2 day old TRES raining in the hole....

18 years ago

Yikes! My TRES hatched yesterday. I knew we were to get storms today so I taped up all the cracks and vent holes yesterday afternoon. The wind gusts are blowing heavy rain right into the box. It's a good box, nice drain holes. I would be so afraid to touch such small babies. It is going to storm off and on for the next few days...also going to be HOT and HUMID near 90 temps with humidity sky high. I do have an extra BB nest if the nest is really soaked. I think the Duck feathers she used may keep it dry enough. NOW if it's going to keep storming and be so hot...do I open the vents and let it get wet or leave them closed in such high temps???? I know wet nest and cold = dead chicks...how about wet nest and heat? Also sounds like perfect breeding for blowfly etc. Really need some help here.

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Comments (6)

bluebirdbabe
18 years ago
Lisa, I'm in the boat with ya. I have 2 tres nests with babies and a blue sitting on eggs (second nest :) I am also worried about how the tres are going to feed the babies with this nasty weather hanging around for so long. Hopefully someone will help us both.

Karen
donnalovesblue
18 years ago
Lisa...hope you don't mind my response as a question....Mama's 4 eggs hatched on Tuesday, I think...it is so very hot...mid 90's, but no rain in sight for about 4 or 5 days...will this heat affect the nestlings??? The entrance hole faces north, so it doesn't get the extreme east/west sun.

I thought after their first successful nesting, there wouldn't be any worries the second go around!!! LOL...

I'm confident you'll figure out your hot/wet dilemma...let us know what happens..

Donna
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lisa11310
Original Author
18 years ago
Well the good news is that the nest is only slightly damp around the edges. The wood inside the box is damp too. I think the Duck feathers shed the rain right to the sides of the nest. Smart Mom. The even better news is that it has only made it up to 68. Tomorrows forcast has been revised to inclued strong thundershowers but now only 84 as a high. Rain will end Sat with a high of 83. I am leaving the vents taped, 68 is a little cool but Mom is on the babies now and I am sure all will be fine. Karen, it should have stopped raining there by now...so I don't think we are going to have to try flinging crickets! LOL Donna, I think your babies will be fine ( I forgot are these TRES or Blues)? I thought I warned you earlier that just when you thought you made it through all your worries a whole new set would pop up! Lots of posts in April on "how do I keep my babies warm" now we are moving on to "how do I keep my babies cool" LOL There have been some very inovative things done from putting a big smiley umbrella over the box to covering the box in styrafoam. I take an ice pack and put ON TOP of the box (not in) and cover it with a towel during the hotest part of the day. Don't really know if it helps the birds but it helps *ME* Right now your Mom is taking care of temp controll. Go back and look at pages from last summer, I am sure you will get a kick out of some of the things we have done to our boxes!
donnalovesblue
18 years ago
Yes Lisa...I well remember all those warnings, even immediately after I submitted my response..bet some of you are saying, "doesn't that girl remember ANYTHING we've taught her"???!!!LOL..just another senior moment! I will attempt to look at the posts from last summer as you suggested, if I can figure out how!! I'm just not sure how hot it has to be before nestlings could be in jeopardy, if any. (btw, blues)

Glad things are working out weather wise for you..
lisa11310
Original Author
18 years ago
Donna, it wasn't really the heat I was worried about but the combination of a wet nest and heat. We have had a stroke of luck and it is very breezy, 80 and no rain. I took the tape off and the nest should be dry in notime!I tried to go back and find some of those old posts. I think the best ones were 2 or 3 yrs ago. I asked Janie and Nina about them in another thread. Hope someone has them! I am sure as we get further into the hot weather there will be more suggestions.
donnalovesblue
18 years ago
Further into hot weather???? LOL...we are already in the low to mid 90's and the humidity today is very high....so I hope those suggestions come pretty quickly...if now is any indication as to what's to come, we are in for a miserable July and August!!!! Maybe someone on the forum has a cabin in the mountains they could offer me for awhile!!!

So glad your weather took a turn for the better and that the nest is totally dry....

2 day old TRES raining in the hole....

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2 day old TRES raining in the hole....

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