[Mnbird] Bluebirds

[DONALD GRUSSING Owner]

The second nest of bluebirds in my yard fledged yesterday, successful in spite of the frequent cat hunts nearby. A few days after the first fledging, I removed the nest from that house and cleaned it out. I also removed the unsuccessful nest of a chickadee pair in a similar house about 12 feet away. Eggs in the chickadee house were foul smelling. The nest was abandoned, I am certain, because of the aggression of the male bluebird who attacked the chickadees regularly after the bluebirds selected their nest site. The chickadees were there first. (Wrens aren't the only bad actors.) 

The bluebirds built another nest in the same house they used the first time. 

Now that the bluebirds are moving on, we can clean windows on our home, garage and shed. This male bluebird spent a great deal of time and energy over the summer fighting his image. But, perhaps that aggression was good because house wrens nesting about 80 feet away never bothered the bluebirds while raising two broods of their own. He messed up most of the windows, and awakened us with his first fluttering attacks early in the morning. 

One quick note: There are mulberry trees and tall nanny berry bushes adjacent to our home. There has been incredible bird traffic the last several weeks. Nothing unusual, but throughout the day robins, bluebirds, house finches, blue jays, crested fly catchers, and an occasional nuthatch and chickadee would exploit the food source. (Squirrels, too.) Great entertainment. 

Don Grussing 
Minnetonka 
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