Welcome to The Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania's Blog

2011 13th Annual BSP Conference

Moderator of this Blog — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:21:53 +0000

Mark your calendars to plan to attend the 2011 13th Annual Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania Conference on April 1 and 2, next year at the Penn Stater Hotel, 215 Innovation Boulevard State College, Pa. 16803 More Information will be forth coming.

Penn Stater Hotel Website - http://www.pshs.psu.edu/pennstater/pshome.asp

BSP 2010 Annual Bluebird Conference

Moderator of this Blog — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:40:42 +0000

2010 Annual Bluebird Society of PA Conference

Penn Stater Hotel – 215 Innovation Boulevard, Penn State Pa. 16803

http://www.pshs.psu.edu/pennstater/pshome.asp

Bird and nature fans are invited to join members of the Bluebird Society of PA for Annual Bluebird Society of PA Conference on March 19 and 20, 2010 at the Penn Stater Hotel, State College, PA. This event is open to the public and offers an opportunity for families, students, and people of all ages to discover the wonders of Bluebirds and other cavity-nesting species.

Educational offerings at the conference include presentation by the BSP President, Harry Schmeider, The Fledgling Experience, Fred Senderoff, Ducks Unlimited and Marcus Schneck, a nature writer with The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, columnist & Author. Attendees will learn all about bluebirds habits and what is needed to attract bluebirds and other secondary cavity nesters to their backyards, gain practical information about providing food sources for bluebirds and how to deal with bluebird predators and pests. In addition, learn how to help preserve the wonderful waterfowl – the Wood Duck. The conference ends with an illustrated program about nature travel across Pennsylvania. Vendors offering wildlife items for purchase and informational pamphlets will be present at the conference.

The Conference fee is $35 per person including Continental Breakfast and Lunch on Saturday.

The BSP provides a vital link in the protection and propagation of the Eastern Bluebird as well as providing educational activities related to bluebirds, birding and conservation. Members monitor and conduct research related to bluebirds, other cavity-nesting species, food sources, habitat, and trails.

For more info on Conference Contact Harry Schmeider harryschmeider@gmail.com or 724 285 1209 or visit the BSP Website at www.thebsp.org

Blue feathers not really Blue at All

Moderator of this Blog — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:00:23 +0000

If you ground up a blue feather from a bluebird you would get a gray brown powder. Bluebird feathers have no pigment. Blue is a structural color coming from unique cell layers overlying the feathers when sunlight hit the layers the color blue is reflected. No feathers have blue pigment, even with the indigo bunting and the bluejay. If you would show a back light to a blue feathers it would appear grayish brown, showing only its actual pigment. Interesting!

Taken from Backyard Birds Inc. *copy rights permitted for education purpose only.

The Ambassador for the Bluebirds

Harry Schmeider

NABS/BSP Conference

Moderator of this Blog — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:43:33 +0000

Holiday Inn Harrisburg/Hershey located in Grantville, PA

Wow! What a Conference it was, I had an awesome time, each day was packed with tours, and speakers,great food,and parties in the evening. Auctions, raffles and awards,meetings,swimming,and much more. I arrived on Wednesday and stayed 4 nights. I met so many people I could never remember all their names. All across the United States and Canada all speaking English, but all with a different accent of their own. It truly was an awesome experience. All coming together with the same interest, helping bluebirds and all their feathered friends. If you would like to view some photos of the event I have some posted on my website at ambassadorforthebluebirds.com Click on My Photos, and enjoy.

Harry Schmeider - Butler County Pa.

My annual nestbox report

Phil — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:20:59 +0000

Just submitted my annual nest box report. Monitored 29 boxes, 16 bb nests, 60 bb eggs, but only 13 fledged! Had a terrible time with HOSPs, with lots of eggs stolen/abandoned. I trapped and killed about 60 HOSPs, strung monofilament line by the entrance holes and put up sparrow spookers, but nothing really “worked”. I’m going to build some PVC houses next year and see if they work. A pretty discouraging year, but I’m going to solider on.

