Bedelia, The battle with HOSP can be so unpredictable. Some years they seem to keep coming. I never saw a HOSP in my yard until I put up a nestbox for the Blues. I thought they all lived at Home Depot. Sounds like you're doing a great job. Because of what you've done, I think you have a good chance of having the Bluebird's nest. Even if the Blues don't nest there, you still have a good chance of having another native cavity nester choose your place. Blues love pine straw for nesting material. You could try gathering some and making it easy for them to find to make the place seem more inviting.

I "deleted" 2 males this year and saw another that has moved on, last yeat there was only one and I got him with a 22. I am sure next year will be worse. I wish I would have been able to get the last one as I am sure he has a nest full now. UUUGGGG.

Yes, I've been taking them out left and right with the vanert trap. It seems like a week or two passes before the next unsespecting bird comes along. However, I just saw one male HOSP perching outside my barn, and chirping away.. I wonder where he THINKS he's nesting? I'll look out for it and try to get him as well. ALMOST ready to give the go ahead to son who has volunteered to "help"... LOL!!

We have the same problem in our back yard.We had 3 BBs checking out our yard in early April.But the HOSPs were competing with them.They made sure that they left long pieces of grass in every nest box in our yard.I taught my husband how to set the trap.He has been giving "nirvana" to HOSPs almost daily for 2 weeks with the VanErt trap.Right now our yard is clear.We are waiting to see who takes the available nest box.
michelle

Depends on the local population I guess.

At another trail I manage, it is unbeleiveable...week after week I come back to this one box that they keep moving into. I'm almost ready for a spooker there too...gotta wait for that egg!

In my own boxes, I trapped 3 (2 males,1 Female) and then the box was vacant for 2 - 3 weeks then the bluebirds moved in. An endless battle? maybe, but it's well worth it!
Tim

Unfortunately, I've just joined the battle as well. I have Blues that are five days from fledging in one box (sparrow spooker has been up since the first egg), Tree Swallows with a full nest in another box, Black-capped Chickadees with a partial nest in another box, and the beginning of a nest by Tuffed Titmice in the last box. So three of the boxes I can't put sparrow spookers on yet. Thankfully the HOSP that have descended on the property today have decided to take up residence in a Purple Martin house. I've never had PUMAs, and was trying to attract them. So no more playing the dawn song, and the house will be lowered somewhat. I'll let them get attached for a few days (3 pairs!!) and then the in-box traps will be utilized. I don't dare shoot because the TRES and EABL also like to use the PUMA house to perch on. The battle is indeed worth it. Without the battle, all we'd have is HOSP in all our boxes.

I trapped 2 male HOSP in March, and since then there haven't been any more HOSPs that have shown interest in the "decoy nest box" or the snag where the Bluebirds are nesting. The decoy box is an empty box I've left hung on a tree in the side of the yard specifically for trapping HOSPs.

However, the HOSPs are around, because I hear them cheeping in the neighbor's yard. They still fly through the yard and check the feeders, or land on the snag where the Bluebirds are nesting. I've stopped feeding the Bluebirds altogether, because last couple times I put out suet nuggets, a female HOSP showed up in 2 seconds. I don't want to attract HOSPs to the yard for any reason.

Apparently the Bluebirds have a healthy supply of insects in the area to feed the babies, so the suet nuggets aren't necessary. I will put some out if we get a cold spell though.

Don't have many HOSP but from my HOSP battle arsenal, no one would believe it-looks like WWIII and just for a single male HOSP. Even though I can't hear him or see him, he's around. Last year, he appeared right before my blues were to hatch, defied the spooker and destroyed the nest. This year the blues nested in a Gilbertson PVC box and I placed additional mylar strips on the spooker. Even with an occasional failure, I now have four boxes with a total of 18 dees and 4 blues that have a much greater chance because of diligent HOSP watch and dispatch. So, yes, it does pay to dispatch as many HOSP as possible to save the rest of our birds.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm up to 8 so far. They keep on coming.

Where would one locate a decoy box for trapping?

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.

mulchmamma you've actually had a HOSP overcome the spooker?! That is not good! It's the most sure fire way to keep HOSP away!

Has anybody ever used a spooker on a paired nestbox? I just wonder if theoretically the HOSP could land on the other box w/o a spooker and overcome it...

I've been taking them out left and right too! Almost a dozen! Now a whole family moved in.. no one is interested in the nest box so far. He he, a wren actually fought with the sparrow over a house and won! Glad my chicks were several days old by then!

Also, the day the chicks fledged, a sparrow went right into the box and the spooker was still on!!! yikes!!

Wow, what's up with these reports of HOSP overcoming Spookers?!

They have been used for 20+ years...they should still work.

My experience so far w/ spookers has been excellent. The birds accept them easily and the HOSP stay away from the area entirely!

I'm hoping the spooker failed because that single male HOSP was totally obsessed and on a rampage. The empty Gilbertson PVC box within 6 feet of it was ignored. That HOSP went straight for the EABL nest with eggs about to hatch.

Currently, I have 3 EABLs within 3 days of fledging in a spookered Gilbertson PVC box. I ran a couple more strips of mylar and the pellet rifle is next to the door for backup.

I'm up to 11 now. The BB's have been in and out of the house, but now the wrens are trying to take control. It's always something.

What kind of spookers are you using? I have not tried one yet...I cannot put something too "crazy" on my box, as we are in a community that would not allow anything that is too "wild". I guess I need an idea for something less noticeable to humans, but soemthing that bothers the HOSP. I tried fishing wire- that was a loss. I have exterminated soooo many, I am tired of it; there has to be a better way.

Sounds like you need to approach the president of your HOA and "win" her over. Perhaps if you printed out a picture of a spooker from the sialis site with beautiful color pics of blues it would work?? I can't imagine any rational person objecting to efforts to protect such beautiful birds.

If you have HOSP and can't do everything to protect your other birds, you probably should take down the boxes. It's hard not to take that personally but dead blues are worse. Sorry.