Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 11:58:53 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Jerry & Laura Tarbell Subject: Re: Dead Bluebird MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bob Mumford wrote: > > Yesterday I checked out all my nest boxes, cleaning out old material. I > opened one and found a newly made nest (about two inches of moss, topped with > fine material) and a stone dead male Bluebird on top. There were no eggs. > > Any ideas of what this was all about? > > Bob Mumford > Darnestown, MD > > ======================================================================= > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= Bob, The moss indicates that either a chickadee or a titmouse was starting to use your box. That does not explain the dead bluebird. Can't imagine that a chickadee or titmouse would have done him in, but a sparrow, of course, would. Happens all the time. At this time of year there is a lot of competition for these boxes and it may be that you had three different species going after it at once. This is not uncommon. Wait 'til the tree swallows join the fray, too. I think that a chickadee started building an nest, a bluebird came in to check it out and met up with a sparrow who was also in the area. Just remove the bird and sit back and see who finally wins. Jerry Tarbell Carroll County ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================