Phil

2009 Bluebird Conference

Moderator of this Blog — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:53:18 +0000

You will not want to miss the 2009 BSP/NABS Bluebird Conference held at the Holiday Inn-Hershey located in Grantville, Pa. This is open to the public and the Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania will be hosting this awesome event. September 9th thur 13th, we have the days and evenings loaded with tours and guest speakers, vendors, auction, gift baskets, Quilt raffle, and much more. Please visit the link below for more information.

http://www.thebsp.org/NABSconf2009-Current.pdf

Contact person is Kathy Clark, Conference Chair and President of the BSP 717-695 0700 / KCBSP@aol.com

What is going on at my house ????

MoodyBlue — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:47:08 +0000

I have had a bluebird house in my back yard for the past 2 yrs with no activity. This spring I gave up and let sparrows nest and raise a brood. Last week while mowing I noticed a male Bluebird sitting on top of the house battling with the sparrow. I immediately cleaned out the sparrow nest, and believe it or not it hasnt been back. The male Bluebird has been back every morning and evening. He sits atop and chirps and pretends to put nesting material in the house, and flys back and forth to the nearby telephone pole. He has quite a following of females some mature some not. It has been 4 days and he has had 1 female in the house two days bringing nesting materials in the morning only, but there are always three to five more females in the brush and trees near the house. One evening 5 females were on top of the house and three in the brush beside it, and the male was in a pine further away. I am thrilled with the activity but the house remains uninhabited. They still come every morning and evening, but they dont eat the meal worms I put out. I thought maybe they were getting ready for a second brood and that I would have my first nesting pair but I am confused as to what the heck is really going on. Is my house a dummy nest house? What should I do.

MoodyBlue

Are bluebirds bothered by road noise?

Phil — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:37:46 +0000

Is it worth putting up a couple of bluebird boxes near route 83? They’d only be about 50 yards from the road as the crow flies, but they’d be down a steep bank with quite a few trees on it. So there’s constant road noise, but it’s not deafening or anything. It’s something I find pretty bothersome for the first 15 minutes while I’m there, then my mind sort of tunes it out and I don’t really notice it. But I wonder if the bluebirds can deal with it.

Phil

fledging

dannybluebird — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:19:28 +0000

One of my babies is fledging but sitting on the grass for hours. I’m concerned about the neighborhood cats. I put him back in the box last night but he’s out again. Should I do anything or let nature take its course. Papa is checking on him.

dannybluebird

Bluebird Fanatic Part IV

Tammy — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:29:34 +0000

What is going on? This is the second time now that I have a nest, but then the Bluebirds don’t nest there. The first nest was a half hearted effort, but this nest was a beautiful nest with a nice cup. I even saw the female come in at 7:11 AM and sit on the nest for 31 minutes, but no eggs. She did this 2 mornings in a row. I am totally baffled as to why they are building nests, but then don’t lay their eggs there. It’s been about 2 weeks now. SHould I take the nest out now? Please help. Why are the BB’s doing this, and what should I do now??? Please somebody help me. I monitor 6 other boxes with no problems.
SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!!!

Tammy

Second Nesting

Maribee — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:37:20 +0000

My Momma and Poppa Blue have laid their first egg in their second nest in the same box. I’m still riddled with sparrow problems — not one has gone in the repeating ground trap. But it seems as long as the sparrows have “their” boxes they’ll leave the bluebirds to their house. And I’ll addle the sparrow eggs. Also put the sparrow spook up now since the first egg has appeared. Now back to worrying every day.

Maribee < Lancaster County>

Bluebird Fanatic Part III

Tammy — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:04:29 +0000

Guess what everybody???? I have a female feverishly building a nest now for 3 days in one of MY nesting boxes in MY yard. I was almost afraid to look inside the box last night to see how far she got because of the first incident I had with the decoy nest, but low & behold there before my eyes was a beautiful bluebird nest with a nice little cup in it. I was watching this morning and she was right away started building at 6:30- 7:00 ish, and the male was keeping watch. Everybody kept saying be patient, it’ll happen, but patience isn’t one of my strong points. I am anxious to see how many days it takes for her to complete the nest and then to see the very first blue egg will be awesome. I have other nesting boxes that I monitor, and they have had Bluebirds that fledged already, but to have it in your own back yard is even better. I can sit for hours just watching them come in for meal worms, and swooping down to get bugs. There’s something about these Bluebirds that has touched my heart. I’ll keep you posted as to when the first egg arrives.

