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Wondered what he would think of a red house....

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Fowler
mirycreek
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mirycreek

mirycreek
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Golden Member

I wondered if mr bluebird would approve, seems like he does, it does set his own color off rather nicely don't you think?
Wondered what he would think of a red  house.... P6186210
Now just to convince the mrs...There she is back left corner, isn't totally sold on that color yet..".maybe a bit too gaudy m'dear?"

Wondered what he would think of a red  house.... P6186211

Thanks to An and her son from Ft Mcleod, we now have two very nice birdhouses!
We painted the other one white.
Around here it is:
Wondered what he would think of a red  house.... P6186212
Well, except when the peas and corn are sprouting in the garden!!

http://www.feathers-farm.webs.com

Fowler

Fowler
Golden Member
Golden Member

SO not fair!

I've been trying to get an Eastern Bluebird to nest in one of my houses forever!

Guest


Guest

Ah, what lovely contrasting colours, these are the fun days of bright colours and blowing grasses, and y our photos are so lovely.

It reminds me of a story recanted to me recently. Someone I know lives on a small acreage in a small town out here, and they had a mallard pair move in to the brush area that borders their property. He said the female walked from tree to tree with the drake in tow. She would reach a tree, walk around it, look it up and down and quack endlessly when she was done. The drake would quack back and she would continue her business, checking out the next tree before continuing. He said the drake looked bored, as though being dragged along house shopping knowing his opinion didn't matter. There was a group of collapsed trees that had a few gaps in which a nest could be safely made, and when she arrived at this area, he said she quacked loudly at him before stopping. He said after 15 seconds of silence, the drake let out one low quack and they've been in that fallen brush ever since.

Very Happy

lady leghorn


Addicted Member
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We never saw bluebirds like that in B.C.    When I first saw them, I thought they were the most beautiful birds ever.  Still do.

Loveliest colour ever.  Smile        Lucky you, to have some at your place.  Smile

mirycreek

mirycreek
Golden Member
Golden Member

we also grew up in BC so were really thrilled to see these super bright ones out here in the prairies.
Water is the big thing to attract them out here, bluebirds constantly bathe in the summer. not sure if they have mites or just really like to be be clean, unlike the robins who like to bathe by themselves with the bluebirds it is a community activity, there can be 5 or 6 all bathing at once!
here's my birdbath this year, I made it two tires taller and suddenly the waxwings really liked it, they stop here on their way by in the Spring and Fall
Wondered what he would think of a red  house.... P6096110



Loved your story, Sweetened! Sounds something like the human species as well.Very Happy

With bluebirds, it is the males who choose the houses I think, they come back first and scout for homes, then when they find  a girl they show her the home, I guess if she likes the home she chooses him, if no, maybe  she chooses another one with a better house!

http://www.feathers-farm.webs.com

uno

uno
Golden Member
Golden Member

Miry! What a jaw droppingly awesome photo. It almost brought tears to my eyes. That's a million dollar shot. Either you are very skilled with a camera, or got lucky. My spirit lifted and soared out onto that awesome and incredible prairie. Wow.

coopslave

coopslave
Golden Member
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lady leghorn wrote:We never saw bluebirds like that in B.C.    When I first saw them, I thought they were the most beautiful birds ever.  Still do.

Loveliest colour ever.  Smile        Lucky you, to have some at your place.  Smile

Interesting, we have them up here. Don't see lots of them, but see them regularly.
Great photo Miry, I find them difficult to photograph. They are busy things and very private.

mirycreek

mirycreek
Golden Member
Golden Member

uno wrote:Miry! What a jaw droppingly awesome photo. It almost brought tears to my eyes. That's a million dollar shot. Either you are very skilled with a camera, or got lucky. My spirit lifted and soared out onto that awesome and incredible prairie. Wow.
thankyou for the very generous praise Uno and everyone!  Just got lucky I think, and finally dug out my zoom lens that I never bother to put on but it makes you able to take better pics of birds for sure!
We have a shrike nesting just down the road and I want to try to get a pic of them, without disturbing too much so that is why I had the zoom on.  Glad you like the pic!
I think these are the mountain bluebirds, in Penticton we had mostly the western bluebirds, the males are blue but have rusty red breasts.



