could the heat have killed them?

11 years ago

we have been having 100* or more for what seems like weeks on end. my second nesting took place in a nest box out in front, in the wide open field. i put an umbrella over it for shade but the 4 hatchlings died off one by one at only a few days old.

they are now building in the back yard nest box where their first brood of 4 fledged successfully.

could the heat have killed the babies? i'm at a loss, they seemed very healthy the first 2 or 3 days. :(

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Comments (7)

Lexarose
11 years ago
Gosh ninapearl that is awful, I guess it's possible. Mine are in the open also but it hasn't quite gotten to 100 here yet. I'm afraid to go check on all the babies but i must. Maybe someone can answer better. So sorry....
dzyg
11 years ago
Sometimes in this really hot weather the bugs get pretty scarce...perhaps the adults couldn't find enough food. Does your box have good ventilation? I have heard of other having nestlings perish in this heat so it is possible but you would think with you shading it that, that would have helped. Do you feed mealworms at all? So sorry this has happened!!

Donna
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AGREED! Take up the fabric. Just like you, last summer I put down a LOT of fabric and everyone here told me to take it up. I'm now glad that I did. 1. It may not let moisture and air circulate... and that's critical to plant health 2. It's a ROYAL PAIN in the arse when it comes time to fluff mulch, add plants, move plants, dig, walk, blow your nose, pick your wedgie, whatever you might do in the garden. There is nothing more unsightly than exposed landscape fabric poking up thru the mulch. When I replaced my mulch this year, I could not WAIT to get that fabric up! yes, I have a few more weeds in the areas that I didn't put the fabric down last year, but, the plants are happier. It's just not worth the trouble for that fabric to be there.
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Hi Beth: Sorry to hear about this. I don't know why they have to be so ungrateful to us for providing them homes and food. We even make them squirrel houses where they stay in the winter and bear young in the spring. One thing that I dont feed them is peanuts with shells on them. When I did, they were storing them in the around the engine and then did the wiring damage.
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Ninapearl
Original Author
11 years ago
yes, the box is well ventilated and in fact, i drilled extra ventilation holes around the top right before they nested in this box.

i do feed freeze dried mealworms. however, these babies were still too small for them or for live mealworms, for that matter. i don't think there's a shortage of bugs around here. i often see the blues diving to the ground for bugs.

i'm sure by the time the nest is finished and she is ready to lay, there will be a break in the heat. if not, i intend to pack up the dogs and the pot bellied pigs and we are heading to alaska!!
Lexarose
11 years ago
This infernal heat wave is supposed to be ending soon thank goodness. Alaska sounds delightful about now. Just wondering about the mealworms, is it possible there's not enough moisture in the freeze dried unlike fresh? But it sounds like the parents were'nt feeding the worms yet. I don't know anything about mealworm feeding, it's the ONLY thing I don't do for these birds. Sounds like you were doing everything right for your birds.
out_about
11 years ago
I am so sorry to hear that! I have 2 nests hatched, one is bluebirds about 5 days old now, the other is tree swallows about 8 days old. We have had scorching heat of 100s upper 90s degrees over the last 2 weeks here in CO, albeit it is bone dry heat. I was pretty worried. I put "heat shield" with ice pack in it on top the nestboxes, white paper on the side of the boxes. I do feed mealworms to BB twice a day. Both nests are doing great, babies seem thriving, keeping my fingers crossed.
lisa11310
11 years ago
Nina.....what about the goats? : )
Ninapearl
Original Author
11 years ago
teehee, lisa! i don't have the goats anymore. i re-homed them with a friend who has them on 30 acres of lush pasture. they are in goat heaven! they just got to be too much work for me and the two boys i had would NOT stop ramming me in the back. my spinal surgeon would not have been happy with that!

funny though...i was raiding grackle nests and giving the eggs to my pot bellied pigs. they LOVED 'em!

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could the heat have killed them?

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Lexarose

dzyg

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could the heat have killed them?

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Lexarose

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