Bluebirds--Falling in Love and Dealing with Trauma of Premature Fledging due to Snake Predation.

I provide this narrative to (1) introduce how we became interested in bluebird nest and more importantly (2) relay our stragegies in a premature fledging situation.

We had a tough winter in Virginia.  We have always fed the birds during all year long.  I've never gotten fancy, just black oil sunflower, millet for the smaller birds and suet (which I make)**.We had a couple of days cobbled together of -5F nights, which has been unusual in recent winters.  Also, we had a few freakish snow storms.  Those two things presented a perfect storm for bird's needing supplemental feeding.

When it is so cold, to give the birds a caloric boost, I make suet.  I typically melt lard and peanut butter together and add various flours.  The recipe that I am using consistently is 1 part fat (combo of mostly lard and some peanut butter; 2 parts corn meal; 1 part flour.  I work in pounds, so I'm using 1lb for each "part" (1 lbs fat; 2lbs cornmeal; 1 lb flour).  You can other ingredients such as raisins (ensure that your dogs cannot ingest).  I've had good results using Masa flour in place of the cornmeal. I also add some mixed seed--scattering, not densely. I place my suet in tradition green suet baskets (which last for years and years unless crushed by a possum's grip), as well as put "suet muffins" on the platform feeders.  Hardware cloth  (e.g. rat wire) also makes it easy to put suet just about any place.

Once the mixture is cooled in fridge (or freezer) it cuts easily. I use loaf pans, muffin pans, square silicone baking pans to serve as mold.  If you use a metal pan, particularly a muffin pan, you can put it it on your stove top and heat the bottom.  It releases beautifully.

This year, I noted several anomalies.  First, the juncos were eating at the suet and seed (platform) feeders.  I've never seen these delightful birds at a feeder bur rather hopping about on the ground in their cheerful way.  However, this year, I used my McGyver skills, and I fashioned some platform type feeders.  Placing both suet and seeds in these feeders, I ended up with lots of eager eaters to include the juncos.  Second, I had bluebirds at my suet feeders.  I had 3 pairs of bluebirds, and I don't recall ever seeing them in the winter at my yard (though they overwinter in VA). 

Seeing them sparked an interest in bluebird houses.There's lots of information on the internet, none more comprehensive than you will find at Sialis.org.  I also find Cornell Lab of Ornithology a great place for bird identification, feed suggestions, and bird house building.

We built 3 bluebird houses along with the predator guards to thwart snakes, raccoons and other bird seeking varmints. (Though I should note that our 'territory of open yard' will only support 1 house.  Was hoping another species would take residence.) Some of the web information said to not be disheartened if you had no bluebirds.  We were thrilled to get a nesting pair (and they chased another pair from one of the other houses.)The other houses, which could have housed chickadees, were not used by any species.

My one attempt at 'monitoring' the blue bird box caught the hen on her eggs (though I had announced myself).  I did not attempt further monitoring, and I'm sorry for that now. Over the last couple of weeks, we have enjoyed watching these industrious parents feed and remove fecal sacs from the nest. However, because I did not monitor, I do not know how many eggs were laid nor how many hatched which did cause a problem. Let me explain.

On Saturday, mid-day, there was a raucous noise of birds. Both Mark and I went outside and inspected near the box.  We were looking for a snake as that was the type of alarm that we heard.  Not only were the parents furiously flying about--agitated in a way we've not seen, there were several other birds (warblers and chipping sparrows) that had joined in.

We didn't see anything, and we went inside.  Mark went on a motorcycle ride.  Oddly, the male blue bird kept approaching the window (which was odd behavior).  Plus there was still alot of  noise continuing outside.  I pulled out the binoculars (not a very good pair I should add), and I notice in a little sapling near the house a very shiny black color. SNAKE!

I'm terrified of snakes, but I armed myself with a broom and went out.  The snake, a slender but long rat snake, was about 10 feet up and stretched out on a horizontal limb, and the broom was not up to the task. (Meaning that I had to be underneath him enough to reach with the broom, and he could simply fall on top of me).  I threw everything handy-brick, old wood pieces-- but he wouldn't budge (and my goal was not to maul him).  Searching about the outside of the house for a suitable tool for this job,  I found a very long, metal scaffolding brace. Not only did it have heft (and I could heave it), but it had length to get me a safe distance for his dismount!

 I proceeded to bang the sapling as hard as I could and I broke all of the horizontal branches, getting closer and closer to him.  I was not going to kill him, just disabuse him of the notion that this was a friendly place.  It did not take long (metal on a sapling yields a very strong noise and vibration) for him to relocate.

The parents would not go back into the box.  I decided to look in the box.  I removed the top and found nary a chick.  Had they fledged prior? (Had I monitored, I would have known if they were old enough to fledge on their own and how many).  I had seen the parents caring for chicks (occulted from my view) in the box, so I know they were chicks there earlier.  Further,   I was confident that the snake had not eaten the chicks because there were no bulges in him.  Where were they?

The chitting and flitting of the bluebird parents continued.  I thought I had seen something hopping in the yard, but then did not see anything when I got closer.  All dogs were rounded up.  (The bluebird house was outside of our fenced area to protect against the dogs).  Noise!  Noise!  Noise! There, I spotted a baby bird.  I scooped him up.  There's no way this chick had fledged normally.  There was still some down flecking on its head.  Tail feathers were but stubs and behind shoulder blades was naked as a baby's bottom skin. I placed him in the nest box.

Thirty minutes later I found chick #2.   I placed the chick back in the nesting box.  They were there for more than 4 hours.  I was watching vigilantly, and I could tell that the parents were NOT going to go into the nest box. They were still squawking about the box hole but were not oging in. Well, there were two chicks in there that would die a slow death.  What to do?

