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attracting blue birds

Discussion in 'Nature/Habitat/Garden Corner' started by rharse, May 16, 2005.

  1. rharse

    rharse New Member

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    I saw a bluebird land on the deck -- once. What sort of food (or something else?) can I put out to attract him/her and his/her friends back? My thistle feeder sees plenty of goldfinches. My seed feeder has seen no activity at all.

    Being new to the area, I'm not sure (a) what birds are living among us, or (b) what they like to eat. :)
     
  2. habitatvolunteer2

    habitatvolunteer2 New Member

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    Virginia Bluebird Society has a web page with tips for purchasing and modifying bluebird feeders, providing mealworms & vegetation & a recipe for suet that bluebirds like, in addition to tips on providing water at: http://www.virginiabluebirds.org/pages/resource.html
     
  3. Carol Al-Ajroush

    Carol Al-Ajroush New Member

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    This is the first year that I have attempted to really put out a variety of flowers and plants on my deck -- my goal being I wanted to attract hummingbirds. However to my surprise and delight, all these other birds have seemed as if they are mesmerized by our deck. Even while my spouse and I have been sitting on our deck, bluebirds, cardinals and robins have perched on it! We do not have any kind of a feeder except the hummingbird feeder but plenty of potted and hanging plants/flowers. Are these birds attracted to flowers? I'm not complaining. I am enjoying have the birds come and like Rharse...any tips on how to keep the bluebirds and cardinals interested?
     
  4. PackersFan

    PackersFan New Member

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    You'll be amazed at the number of birds you can attract just with native plants. They like the nectar, eat the seeds, and pick spiders and bugs from the stems. We haven't had much luck getting bluebirds to eat at our feeders, but we have had them nest in a couple of boxes. You just have to watch out for the sparrows.
     
  5. pamD

    pamD New Member

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    I was somewhat disturbed by the aforementioned website's recommendation to kill the sparrows that try to take bluebird habitat. Although I completely agree with the reasoning, I don't think I could do it. How do others deal w/ the problem of sparrows in bluebird boxes?

    Pam D.
     
  6. Chsalas

    Chsalas Active Member

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    if you need to kill sparrows, I can rent you a couple of cats! At our old house, my cat would kill at least 2 birds a week (she got to go outside more often than now)
     
  7. Zansu

    Zansu New Member

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    I removed nests before they laid eggs. that was within my comfort zone. but you have to keep up with it.
     
  8. Linda Schlosser

    Linda Schlosser New Member

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    I believe VA Bluebird Society advocates the removal of the nest before eggs hatch. After a few times the couple will give up and move on. Of course another pair is right around the corner to fly in. Nurturing Bluebirds takes a little work but it is so much fun.

    Put out meal worms for bluebirds and watch the show! Use a plastic lid from a deli or margarine container. Set a few worms in it and them hide to watc the show. The bluebirds will spot the worms pretty quickly. The funniest part is when the bird tries to get all of the worms in his mouth at the same time. That's why I say put only a few out. If there are too many they still try to pick them all up but keep dropping some. It is funny but a little cruel.

    There is a bunch of information on Bluebirds at the Nature Center. Stop by.

    To attract other birds I recommend black oil sunflower seed. I won't use anything else in my yard. The mixed seed seems to fall to the ground as the birds pick through to get the type they like and lots of weeds grow. Using the black oil sunflower, all the seeds get eaten, there is no waste or weeds!
     
  9. Zansu

    Zansu New Member

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    except the sunflowers growing in the front foundation bed (birdfeeder is in back) where the chipmonks buried them!!! -- at least until the rabbits ate the sprouts.
     

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