Tammy/The Bluebird Fanatic

New at Blue Birding

Maribee — Sat, 23 May 2009 00:55:13 +0000

Hi Everyone! I live in Southern Lancaster County and just discovered blue birding as a hobby this year. I’m the ex-ignoramus who fed cheap bird food and didn’t know the difference between a sparrow and a swallow last year But I’ve been learning and had a bluebird house this summer. I put the mono filament up around the hole and weighted down from the top as well. So far, sparrow proof, and my five eggs and now little fledglings are about two weeks old (picture taken yesterday will be posted if I can find how to – and I only peeked once a week, this was the first picture). This morning… disaster… sparrow attack. I witnessed it and ran out. At least one baby dead, poked bloody in the center of its head. I know at least three are still okay. Mom and dad have returned and are feeding the survivors.

Here’s what I’ve done today, wondering if it’s right or if there are other suggestions… I raised the roof completely, as I heard sparrows did not like open roofed boxes. Put it down to about 2 inches open this evening, in fears of early fledgling. Ok to go ahead and close all the way? Took the dead baby out. There may be one more, but they all SEEM okay without handling, and I didn’t want to do too much at once by lifting them all and scaring off mom and dad. Put dangling shiny ribbon hanging above their box (wish I did this sooner). Now, the sparrows are nesting in decorative boxes 12 and 18 feet away. I’m not sure if it’s best to take away their nesting yet, or wait for eggs – I fear that revenge syndrome thing. If these babies can pull through, next job: sparrow control.

Any further ideas? Should I try to trap/kill the sparrows tonight?

Thanks — mb < Lancaster County>

Bluebird Blues

blueboy — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:57:46 +0000

I found baby bluebirds dead on the ground and nest not disturbed, female not around but male still sits on house daily. Shall I remove the nest so he flys away to get another mate. This is so pathetic to watch him sit there.

I have a wren nest approx. 50 feet away–could that be culprit?

My friends don’t understand

myatci — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:55:37 +0000

I get very frustrated over the general population concerning feeding house sparrows. I know that I used to be one of them when it came to House Sparrows. I just didn’t know. I fed them all winter long on bread crumbs and cheapo Wal-Mart bird seed. Then I heard about bluebirds dying because of sparrow attacks and I thought that they were talking about blue jays. I am native of Pennsylvania and never seen a bluebird ever!!! My first book I ever read about bluebirds was the Bluebird Monitor’s Guide, talk about getting informed! Now I get very frustrated when I try to tell my friends who are just raising house sparrows and I get frustrated at myself for not doing more. My own parents are still living and they to are included in the group of house sparrow helpers. Knowing what I now know today about House Sparrows, I try to inform people how cruel the house sparrow can be during nesting time. Thanks for letting me vent even if this never gets posted.

Signed as myalic

Bluebird Fanatic Part II

Tammy — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:38:35 +0000

Guess What???? I now have a formed BB nest in my box. I am so excited!!!! I went out & checked a few days ago expecting to find the same sparce nesting material on the bottom of the box, but instead when I opened it up I saw a cupped nest made of pine needles & dried grass. When the female BB got this done I haven’t a clue( I work full time) but I’m so glad she found the time. Since then I’ve noticed pieces of nesting material that she must have dropped so she is still working on the nest. I hope to soon see blue BB eggs. I’ll keep you posted! Thanks for the input

Tammy / Bluebird Fanatic

Bluebird Banquet Recipe

Phil — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:58:58 +0000

I tried this homemade recipe for the first time this year and our bluebirds love it. It was developed by someone at the University of Minnesota (I think) who did a lot of experimenting. Peanut hearts are available at Agway. We rendered our own suet as describe below. The birds like the cracklings too. Present the food on a platform feeder.

