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Getting BB's to eat mealies ??

17 years ago

Is there a trick to this? My son-in-law got me some from a bait shop in MS. while i wait for my order to arrive....for the past 2 days i've had them between the 2 trees the BB's perch in. i have them in a clear glass cup close to the ground where i see them fly down to eat....they have been flying over and around these mealies like they aren't there...this morning i watched 4 of them land very close to the cup, which i thought they had finally seen the free meal in but oh no....went to the grass....geeeez....how long does it take them to go to the mealies?....the mealies are very lively....i'd think they would notice them right away....guess they're not like other birds that go to seed feeders right away or maybe they are finding enough natural food?

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Comments (4)

kenn3d
17 years ago
Hi coastalblue,

Sounds to me like you're doin' all the right things. Ours found 'em pretty quick, but I've read that others have had similar frustrations at first just as you're having.

I think your best bet is just keep offering the worms for as long as you keep seeing them. Once they find them, you can move the feeder where you want it and they will find it again easily.

good luck,

Kenn

Here is a link that might be useful: Kenn & Temple's Bluebirds
coastalblue
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for your reply Ken !!.....today an adult male actually went to the bowl with mealies....: )....the bowl is too far away from my porch where i watch them from but it appeared he was either checking them out or eating...he was bent over inside the bowl, tail facing me...of all times for hubby to have my binocs on the boat with him...geeeeeeez....but if he was eating he didnt come back for more...i checked a little bit after he left and the mealies were still quite active....hopefully that was a beginning....seems that i'm spending most of my days outside watching the BB's.......lol....BTW....what kind of food is that in the bowl next to the mealies in the pic?....and once again....you take best pics i've ever seen!!!
Bren
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coastalblue
Original Author
17 years ago
woooohooooooo.....seen another, maybe the same male BB eating mealies again today...there was 2 more in the tree with him but they weren't takers.... : (
kenn3d
17 years ago
Hi coastalblue,

Congrats on getting your blues started with the mealies! This time of year they still find plenty to eat and may not show quite as much intensity about the mealworms. But believe me, once they know you're serving them, they'll check back. It's a great treat for them and a good way to encourage them to visit you.

The other bowl is suet nuggets (Lowe's). Many other bluebirders have told me theirs didn't take to them, but all of ours do eat them pretty regularly here. Our parent birds also taught the fledges to eat them.

Thanks for your kind words on the photos, and best luck to you.

Kenn :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Kenn & Temple's Bluebird Gallery

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