![]() ![]() While bluebirds may find a new feeder most easily if it's located near a bird house, do not continue to feed birds near or on a bird house. Since bluebirds occasionally get confused and have trouble getting out of enclosed feeders with clear plastic sides (especially older feeders with only two openings instead of six) many people mark the clear sides with rows of black tape or draw patterns with magic markers. Sexton says parent bluebirds bring their young and teach them to use the feeder. During bluebird training, leave one side off or the roof open to help birds find the food. Her feeder has six 1 1/2-inch holes - two through each clear side and one through each wooden end. Setting the feeder on a table so it doesn't swing and placing a small branch though the openings might help with training.ĭorothy Sexton of Farragut uses a rectangular bluebird feeder with removable clear plastic sides, wooden ends and a hinged roof. They seem a little intimidated but they're gradually getting the hang of it - except for one pudgy male. With the lid closed, it's taking some bluebirds a while to learn to go in and out. You can use any small clear glass or plastic container with straight slick sides to hold mealworms. Once bluebirds adjusted to this, I put the lid on the feeder. After bluebirds learned to fly down into the feeder, I removed the second tray and put mealworms into the blue glass dish in the center of the feeder. I also hung the new feeder, with its lid open, beneath the bird house.Īfter bluebirds checked out the new house and immediately found the mealworms, I placed a second tray of worms inside the open feeder. So, highly visible out in the open, I placed a small metal mesh tray holding a dozen mealworms on the roof of a bluebird box temporarily placed near the pin oak branches where bluebirds like to perch and stare down to find insects on the lawn. There's nothing like a new bird house to get the attention of bluebirds. My training school is in the front yard, where I see bluebirds most frequently. The 1 1/2-inch-square openings admit small birds (Eastern bluebirds, Carolina chickadees, Carolina wrens and tufted titmice so far) but exclude larger robins, starlings, blue jays and bully mockingbirds. It holds mealworms in a small removable glass dish with straight sides (the worms can't climb out) protected inside a round vinyl-coated wire cage. I'm training bluebirds to use a "bluebird nut" feeder. To help bluebirds survive winter days with freezing temperatures and snow-covered ground (when little food is available) train bluebirds to use a feeder ahead-of-time - before winter storms blow in. Most feeders contain only seeds - not the insects and berries eaten by bluebirds.Įven if you provide a special bluebird feeder stocked with succulent live mealworms, bluebirds usually need human guidance to find and learn to use the feeder. Eastern bluebirds don't normally come to bird feeders. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |