I've been looking through your posts/pictures.. just wow! So do they tolerate you being outside with them when they eat? I am thinking of making some sort of "bird photo" area. Like finding some nice branches and making a scene. Any suggestions? My next idea is using my window feeder with pink geraniums in the background in a planter...the bluebirds have started using the feeder already.

I took out a hosp in my bluebird house about a month ago. Tree swallows had nested and were just completing the nest when a hosp was sticking his head out the box, chirping that gawd awful sounding chirp. Like he was excited he took over their nest. One pellet from 10 yards away, went into the box to collect my bounty. I've done the passive route, doesn't work. They kill anything and everything. So, I remove them. What I have learned is, trapping them with a repeating trap only brings them in to another food source. If you aren't killing them, you are encouraging them. I've noticed that once you start shooting them, they will get the hint. They are still prevalent in my neighborhod, but clearly avoid my yard, houses and feeders. A small pump pistol pellet gun with scope was under $75 bucks and for me it works great. Its small enough for me to target hosp, without my neighbors knowing what I'm doing. Its quiet enough for them to not hear a shot ring out and lethal at 10 yards from my shooting rest that I can make a quick kill. And, on weekends or winter, its safe and quiet to shoot indoors in my basement at 10 yards into a pellet trap.. perfect to keep me accurate. Its not for everyone, but these are an invasive species... no different than the round gobie that has taken over the Great Lakes. DEC says its illegal to release you must kill them. I see hosp as no different. Good luck to all of you in your BB and TRES nest sites this season.

That is so awesome. To have seven at once is quite amazing. Do you supplement them with mealies? They may need it to keep all those crops full. What a great picture you got. I can never get a good photo inside the nestbox.

Since I first posted here I have not seen much action at my bluebird house. I learned here that I don't have correct bluebird houses so I can't check to see what's happening inside (mine open at the bottom of all places). So, since about the 1st of July I saw alot of activity at the box, then on July 12th I posted here that I hadn't seen any. August 1st I started seeing alot of in and out of the box so the adults must be feeding babies. Is this a correct assumption? Is the timing right for laying eggs to hatch? Also, yesterday I observed two adult bluebirds flying up into a tree but there were several smaller song sparrows which I have lots of at my farm. I thought it was strange that they all flew up and landed in the same branch. But after I read Kenns post about his fledglings helping feed the babies in the box and I wonder if that is what is happening at my house. I am going to have to carry my binoculars everywhere with me!! I wonder if the timeline is good as described above? How late in New Hampshire will Bluebirds nest and raise a brood? Is it possible that they did rebuild a nest over the old one? Does that ever happen? So many questions.....so little time! Kenn, great, great photos. Simply amazing and a joy to see. My box is not in close proximity to my house so I have to watch with binoculars from a distance (probably 100+ feet).