Blue Birds

[ovrszd]

I've nested Blue Birds around my property for 30 years. Last Summer was my lowest production in several years because B-Martins took over most nests and I had to block the nests. But still had several hatches of Blue Birds.

Anyway, I digress.... Normally in the late Fall Blue Birds will gather at our property, dozens of them. I always assumed they were gathering where they were born or had hatched chicks for the migratory flight South??

Usually I don't see Blue Birds again until warm weather. This morning there were three sitting on the power line, their favorite spot to hunt for food. I don't recall ever seeing them here this time of year. Maybe all the weird weather and wind we've had lately has them confused??

Is it normal to have Blue Birds this far North in January?? I'm 6 miles South of the Missouri/Iowa border in Northwestern Missouri.

 

[HarryN]

Consider your self lucky. Most people want Purple Martins (and can't get them). I have both and enjoy them. I build / get more housing than I have birds, so they all have a place to nest and live. Do you have the correct type of housing?? Most Martins do not live in Eastern Bluebird style housing boxes.

 

[RichZ]

Blue birds are thrushes and eat fruit and insects, so they migrate to find food in winter. I thought they all migrate, but robins, which are also thrushes have populations (at least in New York) that don't migrate. Although most robins migrate, some survive the winter by eating berries and other fruit that remain on trees and bushes throughout the winter. Where I live in upstate NY, a small population of robins live here all year. It's possible in some locations blue birds do that as well.

 

[Fossil Farm]

Bluebirds as well as robins are here year round. Usually they just migrate to the woods in the winter depending on food supply.

 

[polo1665]

Bluebirds as well as robins are here year round. Usually they just migrate to the woods in the winter depending on food supply.

Saw a Bluebird the other day and wondered about that. Even though the Robins are here year round, I never see them in the winter around my place.

 

[Travelover]

I live in Michigan and oversee the maintenance of about 100 bluebird nest boxes. You probably have tree swallows nesting in the bluebird boxes, not martins, which nest in a single colony. To get around this, we place nest boxes in pairs as they will nest next to another species, but not their own kind.

Both robins and bluebirds will overwinter if the temperatures are not too cold. They feed on dried berries left in the trees.

 

[ovrszd]

Consider your self lucky. Most people want Purple Martins (and can't get them). I have both and enjoy them. I build / get more housing than I have birds, so they all have a place to nest and live. Do you have the correct type of housing?? Most Martins do not live in Eastern Bluebird style housing boxes.

I had Purple Martins for several years. Until the B-Martin showed up. Very aggressive and territorial bird. About 2/3 size of Purple Martin, medium grey color with white chest. About 50 of them moved in last Spring, ran Bluebirds out of their nests. Completely ran off my Purple Martins. As I said, I had to close all my nests. I have 25 nests scattered about my yard and buildings. They would have nested in all of them if I hadn't shut them. I waited until they moved on, then opened up two Bluebird nests and got two hatches. I'm anxious to see if the B-Martins come back this year. If they do I guess I'm out of the nesting business until they give up on me. Really aggravates me.

 

[ovrszd]

I live in Michigan and oversee the maintenance of about 100 bluebird nest boxes. You probably have tree swallows nesting in the bluebird boxes, not martins, which nest in a single colony. To get around this, we place nest boxes in pairs as they will nest next to another species, but not their own kind.

Both robins and bluebirds will overwinter if the temperatures are not too cold. They feed on dried berries left in the trees.

I think you are right, I think the technical name for what I have is tree swallows. I grew up hearing them called B-Martins.

Any other ideas of how to rid myself of them??? As I said earlier, they completely took over my nest area last Summer. My nests are scattered over a 3 acre area bordered by an open hay field and the area I mow of course.

I had one particular Bluebird nest box that I built in 1978. Literally hundreds of Bluebirds had hatched out of that nest. It's on a power line pole in my hayfield about 200ft from my shop. The Tree Swallows ran off my Bluebirds there last Spring. I was really upset by that!!!

