Cute pics! Reminds me I better check my birdhouse on the patio. This morning I saw a chickadee sitting on top of it. It's really only for decoration but maybe she was thinking of moving in! Not sure it would be safe for them as the hole is quite large and predator birds could get in. It originally was blocked so birds didn't nest in it but that piece has fallen off. We have lots of trees and leave most snags in the woods for nesting as well and feel it's best for them to nest in their natural habitat.

This is excatly what happened to me, as I stated above, although the nest I found the bumble bee in wasn't inhabited by Dees, at least not yet, but there was some nesting material inside, so one of my backyard birds had started getting ready but most likely abandoned it due to the bee. I know how you felt, it was scary, not knowing where the bee was hiding or whether or not it would try to sting me. I'm just glad that you got to the bottom of it and that nobody was hurt in the process. Linda

Great story! I thought teacher ... or doctor ... or psychiatrist. Sheila Joyce, May I suggest an amendment to your suggestion that "He will build his children into wonderful adults"? to "he will advise/enable/help his children to build themselves into wonderful adults", as each of us is responsible to build our own lives and when we have major and deep discussions and advice from skilled, loving and concerned parents it sure helps us as we go about that ongoing on long-term task. Good wishes, everyone, for being as wise and helpful if you may be in such a situation. ole joyful

I have a bluebird house that I put out last spring - it was occupied by a pair of blues almost immediately. I named them Burt and Bertha. They had 3 different clutches of eggs, but only the last clutch hatched. They had 4 beautiful babies and stayed around the house all summer and fall. Over the winter, a pair of house sparrows showed up. There were battles on and off for the house, but the bluebirds seemed to always chase the sparrows away. I haven't seen the sparrows in several weeks, but I've been checking the house and so far it is empty. Nothing is nesting in it at all. I was really hoping Burt and Bertha would use it again this season. I still see them in the yard every day and sometimes they come and sit on the house and go inside here and there. But... so far, no nest. I'm so sad! Is there anything I can do to attract them back into the house? My guess is they got tired of the HOSP battle and decided to build a nest somewhere else. I know it may be a little early yet, but this time last year they had a nest with 5 eggs in it already.