In article , Kira Dirlik wrote:
On 31 Jan 2003 09:19:36 -0500, "C.L. Lassiter"
wrote:

I had a flying squirrel use one last winter, but s/he didn't hang
around for long.

cl

I just checked my bluebird house again (which I do about once a
month), and that little flying squirrel squirmed around in the nest,
then poked his head out the top of it to look at me. He/she doesn't
seem very scared of me anymore. Soooo cute. Big black eyes and
little pink nose. Okay.... 3 years in there.... I wonder if the
squirrels poop in their nest. I don't know if babies have been in
there. I sure wish I could clean it out, but I don't want to evict
the resident.
My Daughter worked for the Museum of natural Science as an intern and
one of her jobs was to care for the flying squirrel. She warn that they
love to burrow and will jump down you blouse in a heart beat.
Kira

This discussion has me courious. Would anyone like to give me an education
about Blue Birds and how to kep then around? I just had 2 in my back yard
and have seen them (the "in general" them ) on and off for the 6 years I
have lived in this house. If this helps, I have a pretty big back yard that
is clear and a Peach orchard at the edge. I am not sure is that qualifies as
woods or not.
Thanks to anyone in advance for any information you can give me or point me
twards.

MJ
"Diane" dfeNo Spam wrote in message
.com...
J. Fleming wrote:

snip


An important point on placing the boxes: 30 - 50' apart is right if
they
are all out in the open and placed 4-6' above the ground level. If they
are at wood's edge or in the woods, please only expect nuthatches,
chickadees, Carolina wrens and titmice. Although last year I did have a
pair of bluebirds nest in the box that I put up for the Carolina wren
that
insists on nesting inside of my garden shed (until I screened her out).
This particular box is placed under the eaves--where I have the hay for
my
ponies and next to the dog run under trees. I can't figure why it was
so
appealing to them, especially when I walk past and get things there a
minimum of twice a day. The wren was sure glad when they fledged their
group and could move in for their traditional two broods.

My one bluebird box is in my front yard with woods behind but lots of lawn
open space from several lawns on the cul-de-sac where I live. I've had
nests there for five years. There are big trees in all our yards so I
would consider it a "wood's edge" environment. So we must have just enough
meadowy area for them. In the woods, I agree that the other species you
mentioned would be the norm.

And back to more gardening conversation... Does anyone else have
daffodils poking up four or five inches like I do? This weather sure is
going to confuse some of my plants!

Yes I do. Mine were about an inch or two up. I put some mulch on them
and
they just poked further up through it! I hope they know what they are
doing.

Oh, and one more thing that is just a charming description. A friend of
mine said that when she was little, her younger sister picked up a
feather
from the ground as they were walking in a park and explaimed "Oh! What
a
pretty bird leaf!" Their whole family still call feathers "bird
leaves."
Only kids come up with something like that.

Judi

Couldn't possibly snip that :-)

--
Diane

A good place to start is the North American Blue Bird Society at:
http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/

I should also say that it took three years for my bluebirds to notice and use
the boxes I had put out for them. Now seven years later, the resident flock of
twelve fly around scolding me until I feed them their daily batch of meal
worms. Spoiled little critters!

Bye for now,

Judi

MJC wrote:

This discussion has me courious. Would anyone like to give me an education
about Blue Birds and how to kep then around? I just had 2 in my back yard
and have seen them (the "in general" them ) on and off for the 6 years I
have lived in this house. If this helps, I have a pretty big back yard that
is clear and a Peach orchard at the edge. I am not sure is that qualifies as
woods or not.
Thanks to anyone in advance for any information you can give me or point me
twards.

MJ
"Diane" dfeNo Spam wrote in message
.com...
J. Fleming wrote:

snip


An important point on placing the boxes: 30 - 50' apart is right if
they
are all out in the open and placed 4-6' above the ground level. If they
are at wood's edge or in the woods, please only expect nuthatches,
chickadees, Carolina wrens and titmice. Although last year I did have a
pair of bluebirds nest in the box that I put up for the Carolina wren
that
insists on nesting inside of my garden shed (until I screened her out).
This particular box is placed under the eaves--where I have the hay for
my
ponies and next to the dog run under trees. I can't figure why it was
so
appealing to them, especially when I walk past and get things there a
minimum of twice a day. The wren was sure glad when they fledged their
group and could move in for their traditional two broods.

My one bluebird box is in my front yard with woods behind but lots of lawn
open space from several lawns on the cul-de-sac where I live. I've had
nests there for five years. There are big trees in all our yards so I
would consider it a "wood's edge" environment. So we must have just enough
meadowy area for them. In the woods, I agree that the other species you
mentioned would be the norm.

And back to more gardening conversation... Does anyone else have
daffodils poking up four or five inches like I do? This weather sure is
going to confuse some of my plants!

Yes I do. Mine were about an inch or two up. I put some mulch on them
and
they just poked further up through it! I hope they know what they are
doing.