 

[oldballs]

Blue Birds and Robins are plentiful and both are seen here year 'round. The Blue Birds like to sit on our power line year 'round, sometimes as many as 20 in a row. I don't have boxes but they like it here for some reason. The plentiful Woodpeckers kept tearing up the boxes and I got tired of rebuilding them. But I like Woodpeckers too. We have several species. Northeast Kansas. My Blue Birds are used to me and often don't fly away when I'm outside under the power line. BTW, there aren't any cats up close around here.

 

[ovrszd]

Blue Birds and Robins are plentiful and both are seen here year 'round. The Blue Birds like to sit on our power line year 'round, sometimes as many as 20 in a row. I don't have boxes but they like it here for some reason. The plentiful Woodpeckers kept tearing up the boxes and I got tired of rebuilding them. But I like Woodpeckers too. We have several species. Northeast Kansas. My Blue Birds are used to me and often don't fly away when I'm outside under the power line. BTW, there aren't any cats up close around here.

I've spent hours during Summer evenings watching Bluebirds feed off the power line. It's a perfect spot for them to sit and wait on an insect to show up in the mowed yard below. As you said, I've counted as many as 32 there at one time. By the end of Summer they are used to me as well and never fly away because I'm in the yard. They also like to gather on the line when I'm mowing. Purple Martins enjoy that too. I don't have cats either.

Gotta figure out a way to get rid of the B-Martins or Tree Swallows or I'm afraid I'll not have Bluebirds or Purple Martins. Real Bummer!!!

 

[oldballs]

Our Swallows, Barn Swallows I call them, feed all around the fields that I mow. They zoom pretty close to the tractor sometime. And I love Purple Martins. You ever hear them put out a "War Call", with many gathering to really tear up a hawk. God's plan at work I guess.

 

[Carl_NH]

We have them here year round and at the feeder in the winter along with the squirrels they enjoy the hulled sunflowers.

 

[npalen]

We rarely see bluebirds here in North Central Kansas but have had several visit our patio feeder and bath (heated) this winter.

 

[pacerron]

I've spent hours during Summer evenings watching Bluebirds feed off the power line. It's a perfect spot for them to sit and wait on an insect to show up in the mowed yard below. As you said, I've counted as many as 32 there at one time. By the end of Summer they are used to me as well and never fly away because I'm in the yard. They also like to gather on the line when I'm mowing. Purple Martins enjoy that too. I don't have cats either.

Gotta figure out a way to get rid of the B-Martins or Tree Swallows or I'm afraid I'll not have Bluebirds or Purple Martins. Real Bummer!!!

Tree swallows are good birds. They eat just as many bugs as purple martins. They are in the same family.
Barn swallows are good too, if you don't mind them building mud nests in the tops of any open barns or animal shelters and pooping from the nests..

We have 14 blue bird boxes and it usually ends up about half of them are occupied by tree swallow families.
They are very protective of their young and help keep the sparrows away.
Sparrows love to bust bluebird eggs or kill the babies in the nest. They try that in the boxes having tree swallows and the sparrows
either get killed or driven away by the swallows.
Folks love to talk about purple martins and how they eat so many bugs and mosquitoes. Dunno, we don't have many daytime mosquitoes up here that bite. Lots of big ones in the woods but they don't bite.
The tree swallows fly around in droves while I'm mowing or on their own during the day grabbing bugs out of the air to feed their young.
We have a pond and they patrol it well too.

Just build some more bluebird boxes, put double thick wood around the hole to protect from predators, hang them the same height and enjoy all the birds and the benefits they give. If you see sparrows taking over a nest go into action.

 

[ovrszd]

Our Swallows, Barn Swallows I call them, feed all around the fields that I mow. They zoom pretty close to the tractor sometime. And I love Purple Martins. You ever hear them put out a "War Call", with many gathering to really tear up a hawk. God's plan at work I guess.

Yeah I have Barn Swallows also. They love to follow the mower. They are a lot different than the tree swallow or B-Martin as we call them.

Purple Martins have a vast vocabulary.

 

[ovrszd]

Tree swallows are good birds. They eat just as many bugs as purple martins. They are in the same family.
Barn swallows are good too, if you don't mind them building mud nests in the tops of any open barns or animal shelters and pooping from the nests..

