Great photo!!! I really appreciate all you bluebirders who post such wonderful pics! BTW, where are you getting your worms?

Karen, I'm sure I don't know what you mean by "spoiled" =) They sound pretty smart to me!!! I have to stop whistling when I put mealworms in the feeder here because the Carolina wrens are so quick to snatch them . . . and they're piggies, too. I can't believe such little birds can eat so many mealworms! I've been very pleased with the worms from New York worms. They've only had medium size, but they've grown quickly over the last couple of days are are the perfect size now. I've been ordering 5,000 medium about once a month since November.
Kathy

Kathy, you are right.....they are smart. I am feeding them wax worms.

So far only one chickadee and 1 tufted titmice have caught on to the yellow bowl. It is really funny, the blues protect the yellow bowl. The titmice kind of drops in from above and grabs a worm. If it comes in where the blues can see it.....they peck at it. The chickadee will swoop in if the blues drop one and the chickadee grabs the worm so fast, the blues don't have a chance.

I do have a problem with hawks so I don't call the blues. I look for them in the tree and I get the yellow bowl. They know worms are in there. Yep, I guess they are smart.

Donna, I am getting the wax worms from a hunting/fishing store. Thanks for the kind words regarding the picture. I took it through the patio door so it is not very clear.

Karen

Karen, I really don't mind too much that the wren enjoys the mealworms, but the darned mockingbird harasses the blues (and goldfinches, and just about anybody else) when they try to come to the feeders. I have a feeding station with several different feeders out back and have the mealwrom feeder out front. The blues sometimes break into groups and one group distracts the mocker while the others feed . . . the Carolina wren is the only bird I've seen that is sneaky enough to evade that mockingbird. Why in the world are they such aggressive birds--this one can't even fit in most of the feeders anyway. Grrrrr. I've even tried providing the mockingbird with a platform feeder away from the others so it can eat, too, but its aggression only gets worse. I swear that bird thinks it owns this place.
Kathy

Kathy, I have the same problem with a mocker. This time of year he works alone but when they are nesting, he and his mate work in tandem and it is tough for the blues. I have even watched him chase the parents on fledge day when they are trying to coax the nestlings out. It almost seems they do it for sport.

BTW Karen, you should set the clock in your camera. The EXIF info shows your pic was taken in 2006.

Dave

Oh, thanks Dave. There is so much on my camera that I don't know how to use. I guess the date is one of them.

Karen

The mockers are irritating, Dave, but I've seen them do some good things as well--chase crows and bluejays away from my yard, and they do set up a ruckus if there are hawks in the neighborhood. I just wish I could come up with a solution to getting them to allow the other birds to eat in peace! I haven't really noticed them bothering the blues during nesting except at the very beginning of nesting season they do chase them off the nestboxes. Once the mockers get about their own nesting, though, they pretty much leave the blues alone. The only feeders I keep up during the warmer months are the hummer feeders and the one mealworm feeder, so those aren't much of an issue.

Karen, I'll bet my camera could probably drive my van if I just knew the right buttons to push. I'm lucky to even be able to take a picture at all! Dave, when did you say those photography classes are starting . . . . . ?????
Kathy