MIX
1 cup peanut butter
4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached or whole-wheat flour

ADD:
1 cup fine sunflower seed chips
1 cup peanut hearts (or finely ground nuts)
1/2 – 1 cup Zante currants (or raisins cut in halves)

DRIZZLE and STIR IN: 1 cup rendered, melted suet. COOL
Resulting mix will be crumbly and should have bean/pea sized lumps from the drizzling of the melted suet. If too sticky after cooling, mix in a bit more flour. If too dry, drizzle in more melted suet. Refrigerate any mix you are not using – to prevent suet from turning rancid. You can use a commercial pure bird suet cake or you can render you own suet. To render suet, grind or cube butcher store suet. Melt over low heat. Watch carefully as suet is a fat and can start on fire with too high heat. A microwave can be used. Strain out the stringy bits (cracklings). Cool. Remelt a second time for the recipe.

Phil

Bluebird Food Preferences

nukeguy001 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:55:55 +0000

Hi! I’m new to this site, and fairly new to Mercersburg, PA. in Franklin County. I made contact with Joyce Stuff last Summer, at which time she gave me some bluebird boxes to put up. This Winter, I’ve been seeing lots of bluebirds, which prompted me to put up a bluebird feeder. I’ve been stocking it with two different types of food that I bought. One is Bluebird Nuggets “Plus.” They are a combination of suet, roasted peanuts, and raisins. The bluebirds don’t seem to like the nuggets very much. I have also been using dried mealworms. They really gobble up the worms, and leave the nuggets mostly alone. It’s hard for me to tell at a distance whether the birds that are getting into the feeder are bluebirds, but I’m pretty sure they are, because on occasion the birds getting into the feeder also will perch on the rail of my porch, where I can tell for sure that they are bluebirds. I’m wondering if there might be other birds small enough to get into the bluebird feeder, though. I was buying the mealworms in little bags containing approximately 2000 worms each. I found that was quite expensive, considering the rate at which the bluebirds were consuming the worms. Last week, I found a web site where I could get a plastic container with 10,000 worms. The cost per worm was a lot less that way.

nukeguy001

First Time Landlord

myatci — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:41:18 +0000

I’m not sure exactly how to blog, but I was checking out the bsp site so I thought why not. I have a completed nest in a Gilbertson nest box I installed last year in a park near my house. Last year I had chickadees in it but the house wrens took over and fledged two broods. What should I do to protect the bluebirds when the wren migrate back? Also, I haven’t had HOSP problems yet but I know its just a matter of time, I’m not looking forward to it but no one in my family really understands what is needed to do, I guess I just some psycho bird lady!

First Time Landord,

Signed as myalci

Bluebird Fanatic

Tammy — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:35:17 +0000

Hi Everybody,

This is only my second year with BSP, but am enjoying it tremendously. Last year I got my boxes up too late to get a Bluebirds to nest, so I kept them up all winter, and made sure they were clean and ready to go in the spring. I have spotted 2 females & 1 male Bluebird. Usually only 1 female & 1 male come in to feed, but at times I see the females fight at the boxes. I was jumping for joy when I noticed the female start to build a nest in my PVC box. She worked feverishly for hours. I thought for sure she would have the whole nest built in that time(remember I’m new to all this). After I noticed neither bird at the box I went & checked & the floor was just covered, nothing else. Again I thought there would be more of a nest there. Also I noticed two doors down a neighbor put up a box, and now it looks like this pair is building in both boxes. Is that common?????? Could it be the male has a different female for each box. I haven’t noticed any nest building since. Does it always take this long. Any feed back would be appreciated. I am soooooo excited to have my first nest of Bluebirds in my box (hopefuly my box). The whole 2 nest building things & 2 female thing is what has me stumped. Please give me some insight. Also I’ve never done this blog thing either so be patient with me.

