Lost a Dee to a hosp, first killed bird ever. : (

12 years ago

I am so sad. Last year the HOSPs did not bond to a box and did not nest here, while I did get 2 males, I knew there were others not far away as I could hear them on my walks down to the lake. I have been hunting them as much as possible this year but they have alluded me so far. They have not bothered the Blues at all but I assume it's because they (HOSPs)have not gotten serious about nesting yet. Today I found a Dee in a box with the classic signs of HOSP attack. I'm sick. The Blues have 4 eggs and not incubating yet. There is a spooker up, there was not one on the box the dead Dee was in, there was also no signs of Dee nest building in the box, only a few favorite grasses of HOSPs. I cant go walking around with my 22

shooting at peoples houses. Hoping I can find time to be outside to try the Van Ert in the next week....This is horrid! The TRES are here so I don't dare leave the traps un attended + I know there are Dees still looking to find a box. UUUGGG. I HAVE enlisted a neighbor kid (16) to help. Prayers please!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Lexarose
12 years ago
Lisa I'm very sorry for your loss, I feel your pain, it seems like every season a tres gets killed in one of my boxes. I have a particular hosp that has moved from my boxes to under my covered porch which I welcome as it will give me time to zero in the scope on my new pellet gun which is a pain in the a**. Every box I put a van ert in he would never go back in again,too wiley for his own good,he must be exterminated.... Sue
kendra2003
12 years ago
I am so sorry for your loss. What a sad thing to have happen to an innocent little Chickadee. Have you tried the DRST at all? Once the Juncos left, I put one out and have caught 7 within the past week. The TRES won't go near the DRST, and rarely have I had any bird get in there that wasn't a HOSP. I have the the occasional chipmunk though. The Van Erts are invaluable too. But as you said, you have to be there to watch and make sure no other bird gets in if the nest box isn't yet "owned". I do let HOSP claim a spare box and let them build a nest, and maybe even lay an egg to be sure they are bonded and nothing else will go in there and then set up the Van Ert. Obviously your box wasn't yet claimed, so there was nothing you could have done to prevent what happened. I wish you the best of luck getting those HOSP.
Related Discussions
for you non-believers of the HOSP
Q
Comments (17)
I wish I had a DRST...but they are expensive. I don't have many HOSP that try to nest in our yard but there are tons around as there is a car dealership next door and they nest over there. They come to eat at my feeders when their nestlings fledge and I know at that time I could probably trap tons of them. There will be 30+ in the yard then. Ugh. However during the rest of the year there will only be a few coming through at a time. I did have a couple pairs interested in my nestboxes this year...got both of those males and about 4 others with the BB gun. One year there were fledglings around and one was sitting on a branch with the mother right behind it. I shot with the BB gun and got both with one BB! I always put up sparrow spookers as soon as the first egg is laid on the Blues boxes. Last year I lost two TRES nestlings to a HOSP, two more were pecked but made it and two were unharmed. I put up a spooker on that box and those four made it to fledging just fine. I don't normally put spookers up on the TRES boxes because there are just too many of them. I only have two spookers and usually have eleven nestboxes with TRES. Hate those dang HOSP.
...See More
Endless battle with HOSPS?
Q
Comments (18)
NHsuzanne, I don't think there is an actual "decoy box" that you buy, mine is just a basic Bluebird box from Wild Birds unltd that is set up to be used for trapping and not nesting. I purchased a Van ert trap and installed the 2 screws that come with trap inside the box and hung it on the house or a tree in the yard. When a male HOSP claimed the box, then I would install the trap itself onto the screws and set it. I put a piece of black electrical tape over the orange dot on the trap, and taped a few blades of dried grass to the trip mechanism so the HOSP wouldn't notice the trap. It worked great.
...See More
neighbors release hosp from drst!!! ^$#!
Q
Comments (16)
Thanks again Kendra, Sue, etc. I REALLY want to put the DRST back out but I'm worried there won't be a good enough place where it'll be hidden, and not attract predators like Hawks and Raccoons which could get my bluebirds. I heard HOSP nestlings on this woman's property. They nest in her pine trees. I have 3 properties under control from HOSP. This is the ONE area they are coming from. Her husband suggested if I do it, to do it away from them. Oh the irony!! That's where the HOSP are coming from to begin with! Guess you can't win em all. Luckily they sold the alpacas they had...one time before they said there were birds in there, sparrows, but they didn't stop them I don't believe. So they were probably multiplying more back then. The barns they were in have been closed since last fall. Previously there were HOSP and Starlings in them. So, really, how vulnerable are juvenile HOSP to the DRST?! Does anyone think I'd have a good chance of trapping them after fledging? Unfortunately I can't rip their nests from the trees like I do with the other neighbor's. The 3 plots are the one I rent, the landlords' where my bluebirds are, and the 3rd is where the martin housing is. adjacent is her property. Confusing, I know. Try to be vigilant with this youngster ^^
...See More
Dees and HOSP
Q
Comments (8)
You need to get an inbox trap. I use the VanErt. Your questions are good ones. Like you, I had never had HOSP until I put up boxes for the native birds. This spring I had to trap my first HOSP and I had many of the same questions as you. This forum helped me a ton. I don't remember who answered me, but she said to let the HOSP bond with the box for a few days, then set the trap at night and he would go in it first thing in the morning. That is exactly what happened. I was also told to tape a leaf over the orange dot on the trap, so he wouldn't be suspicious of it. I did that and also glued some grass over the trip wire. As for the "Then what?", try looking at the sialis website for the most humane way to euthanize him. The first time is really hard. But I knew if I didn't do it, I would soon have nothing but HOSP. I wish you the best of luck.
...See More
ohsoblue77
12 years ago
Sorry to hear of it Lisa.

