Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 09:44:24 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Aguilera, Dianne (NCI/IMS)" Subject: Re: "Attack" bluebird MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hi Rick and Others, Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville not only has Kestrels hanging around in the area, but they nested on the property this summer! Unfortunately, after incubating for awhile, their 4 eggs did not survive. We don't have a conclusive answer why they didn't make it, but we're very excited that they chose the box on our property the first season that it was up. Next season should be exciting as we try to make some changes which will hopefully encourage nesting success. Our "Bluebird" boxes have been home to Bluebirds, Tree Swallows (yet to successfully fledge young for various unfortunate reasons), Chickadees, House Wrens, and Nuthatches. Other areas of the property have hosted nests of Eastern Kingbirds, Killdeer, White-eyed Vireos, Barn Swallows, Brown Thrashers, and many other species. Displaying Woodcocks are a regular attraction in the spring. All: Feel free to check out the birds and other wildlife (snakes, foxes, mice, butterflies, etc) at the church anytime. It is located at 2410 Spencerville Rd, Spencerville, MD (Montgomery County). That is Route 198 and the entrance is directly across from Peach Orchard Rd. It is 63 acres of previous farm property (nice grassland and scrub areas) which connects to wooded county property in the back. Dianne Depuy Aguilera Laurel, MD Howard County -----Original Message----- From: Rick Sussman [mailto:Warblerick@AOL.COM] Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 9:29 AM To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] "Attack" bluebird 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 ======================================================================= ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================