Last edited by mirycreek on Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:36 pm; edited 2 times in total

http://www.feathers-farm.webs.com

mirycreek

mirycreek
Golden Member
Golden Member



An ideal nest box for bluebirds would have a floor 20 cm square, walls 25 cm high, with a 3.8 cm diameter entrance hole located 18 cm above the floor.

The top of the birdhouse should be easily opened for cleaning. It should overhang the entrance hole to provide protection from rain.

Two 6-mm holes should be drilled near the top of each side for ventilation and two 6-mm holes should be made in the floor for drainage.

Perches should not be placed on the birdhouse, as they only encourage House Sparrows to take up residence.

If an exterior finish is desired to preserve the wood, a woodstain is adequate. If houses are painted, a light green, brown, or grey should be used. White is too conspicuous, and a white nest box is often shunned by bluebirds. Dark colors absorb heat, which may become too intense for the eggs or young in the nest box. Do not paint or varnish the inside of the box. The interior walls should have a rough surface to aid the bird in climbing up to the entrance hole.


This makes sense in terms of what I have seen them doing, the boy picks the house!

The males often arrive first, and waste little time in searching out suitable nesting sites: woodpecker excavations and decayed cavities in trees are used where available. In the treeless badlands, bluebirds nest in cracks and crevices of steep eroding hillsides. In built-up areas, they move into machinery, nooks and crannies in buildings, fence-posts, and utility poles. Recently, the birdhouse has become an important nesting site.

Once the male has found cavities to his liking, he entices a prospective mate to inspect them. The male goes in and out of each cavity, fluttering excitedly about the female and calling continually, all in an effort to have her accept the site. This exuberant display may last, off and on, for hours or even days, until a female finally condescends to try out the cavity for size. She decides whether to accept or reject the site.

After a nest site is agreed upon, both birds defend the immediate area. The female builds the nest of dry grass stems and finer plant material, including thin strips of soft bark, while the male oversees her activities and guards against intruders. This process may take anywhere from two days to more than a week.

Soon after completing the nest, the female lays one egg each day until the clutch, usually with five or six eggs, is complete. Occasionally there are up to eight eggs in a clutch.

Incubation, or warming of the eggs until they hatch, starts after the final egg is laid and lasts for approximately 13 days. Only the female performs this task. She sits on the eggs all night and most of the day, leaving the nest briefly to feed. Occasionally, the male brings food to his mate.

After the eggs hatch, the blind, naked, and helpless fledglings must be fed. The female spends much of her time the first week brooding, or sitting on the young birds to keep them warm, and feeding them with food delivered by the male. On a diet of insects, including beetles, cutworms, and grasshoppers, the fledglings grow rapidly, doubling their body weight two or three times during the first week of life. The young birds’ droppings come encased in a sac that can be carried away by the adults, so the nest remains clean for the first week or two. At 14 days of age the tiny bodies are nearly completely feathered, and the young leave the nest at about 18 to 21 days, although the timing of fledging is quite variable. Bluebirds are able to fly about 100 m on their first rather haphazard flight.

The young are wholly dependent for about three days, and may not be fully independent until two months later. Approximately half of adult pairs prepare a nest for a second brood. This is usually built in the same cavity. The second clutch of eggs is about one egg smaller than the first. If the eggs or young of any brood are destroyed by predators, the bluebirds will avoid the nesting site for the rest of the season and may move as much as 200 km to establish a new nest site.

Groups of one or more families and other individuals remain in the area throughout the summer and autumn until cold weather drives them south for another winter.




So much for painting one of them white! And red, oh dear it is a dark color maybe will absorb too much heat for the little ones, perhaps mrs bluebird knows best and wont choose the red or white house?
I always look this stuff up after! oh well, we will let them decide....

http://www.feathers-farm.webs.com

Blue Hill Farm

Blue Hill Farm
Golden Member
Golden Member

Ooo lucky you! Smile They are beautiful!

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