As Kendra said, there wasn't anything you could have done. We all put up SUCH a battle with HOSP! Even then, they still find a way to cause problems.

They destroyed my first eggs this year and I only left ONE DAY! Before I could get the spooker up. Then my bluebirds were ready to lay and the HOSP took over their box! That Male HOSP is now K.I.A. The blues moved to my other box and quickly layed but things have been going down (see my posts)

All this, and their #s are still seriously down in my neighborhood! I've taken babies, eggs, adult HOSP, you name it. But it only takes one HOSP! Just stay at it, and the HOSP will pay in due time! It's an endless battle, but believe in me and sialis, you CAN get their population down! It's all a matter of time. They were once on the increase in my neighborhood (neighbor's Martin Complex WAS FILLED with them a couple years ago) Continue to make note of others' effective methods.

Kendra, how in the HECK do you catch THAT MANY HOSP in just ONE WEEK??? I've had the thing with 2 males and 2 females in it and it can take AT LEAST a WEEK to catch even one or two more! I've caught Chickadees, Song Sparrows, Chipping sparrows, etc. I've had 2 fatalities. 1 dee and 1 song sparrow. But lately it's been mainly all HOSP. I had to remove it from my other site because there were 8 in the trap, and it was knocked over and 4 HOSP (thankfully HOSP!) were found bloodied and decaying in my DRST. I believe it was cats. This was a day or two after my last check. In total, over a 2-4 week period I caught 4-6 HOSP. The other site has a much more explosive population, yet the trap doesn't seem to attract as much attention as everyone on sparrowtraps.net says. Remember though, this is my first season with the trap. In total, not many natives trapped.

Wishing you better luck with the HOSP Lisa! When all is said and done, you should have some success this season.
kendra2003
12 years ago
Tim, This time I placed the DRST inside the Guinea Fowl pen, since the Guineas are now let outside in the day. The HOSP had been sneaking in there to steal the Guinea's food. It has been really weird. They just keep jumping into the trap. I'm going to have to find a way to get them out. Any ideas? I used to just put a bag over the entrance hole and they'd fly into the bag. Now I have a DRST full of HOSP that won't go near the entry hole. I have tried numerous times. Soon there will be too many to keep in there. Seriously, they are just jumping in to join the others. And there are ONLY HOSP in there.
ohsoblue77
12 years ago
Kendra, the only SAFE way to remove the HOSP that I've used is actually grabbing individuals with your hands and dealing them one by one. Then again, so far I haven't had more than 7-8 in it at once.

The Draw string bag I use for my Van Ert is how I put them in. In fact, in order to even start trapping any in the DRST was to use male decoys from the Van Ert! 1 didn't bring any, then 2 did the trick within a few days.

My bag is too big though. The removal door is too small for it! I don't think Blaine should change the size though. Maybe innovate a better way to remove them.

Having the bag opened INSIDE the DRST and shooing them into the bag might work. I've tried it a couple times without success. The HOSP usually huddle and go crazy in the other side of the trap for me. Some just submerge the entire trap in a lake! I don't feel this is humane though so I would never do it.
kendra2003
12 years ago
Thanks for the advice. I too think Blaine should make a way to empty the trap easier. There should probably be a secondary door that can be unlatched. Reaching in there through that small hole when they've all jammed themselves into the furthest back corner can make it extremely hard to grab them.

Lost a Dee to a hosp, first killed bird ever. : (

Comments (6)

Lexarose

kendra2003

Related Discussions

ohsoblue77

kendra2003

ohsoblue77

kendra2003

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US