I searched for, found and  called a wildlife rehabilator.  She said to bring the chicks in and warm them (it was cool outside).  She said that if a box is predated, then it is unlikely that the parents would return to it.  (Though there was no snake incursion, the proximity was enough).  Further, she said that the snake would be back. [Note: I later read from online resources that when the nest is under attack, that the baby birds will spontaneously fledge (whether ready or not) in response to the the alarm call of the parents.]  In that caucophony of bluebird and other bird alarms calls, they all bailed presumably.  I should also note that the snake has not been back. Metal scaffolding brace on wood sapling provides a powerful THWAMPING that no animal would want to come back to.  Good vibrations for me to get him away.

I nabbed the pair of chicks and brought them inside.  Mark and I warmed them in our cupped hands and they became more active.  I in an ornamental birdcage that I had (who knew it would have a use?) and put their nest in there as well. I placed a microfleece towel in there so the could stay warm. Given that they had not eaten for so long,  I tried to feed them mealworms and softened cat food (as instructed by the wildlife rehabber), but they would have none of it.  It was clear that this strategy would not work.

I elected to take the bird cage (which had a removable top) outside and place it on top of my mealworm feeder which my bluebirds were very keen on.  I whistled (as I had been doing each time I put out mealworms for the last 3 weeks), and placed the bird cage with the door open and the top off.  It hangs from a large oak tree branch (with about a 15 foot wire cable) and NO predator can get to it.

To my great relief, both the male and female came and immediately began ministrations of their two chicks.  Later that evening, I found chick #3 and took him to the bird cage. It nestled in with its mates.  I was putting meal worms out of the momma bluebird to ease her burden--as it appeared that the male, previously so diligent--to include when I first put the cage out--had abandoned helping her care for this brood.  However, I observed him taking mealworms and offering them to her on a tree branch.  I'm not sure that was even the original father.  Who's to know?  Plus, my neighbor has bluebirds, and he has noticed them coming back with mealworms. Is this a male looking for a mate?

Nevertheless, the female and (who has been guarding the nest and dive bombing the Carolina Wrens who were getting mealworms nearby) was still getting the mealworms and taking them around back.  She had also been "chitting" without stop around the southside of the house (the 'nest' is now on the west side where I found chick #3.  But I didn't see anything.

As it was going to be cool over night and the bird cage is just that a cage, I was concerned for inclement weather.  I slipped the cage into an insulated plastic shopping bag and left the front open  for the momma bird (who was using this entrance in addition to the top).  She chitted and chitted at us as we protected the 'nest'.  I fretted all of Saturday night over the babies.

Sunday--woke with trepidation wondering if the chicks who had been in the box were weakened beyond repair from not having been fed.  I stuck my hand in the cage, and everyone was nestled in tight.  Everyone was warm.

Female is still taking food to the south side.  She's chit, chit chitting in the dogwood (and she never has been in that tree).  There!  Chick #4 had been hanging out by a brush pile that we kept out there for the birds.  (Basically a pile of tree branches from a palanomia that we cut down.  The birds love to be in it).   Fortunately, he had survived a very cool night.  He was fussing and waddling to get away from me once he could tell that I was in nabbing mode.  Surprising, the female did not dive bomb me, but I could tell it crossed her mind.   I nabbed him but not without having to throw a shirt over him (I didn't wan't to injure him) and the female bird raising a stink via chitting (though not as loudly as if I had been a snake predator).  I placed him in the 'nest'.  Now everyone is together and the female can ministrate to a single nest.  Though all in one place, the female continued to chit and fly to the dogwodd for a few hours. Finally, her initial distress dissipated, and she focused on these chicks.

Now...the importance of monitoring.  I still don't know if there is a missing chick.  It is entirely possible that the 'absent' father is helping that chick.  Despite my best efforts, that remains an unknown.  However, if I had counted, I would know.

Nevertheless, I'm on day 3 today.  I believe that my nestlings are about 12-13 days old when they prematurely fledged (site notes 17-18 days as the norm) based on the great photos on Sialis.  The nestlings are safe and cozy.  Their momma is taking care of them in the makeshift nest, and they can complete their development safely  and fledge normally.

Conclusion:  I was not prepared for the notion of a premature fledging due to predation. However, our strategies were successful (so far, fingers are still crossed--see P. S. for the happy ending.) due to the help of a wildlife rehabber who generously took my call on a weekend and warned that the nest was likely abandoned (even though I had put the then two neslting back in it and the great and extensive information available online.  But mostly due to the dedication of the parents and their trust in us.  I know this sounds far fetched but the male bluebird  coming to the window seemed as if it was beckoning me to come back outside was very cool and allowed me to successfully intervene.  Also, that I had "trained" the bluebirds (and nuthatches and Carolina wrens) to know that when I whistled, fresh meal worms would be available at a known location helped me beckon the parents for the makeshift nest.

My neighbor, Tim, who has had bluebirds for years helped give me moral support and confirm that these birds were not ready to fledge--meaning that I was not intervening inappropriately and that my interventions would help them develop further.  He also noted the irony that as a 'first timer' compared to his many years without incident, that such a thing would happen to me.



P. S.  I am happy to report that all 4 pre-fledglings were cared for by their mother in the makeshift nest.  On  Tuesday afternoon, I had one fledge.  On Wednesday, I had one fledge in the a.m. and the other two fledged in the afternoon.  I am thrilled.  This is the best Mother's Day lead up ever.  As much as I watched that nest, I cannot believe that I did not see anyone fly out!



**I belong to Restaurant Depot so I can buy in bulk and make suet much cheaper than I can buy the cakes for.  And it is easy to do and doesn't take much time.  Plus I know what is in it.