Hey ChickaDDD, I know what you mean about Chicklet's story. He sounds super natural or something. Sleeping on roof, resetting his own arm, Typhoon or something and his birthday. WOW. But like you said if it is true your are surely helping them and thats all that matters. I must have missed it when the unwelcoming committee killed a catbird chick. That is awful!!! And it is not FUN to get rid of HOSP. I dont know why they would say that and it makes me sick. I cant believe they said it was fun, that is disgusting and shows how stupid they are. I hope you dont dislike ME for it but I have seen them with my own eyes terrorize my other birds and not just the cavity nesters, but i dont enjoy it. I just want to save my other birds. They were after Braveheart today when he and Scardycat would try to feed their babies AND they are building two nests in two of my boxes right now :-( When papa tries to bring food they jump him and fall to the ground. It is just pure harassment and today i noticed his right eye was closed up. I dont think it was the HOSP because he was fighting two mockers today too and they probably got fed up with him getting in the middle and decided to kick him around awhile. My blue is insane they are twice his size. But now he will be at risk of hawk attack because he cant see from that side. Ahhhhhhh SIGH. I am having such stress this year with the bluebirds. I love them and all the birds except the HOSP and it is hard on me because I worry so about the birds. My other little sparrows are building in my holly bush that the robins used three times this year ( they were busy ), you know the little ones that i keep blowing there little babies out of the bush. So at least i know where they are this time and wont blow them out. Birds are so funny. She fusses at me every time i go out there but then builds her nest right in my back steps. Go figure :-) Why would they kill a catbird? I dont understand that, it must have been before i joined because i dont remember seeing it. Do you know what month and maybe i can go back and find that post. That is very disturbing, maybe they are just animal killers? Maybe they do enjoy it. They almost had me convinced that the house wrens were evil till Bet got on there. Maybe they kill all birds except bluebirds. That's sick :-( Well im glad you didn't have any little jets get confused and end up in your house today :-) Maybe they realized that outside is where they belong. Hopefully for you and your families sake. All summer without air conditioning is a horrible thought for me. You are a very strong and sweet person to sacrifice your comfort for the little jets. I bet Daisy was hot too with all that hair. My Mary is very hairy like that ( 4 layers of fur ) and she doesn't even like to be outside in the summer. We are very spoiled. Im glad your kitties got bored with the swifts, i know you were blaming yourself for the deaths but you didn't know they were coming so im glad all is good now :-) I better go because this is long but i know i could talk a lot more!!! LOL. She who is to long winded~~~~~~~Bonnie

I'm still exploring suet options: last Sunday was a good day at the latest version suet feeder. The Red-bellied Woodpecker is standing on a suet cage or maybe a branch, but eating out of the old pine cone which had suet/peanut butter mix. This is the first time I've seen the Red-belly on the suet feeder - usually it feeds on the hopper or the ground. The Downy Woodpecker is also standing on the upper suet cage, but eating out of that same cage which contains a C&S Almond Treat suet block. The Red-breasted Nuthatch likes the bottom cage, which I think has a C&S Nutty Treat, or something similar. I have another single hanging suet cage on the rose arch with C&S Insect Treat in it. Downies, wrens, titmice and chickadees like this one, maybe because it's well-hidden in the rose canes (which is why I don't have a good photo of it). I'm trying to avoid mixing up my own suet glop, particularly because I don't have a convenient source of rendered suet. The raw suet hasn't been more popular than the store-bought. Claire

I still lurk and smile when reading -and seeing- cottontail postings. *Elly's compliments are very kind.* Good advice to google. Off the top of my head I can't recite the best sites I've found for helping cottontail youngsters. By the sound of it, I'm guessing the kids are two or so weeks old. Though genetics make some youngsters super big and other cottontail babies less robust. Eyes open at approx. 7-10 days. If they jostle for best position in the shallow nest, they gotta be an adequate gram weight. Yeah, I would very carefully try to recover the nest with fur but the baby kits could also undo your well intentions if they are large enough to forage outside. If the fur is partially moved, i'm guessing they are sneaking about and nibbling area greens. Hope they won't be spotted by a crow or hawk or land-roaming predator and they'll move to safety real soon. How long before they leave a nest? Is it mother bunny who leads the way for them to a more safe location. -Nope, they can just spelunker out on there own, get scared and scatter, or go searching for alternative safe haven. There is lots of high vegetation on my property but she chose to nest them right next to my garage under a small low growing pine. -Whew, good the nest is under an evergreen and near your garage to discourage easy spotting. The nest appears not to be deep but I am just guessing at that. Some of the fur nexting material has moved off of them from their movement. Should I put that back over the opening? -I'd be tempted to recover the nest and take huge strides away but sounds like they'll be mobile soon and move out. Mom will nurse for 2+ full weeks and start to wean around day 17. If they've made it to jostling position, I commend you for keeping the predators far away. Hope you can create some brushy or fortified hidey areas for the little ones... I will ditto elly and vonyon's sentiments. Best of luck in helping them off to a good start ~ and cottontail-safe haven.

If you remeber I told you to feed them, but I know you are somewhat new to this, we all make mistakes, dont beat yourself up. I lost 3 TRES last year I should have fed at fledging and I didn't ( I left it to the parent). I will never let another baby starve on my watch again! You let Nature take it's course, some folks say thats what you do. I don't agree, we have altered Natures course, last year Nature had nothing to do with a TRES being hit by a car. Nature didnt ask for one parent to care for 6 babies in horrid weather. I fed those babies against the law or not , I don't care. 3 of them made it. 0 would have made it had I not interviened. Be prepared for these situations. We are all here to help you and if that means breaking the law to save a baby so be it.