Congrats on getting all those HOSP!! Generally you do not want to add a reducer for the chickadee until they have laid the first egg or they may not nest there. Apparently they prefer a bigger hole but once they lay an egg they will not abandon the nest.

Your photo is beautiful btw!! To put it right in your post you need to upload it to photobucket or another place like that and then put the link (from the photobucket site) in your post, when you preview it your picture should show up.

Donna

Sandra! How did you dispose of your sparrows? I have my trap in place, but I couldn't stay to watch it until tomorrow morning. I am worried about what to do with the sparrow in the box!

Sissyz,
Thanks Sissy!!! I'm thrilled too! I lost my blue beauty (that came to the feeder when I called him) last year due to those dang things... so this year it's war!!!

I'm using an in house trap, sounds like you are? (my ground trap hasn't gotten a thing, dang it after $65!!)

I used the mesh laundry bag and covered the whole bird house with it, and zipped it tight. Then I opened the birdhouse door and they flew into the bag, none have escaped. I swing them around backwards a few times, FAST. Then immediately swing the other way onto the concrete, hardly any "mess". I was pretty squimish to "dispatch" these guys, but this hasn't been difficult at all. Then I just tie them up in a trash bag and put them at the curb on trash day with the rest of the trash. I don't THINK theres a problem with disposing of them this way?

It's funny, ALL the birds have just about disappeared today... weird. The blues have been here working on their nest, but it is oddly quiet...

Where do you live? IÂm in Indiana...

Sandra

Ps, I was thrilled that I beat my mockingbird! I had a cheap caged suet feeder that I turned sideways to feed mealworms.. the mockingbird couldn't get to the food! HAA!! The male bluebird is ok with it, the female doesn't like it. I found on the sialis site to put a stick through it to help them get used to it... I'll see if they will use it.. I will try post some pics as well.

ok, here's my shot at posting some pics..

Here is a link that might be useful:

http://www.hand-painted-mailboxes.com/bluebirds/Artsy_Bluebird_MALEcloseupBKG.jpg

ok, can't get pic in the posting... oiy! but here's the female up close like the male.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Wow! What a wonderful picture! To be that close!!
I am nervous about this dispatching business. I have lost nests with eggs every year. I always thought it was a cat, until I started doing some research on here....
I have many pairs of bluebirds that come to my feeder for mealworms, but they are beaten out of the housing market every day by the sparrows. I saw in the one post that someone recommended to you to set your trap at dusk, so I just went out there and pulled some of the nest thru the hole, so it looked disturbed. The sparrows come and sit on top, but they haven't gone in. It's only been a couple hours, though.
I don't have a mesh laundry bag. I don't know what I'm going to do. I will have to be ready.

Can you believe all we go thru for these bluebirds!

I haven't done it yet, but I have clear trash bags. I can see what it is, but it can't get out.

Ann

ok, looked up source code... see if this works.

You are doing a terrific job taking care of the Blues. Your pictures are just wonderful. It's amazing what we'll do to get good shots of our Blues!

Thanks Kendra!! It's been a labor of love that's for sure. This year I think I'll get some really good pictures with a pink geranium background... we'll see.
sandra

HOSP has mostly disappeared since trapping like 6-7 of them last week. I haven't seen any activity around my dummy house. THIS morning I saw a pair on the corner of my house when I took the trash out, they've been hanging out there for quite some time. I wonder what they are up to? Will they make nests in strange places, should I search for it? There isn't much areas to nest around there.. I"m very suspicious.. It only takes one to kill my blues. Has anyone seen HOSP nest in strange areas?

Sandra

Hi Sandra, beautiful foto. Don't count on all sparrows being gone - there are usually more where they came from. Put a live decoy (one caught with the inbox trap) into the ground trap - you will catch many more that way.

Soo... should I have tried to put one of the live sparrows from the house trap in the ground trap? Male or Female better? My ground trap hasn't gotten a thing, btw...