will robins destroy other nest to take over space?
12 years ago
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- 12 years ago
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HOSP take over Bluebird Nestbox!! $%$#@!
Comments (2)Sorry to hear this Tim. If I were you I would remove the HOSP nest and hope the blues return. I doubt you will get the female HOSP now that the male has left. In my experience with TRES I see them highly motivated to run off any bird in paired boxes when they are nest building. Once they are laying/incubating and feeding nestlings they focus much more on that then defending the other box. I have lots of paired boxes and that is what I have found anyway. As far as the Blues letting the HOSP take over the box...well they know they cannot win I suppose, no eggs or nestlings to defend so it is hard to say. I think each bluebird is different too on how hard they defend things. This year I have a hugely territorial male, never had one like this before. He has chased off my chickadees and is trying to chase off all the Tree Swallows in the yard. He is defending four nestboxes, two of these are 65 yards or so from the box they have eggs in. Nothing will be nesting in the box paired 35 feet from the blues nestbox...he won't allow it. The chickadees weren't even house hunting, just trying to eat out of the birdfeeders and he won't allow it. A couple times I have seen a HOSP come to the feeder and I quickly try to get the bb gun but the Male bluebirds chases it away before I can even think about it. He won't stop chasing until it is out of the yard too. I am curious to see if he calms down a bit once the eggs hatch which should be next week. Good luck to you, hope your blues can get down to business now that that HOSP is gone. Donna...See MoreDid House Wren take over Nuthatch nest?
Comments (20)Hi Konrad, Kinda sad to lose your RBNH nest... but this is nature at work I guess. Yes, we lost 1 bluebird egg to a HOWR 2 seasons ago. We saw him fly to and into the nest box, and come out with the pierced egg still impaled on his beak! We were waving our arms and shouting at him, as he dropped it on the ground and flew off. It all happened in 30 seconds or less. We discouraged him with a squirt gun for days and the parent blues dived bombed him mercilessly whenever he came near. He finally stopped coming around, and I'm happy to say the other 3 eggs hatched and fledged successfully. Hope your Nuthatches try again for you, Kenn Here is a link that might be useful: Latest Slideshow...See MoreOld robin's nest--new use?
Comments (3)I had a catbird using a robin's nest in my perennial g'house (roll up sides, and open to the air) up until last week. The robin had its eggs taken twice and finally gave up the nest for other digs. The poor catbird laid four eggs, and had been sitting for at least four or five days and we had a run of mid-ninety degree weather. She sat on those eggs with her beak open and panting. The structure had to be at least ten degrees above the ambient temperature. I checked the eggs daily when she left the nest and she deserted it. The last two days I checked, the eggs were cold. I have chickens who sit eggs and occasionally they'll destroy some in their nest and remove the remains. It leads me to believe they must be able to sense when an egg is not viable any longer. Perhaps the eggs from the catbird just simply fried in the heat. I had a dove try to sit a robin's nest in another location earlier in the year. She aborted it too, as it was in a busy location and I don't think doves are as comfortable with humans scurrying by as robins can be. You don't give your zone. It's a factor in how late a bird may nest. I have found blue jays babies on the ground dead after falling from their nest after storms in s.e. Ohio as late as October....See MoreHow do I know it's safe to take down a Dove nest?
Comments (18)Yea, but I fully understand how hard she worked. Cute little fledgling yesterday. She's really very calm when we come out the door and even when we stand on the deck and talk. Heck, sometimes, we forget she's up there. I'm thrilled to have birds and even help them out. I'm just ready to get it down when she's done. I'll be watching for signs that she's done. Not before she's done. ;)...See More- 12 years ago
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