Oh, and one more thing that is just a charming description. A friend of
mine said that when she was little, her younger sister picked up a
feather
from the ground as they were walking in a park and explaimed "Oh! What
a
pretty bird leaf!" Their whole family still call feathers "bird
leaves."
Only kids come up with something like that.

Judi

Couldn't possibly snip that :-)

--
Diane

J. Fleming wrote:
A good place to start is the North American Blue Bird Society at:
http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/

And speaking of birds....

I've had 2 regular visitors to my suet feeder this winter--a pine
warbler (lovely little bird) that I think is a return from last winter and
a yellow-bellied sapsucker. I've never had a sapsucker before. I knew it
wasn't the downy as it had a red throat as well as head, so I got out my
book. Every time I tried to get a clear view, it would hop around to the
opposite side of the tree. Finally I got a good look, and check it out.
One of the characteristics is that when its approached, it hops around to
the opposite side of the tree. :-)

And yes, my daffodils are poking up too.

cl

I've had 2 regular visitors to my suet feeder this winter--a pine
warbler (lovely little bird) that I think is a return from last winter and
a yellow-bellied sapsucker.


I've got the Pine Warbler too!!!! I wasn't sure if I had identified it
properly, but now that you say it's so... then it must be! This is the first
time I've seen the Warbler in 4 years living in this house. Wonder where they
came from all of a sudden?

About the bluebird houses.... I have three and the birds finally have nested
in one. I was told by my dad a long time ago to clean them out, but do you
think that is correct? I saw someone mention that they like to cuddle up in
the houses during the winter, so maybe they need their nests? I also have
flying squirrels but have never seen them in the boxes.

Thanks for the help,

Holly

"BONEUNIT" wrote in message
...
About the bluebird houses.... I have three and the birds finally have
nested
in one. I was told by my dad a long time ago to clean them out, but do
you
think that is correct? I saw someone mention that they like to cuddle up
in
the houses during the winter, so maybe they need their nests? I also have
flying squirrels but have never seen them in the boxes.

Yes, you should definitely clean them out. Old nesting material can harbor
parasites and once the babies have fledged, the nests are pretty nasty.
Bluebird chicks don't wear diapers, so you can imagine. It's nice for the
birds to start fresh for each brood. Last Spring I had two sets of bluebird
eggs hatch in my bluebird house. I cleaned out the older nest as soon as
the babies were gone and the adult couple were at it again in a couple of
weeks (or maybe it was a different couple - hard to tell). In the winter as
many as 15 bluebirds can congregate in a bluebird house for warmth - but
only for a day or two. The nesting material would just be in the way with
that many birds in there.

BONEUNIT wrote:
I've had 2 regular visitors to my suet feeder this winter--a pine
warbler (lovely little bird) that I think is a return from last winter and
a yellow-bellied sapsucker.


I've got the Pine Warbler too!!!! I wasn't sure if I had identified it
properly, but now that you say it's so... then it must be! This is the first
time I've seen the Warbler in 4 years living in this house. Wonder where they
came from all of a sudden?

I don't have my book with me, but I'm fairly certain that they're
winter visiters--probably head north in early spring. Just an "educated"
guess.


About the bluebird houses.... I have three and the birds finally have nested
in one. I was told by my dad a long time ago to clean them out, but do you
think that is correct? I saw someone mention that they like to cuddle up in
the houses during the winter, so maybe they need their nests? I also have
flying squirrels but have never seen them in the boxes.

I clean them out about now as I've already seen tons of bluebirds
in the neighborhood.

I had a flying squirrel use one last winter, but s/he didn't hang
around for long.

cl

On 31 Jan 2003 09:19:36 -0500, "C.L. Lassiter"
wrote:

I had a flying squirrel use one last winter, but s/he didn't hang
around for long.

cl

I just checked my bluebird house again (which I do about once a
month), and that little flying squirrel squirmed around in the nest,
then poked his head out the top of it to look at me. He/she doesn't
seem very scared of me anymore. Soooo cute. Big black eyes and
little pink nose. Okay.... 3 years in there.... I wonder if the
squirrels poop in their nest. I don't know if babies have been in
there. I sure wish I could clean it out, but I don't want to evict
the resident.
Kira

In article , Kira Dirlik wrote:
On 31 Jan 2003 09:19:36 -0500, "C.L. Lassiter"
wrote:

I had a flying squirrel use one last winter, but s/he didn't hang
around for long.

cl

I just checked my bluebird house again (which I do about once a
month), and that little flying squirrel squirmed around in the nest,
then poked his head out the top of it to look at me. He/she doesn't
seem very scared of me anymore. Soooo cute. Big black eyes and
little pink nose. Okay.... 3 years in there.... I wonder if the
squirrels poop in their nest. I don't know if babies have been in
there. I sure wish I could clean it out, but I don't want to evict
the resident.
My Daughter worked for the Museum of natural Science as an intern and
one of her jobs was to care for the flying squirrel. She warn that they
love to burrow and will jump down you blouse in a heart beat.
Kira