Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 20:33:20 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Arlene Ripley Subject: Re: "Attack" bluebird In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed At 08:06 PM 8/2/01, Rick Sussman wrote: > > Anyone else ever experience an "attack bluebird" ? My only other experience >with them was a more normal pair that let me examine the box/young regularly. Rick, I monitor close to a hundred bluebird boxes every year and the "attack" bluebird is uncommon but no unheard of. In my own yard, I once had a pair who snapped over my head every time I checked their nest box. Individuals vary in their aggressiveness -- considering the odds against them, it probably would help if more bluebirds acted in this manner. It's not uncommon behavior for any pair of bluebirds on the day their young fledge. I've watched them go after everything that comes in the vicinity of their box on that day, including squirrels, dogs, cats, other birds, etc. It must be an exhausting day for them -- for me it is a sign that the young are about to fly. When monitoring boxes, females also respond differently. Some sit quietly on the nest, refusing to move (probably hoping you won't notice them) while others rush right out at the first sign that someone is approaching. It's interesting to observe the different temperaments. //////// Arlene Ripley | || Calvert County, MD | 0 || aripley@nestbox.com | || http://www.nestbox.com || ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================