We have 14 blue bird boxes and it usually ends up about half of them are occupied by tree swallow families.
They are very protective of their young and help keep the sparrows away.
Sparrows love to bust bluebird eggs or kill the babies in the nest. They try that in the boxes having tree swallows and the sparrows
either get killed or driven away by the swallows.
Folks love to talk about purple martins and how they eat so many bugs and mosquitoes. Dunno, we don't have many daytime mosquitoes up here that bite. Lots of big ones in the woods but they don't bite.
The tree swallows fly around in droves while I'm mowing or on their own during the day grabbing bugs out of the air to feed their young.
We have a pond and they patrol it well too.

Just build some more bluebird boxes, put double thick wood around the hole to protect from predators, hang them the same height and enjoy all the birds and the benefits they give. If you see sparrows taking over a nest go into action.

I'm not disputing what you are saying. Only going off my personal experience with the tree swallow. I gotta figure out a way to control them or I've gotta run them off. As I said earlier, they completely took over my nesting grounds last Summer running off everyone, including sparrows. Although they might mean well. I can't have that.

I've got 17 nests. They owned them all until I plugged the boxes and they left.

 

[lockhaven]

I think you are right, I think the technical name for what I have is tree swallows. I grew up hearing them called B-Martins.

Any other ideas of how to rid myself of them??? As I said earlier, they completely took over my nest area last Summer. My nests are scattered over a 3 acre area bordered by an open hay field and the area I mow of course.

I had one particular Bluebird nest box that I built in 1978. Literally hundreds of Bluebirds had hatched out of that nest. It's on a power line pole in my hayfield about 200ft from my shop. The Tree Swallows ran off my Bluebirds there last Spring. I was really upset by that!!!

very easy to have both blue birds and swallows. place a second box back to back with the existing boxs. Neither species will tolerate another of that species next to them but totally ignore the other species. The combination of both make for great insect control, blue birds get the crawlers and the swallows get the flyers

 

[ovrszd]

very easy to have both blue birds and swallows. place a second box back to back with the existing boxs. Neither species will tolerate another of that species next to them but totally ignore the other species. The combination of both make for great insect control, blue birds get the crawlers and the swallows get the flyers

I'll try the back to back boxes as suggested by someone before.

What I don't understand with this theory is why my swallows ran off my Bluebirds. I witnessed a Bluebird couple build a nest and lay eggs, then the swallows took over the nest and ran them off. Can't see how having a second box next to the first one would have stopped that??

I'm all about having a variety of birds. Love em. Can't tolerate bullies though. I learned several years ago how to place my nests so Bluebirds and Wrens could share portions of the yard. Just haven't found a solution for the tree swallow yet. Thought about shotgun practice but that seems a bit harsh. And I'd shoot a hole in my house....

 

[dmccarty]

TBN scares me some times. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

On Friday, I noticed a Blue Jay which was very odd to see in January. We have some smaller birds that stay year round, I guess they are eating berries and I see Crows that are eating something they find in the grass. I think it was a hawk that got one of our favorite chickens they other day. First chicken lost to a predator. Coyotes or foxes have torn up the garden fence surrounding our Chicken Tank. The Chicken Tank protects the chickens at night but when we let the hens out during the day, they have been escaping from the fenced garden due to the holes. Once outside the garden fence, the hens are vulnerable.

Later,
Dan

 

[pacerron]

I'll try the back to back boxes as suggested by someone before.

What I don't understand with this theory is why my swallows ran off my Bluebirds. I witnessed a Bluebird couple build a nest and lay eggs, then the swallows took over the nest and ran them off. Can't see how having a second box next to the first one would have stopped that??

I'm all about having a variety of birds. Love em. Can't tolerate bullies though. I learned several years ago how to place my nests so Bluebirds and Wrens could share portions of the yard. Just haven't found a solution for the tree swallow yet. Thought about shotgun practice but that seems a bit harsh. And I'd shoot a hole in my house....

We have never seen tree swallows destroy a bluebird nest.
Wrens will.
Coons will.
English sparrows will.
Snakes will.

Once a nest is destroyed swallows or whoever will try build on the old bluebird nest.
Unless you saw it with your own eyes how do you know who did the destruction?
Seeing swallows going in after the fact is no proof.

Another reason for the thick door hole is to keep coons from reaching in to the babies.