bluebirders that monitor the trails and their hundreds of boxes get a chance to enjoy the day to day activities
of a Bluebird Family. We certainly appreciate their efforts. Without them we probably would not have as many bluebirds
in our backyards! However, a nest box in their backyard can allow a "trail monitor" to better enjoy the daily activities of
these beautiful birds that their hard work has helped others to enjoy.
A bluebird trail can be just an extension of the nest box in your back yard, continuing through your neighbors yard and
down the street. There is still time to expand your "trail"! The nesting season is still here: the northern range birds are
still on their first nesting . Bluebirds in the central and southern breeding ranges have probably just started their
second nesting, and depending on the area, have the possibility of three or even four clutches each season.
Bluebirders always say: " The best day to put up a bluebird box is today!"
Steve Garr
Bluebird Columnist- Nature Society News
Many times in my articles I have highlighted some of the characteristics that make bluebirds so enjoyable to watch.
However, some of their actions may be more noticeable to the person that has one bluebird box in comparison to
someone that may care for dozens or hundreds of nest boxes on a bluebird trail.
In my attempt to help bluebirds I have learned many things wile managing my bluebird trail that have helped me enjoy
them more when they have nested in my backyard. While the North American Bluebird Society ( NABS) recommends
monitoring your bluebird box at least once a week, many backyard bluebirds check them daily. ( Monitoring usually
means Physically checking your boxes for parasites, wasp, predator problems or invasion from non-native birds.
Visual observation from a distance is also part of monitoring.)
Knowing that the female bluebird will incubate the eggs for approximately 14 days allows me to project when the eggs
are most likely to hatch, and to observe it taking place. Generally young birds are able to fly at 14 days after hatching ,
but usually do not fledge until 18-21 days. This allows me to monitor their situation and insure there are no problems
,even on a daily basis if I deem it necessary, up to approximately 12-13 days of age. When I see the young birds
coming up to the entrance hole for food ( and the adult bluebirds bringing them food as quickly as they can!) , I know
that the day the bluebirds will fledge is close at hand. This gives me the opportunity to see the babies actually fledge
from the box.
The young birds often proceed with caution as they squeeze their body through the same entrance hole that their
parents glide through effortlessly. Often the young peer out several times as their parents call for them from a nearby
bush or tree. Rarely is their a chance to turn back once their shoulders and wings have squeezed through the entrance
( now exit) hole. Hopefully, their first flight is to a nearby tree , shrub, or other perch area where they are better protected
from predators than they would be in the nest box.
While the young are now able to fly, they still cannot survive without their parents. Much of their first week out of the nest
box is spent sitting in the safety of foliage on trees and shrubs as the parents bring them food. It will be at least another
week before the young try to get food on their own- even when that food may be right at their feet and crawling right past
them! As their flight skills improve, they will follow the adults to food and perch nearby, flapping their wings and calling
as they beg for food.
Once I watched an adult bluebird teach his young about tent caterpillars. First he would retrieve the caterpillar from the
infested tree, and take it to the waiting young on an overhead power line. After making several trips, he flew down to the
caterpillar-covered tree and began to call until the young joined him. There, they all finished lunch together! Whether it
is a small caterpillar in the yard or meal worms, suet , or sunflower hearts in a "bluebird feeder", they must be trained
to find their food. Rarely do the young survive without this training.
Even bathing seems to be learned. The young venture into the water after watching their parents, first one and then
another, until all have splashed in the available water! This is another advantage of a backyard Nest box- the ability to
place a bird bath in proximity to allow frequent viewing of this entertaining behavior.
Rarely do bluebirders that monitor the trails and their hundreds of boxes get a chance to enjoy the day to day activities
of a Bluebird Family. We certainly appreciate their efforts. Without them we probably would not have as many bluebirds
in our backyards! However, a nest box in their backyard can allow a "trail monitor" to better enjoy the daily activities of
these beautiful birds that their hard work has helped others to enjoy.
A bluebird trail can be just an extension of the nest box in your back yard, continuing through your neighbors yard and
down the street. There is still time to expand your "trail"! The nesting season is still here: the northern range birds are
still on their first nesting . Bluebirds in the central and southern breeding ranges have probably just started their
second nesting, and depending on the area, have the possibility of three or even four clutches each season.
Bluebirders always say: " The best day to put up a bluebird box is today!"
Birds-I-View, Inc.
| Two fledgling Bluebirds take a "first bath" in a highly visible patio fountain. |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| An adult male Eastern Bluebird getting ready to enjoy some Bluebird food on a simple platform feeder. |
| A young Bluebird only two weeks out of the nest box follows dad around for food and protection |
Nature Society News - June 2005 Article
Nature Society News - August 2005 Article
| This bluebird parent seems to be enduring a scolding from a juvenile. Guess it still wants to be fed? |
