Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 09:28:41 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Rick Sussman Subject: Re: "Attack" bluebird MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi again, Thanks to Arlene, Gail and Mike for responding to my query about "attack bluebirds". House Sparrows have not been too big a problem, but there are a few pairs about, and I have seen them checking out this box. There's no way they could have moved in, given the feistiness of the male. I purposely put the box where I did, well away from the townhomes, to deter house Sparrows, since they are less likely to move into boxes that are farther away from human habitation. I also painted the 4x4 post white (but left the box natural) to make it easier for me or others to see if a snake was climbing the post to get at young. A snake (particularly a black snake) would stand out from quite a distance if it attempted to climb to the box. I haven't put a predator guard up, but suppose I should. I consider myself lucky to have the bluebirds, and also the first pair of Tree Swallows, in this box, which I only put up this spring. My guess is that there's quite a shortage of boxes around here. When we first moved here 15 years ago, a local farmer had many boxes up surrounding his fields, but since his death some years ago, the boxes have fallen into disrepair, and a shortage has occured. I hope to get another box put up by next spring, on the other side of our pond. The amount of land here would dictate no more than 2 bluebird boxes, but I do have boxes up for chickadees, wrens, etc. with much usage over the years. Also had a pair of Baltimore Orioles, Yellow Warblers, E. Kingbirds, many catbirds, mockers, Carolina Wrens, doves, grackles, etc. It has been a busy summer! Thanks to all who responded or still may respond to my "attack bluebirds" message. We're off for a few days of camping at Shenandoah. P.S., Mike, I know just where that church is in Spencerville; we drive by there all the time. Really good bluebird habitat, as well as for kestrels. I have seen kestrels perched on the wires across the street from the church (not recently though as there is development going on there). Rick Sussman Ashton,Montgomery County, MD warblerick@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================