Squirrels will kill adult birds at feeders also. When I lived around them I had squirrel baffles on the poles and all my feeders had grids. My platform feeder had a 1" grid over it also to keep out the starlings and cowbirds that bully the song birds. Keeping the feeders and birdhouses quite far from fences and trees helps also. Squirrels can jump really far. I have a friend who calls them flying rats. I also had a clear dome over one niger feeder. It's a lot of paraphernalia but I felt like I had to protect them if I was going to lure birds to the feeders. Here we have trouble with hawks that sit on the fence and wait for the quail and small birds to get distracted. There's kind of a downside to feeders and bird baths I guess. Birdhouses are easier to protect. Sounds like you have a good plan for the houses. So nice that you are looking out for the babies.

Welcome! First, nestboxes should never be mounted on fences, wooden posts, trees or anything else a predator can easily climb up. They should be mounted on slick metal poles (conduit) with predator baffles (wobbling stovepipe) and put up at least 15 feet away from any fence/tree or anything a predator can jump from. Your raccoon you relocated could be back anytime and or another raccoon could come by and see its happy meal sitting waiting on the fence for it. Please visit sialis.org for helpful information on properly mounting nestboxes and info on sparrow spookers/wren guards etc. If you see birds sitting with the Blues and not being chased away they are not wrens or HOSP. They are most likey House Finches which like to hang with Blues for some reason. However being you are on a farm with other farms around you probably most likely have HOSP around. A sparrow spooker will not scare the Blues away from their nesting and I would put one up asap, right after you move that box off that fence and to a safer spot about 15 feet away from the fence. Yes you can move an active nesting like this, the Blues won't abandon it because of moving it. As far as the TRES you can do the same with that box but you will need to be much more careful if there are eggs. It is really hard to see in their nests because of all the feathers but usually when it is loaded with feathers that means there are eggs in there. I just did a nestbox switch on an active Blues nesting because the momma blue laid seven eggs (which all hatched)in a smaller Gilwood style box, it has a 3 1/2" x 4 1/4" floor. I switched the nest to a larger box mounted on the same pole and had no problems with the adults accepting it. The nestlings were five days old. Good luck! Donna

Cockatiel or Cockatoo? Are you raising parrots? Carla

ttodd, Spectacular close-up shots....simply amazing! amysrq, Isn't it wonderful? As many times as I've watched it, I never get tired of it. Nature's wonders. goldgirl, There have been a few times I've sat down to watch my Hummer visitors, only to notice a couple hours later how quickly time had gone by and I hadn't accomplished a darn thing. Watching those little jewels becomes addictive....be careful! :) Mine have gotten so used to me being outside working the gardens, they don't even flinch when I walk by. In fact, a few actually follow me around and some actually look right at the camera when I'm ready to take the shot. Addictive, I tell ya. In a goooood way. :) For all the Hummer Juicy I make, I need to take out stock in C & H Pure Cane Sugar. Coming in for a Landing. I'm changing the plants in an old iron bird cage and my visitor sits on the bird cage door, watching what I'm doing. This guy just kept fluttering in front of me, checking out the thing in my hand....my camera. Lunch Bell for the Newbies. I added color to the Juicy so they would see it. After they learn where it's at, I no longer add the color. I'm stringing some Morning Glory in through Chix Wire of a homemade topiary. This little Jewel stuck by me all day so I called him "My Groupie".