Tammy/Bluebird Fanatic

The Bluebirds are Back

Moderator of this Blog — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:26:27 +0000

I had a male bluebird arrive early as February 23^rd and now I have a pair of bluebirds today March 4, 2009. Both are going in and out of the nest box and really giving it a close inspection. Both looked very healthy and looked to be mature birds. I noticed the male was pecking at the top side of the next box at the roof area. I just then remembered the duct tape is still over the ¼ inch vent area at the top of the roof and sides. The male was actually trying hard to remove this tape. I got my coat on and went out to remove the duct tape off both sides of the vent area and I noticed he was sitting in a near by tree watching me. I turn toward him and welcomed him back and at the same time he flew right at me and then returned to the tree again bouncing around and flickering his wings. I’d like to think he understood what I was saying and at the same time thanked me for removing the duct tape. Both were on top of the nest box before I got back into the house. I watch them both closely from inside and they seemed happy bouncing around on top on the birdhouse. The next thing I noticed both entered the nestbox, one after the other. They were both inside for quite sometime, I wonder what they were doing, ( little ones on the way ) lol. The weather is still cold but we are getting warmer temperature later in the week. It’s so nice to see the bluebirds are back, that means spring is just around the corner.

Harry Schmeider < Butler County Pa >

Visited By A Red Belly Woodpecker

Moderator of this Blog — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:12:49 +0000

This morning, 02/05/09 I was visited by a beautiful Red Belly Woodpecker. Though it has a glow of red on its belly its the head that stands out. Against the snow covered yard and a bright sunny morning this woodpecker stood out. Its head was a fiery red and the back was just awesome with those black bars on it. I watch him through my binoculars eating the raisin suet block I placed out and he was really enjoying it when I observed him carrying large pieces to a nearby tree and packing it into crevices storing it for another day. Here are a few facts I researched on the beautiful bird.

Medium to large-sized woodpecker.
Red hood from top of head to back of neck.
Back barred black and white.
Size: (9 in)
Wingspan: (13-17 in)
Weight: (1.98-3.21 ounces)
The Red-bellied Woodpecker competes vigorously for nest holes with other woodpeckers, but it is often evicted from nest holes by the European Starling. In some areas, half of all Red-bellied Woodpecker nesting cavities are taken over by starlings.
Stores food in cracks and crevices of trees and fence posts. The woodpecker does not appear to defend its caches from other birds or mammals.
The male Red-bellied Woodpecker has a longer bill and a longer, wider tongue tip than the female. These adaptations may allow the male to reach deeper into furrows to extract prey and may allow the sexes to divide up the resources in one area.
Listen to its song;

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Red-bellied_Woodpecker.html

Harry Schmeider < Butler County PA >

How I became an Ambassador for the Bluebirds

Moderator of this Blog — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:21:28 +0000

House Sparrows are the most common problem blue-birder’s have. This invasive species introduce in the 1800’s has become the most abundant song bird in North America. Do to the fact it bonds with the nest box and will defend it aggressively, we must find a way to deal with it. The house sparrow is not a protected bird, so you may dispose of it. The male house sparrow during the breeding season has only one thing on his mind: Procreation. Continuously destroying his nest, he becomes increasingly “frustrated”, aggressive, frequent house sparrow nest removal, without permanent removal of the house sparrows, is NOT a viable house sparrow control method. Little did I know I was creating a “vindictive” house sparrow? I will never forget that day when I opened up my nest box and found a male bluebird that was viciously attacked. I feel solely responsible for its death even to this day. I admit I was an inexperience monitor and learned the hard way. I now trap the house sparrows and I have found the Van-ERT Universal Sparrow trap works well for me and I highly recommend it to you. If my story can help other new blue birders and monitors to be aware of the house sparrow, then maybe my bluebird will not have died in vain. Please forgive my ignorance, my inexperience and my lack of knowledge at that time. Today; because of that experience, I have studied and educated myself concerning bluebirds and sparrows and their nesting habits. With this knowledge it has inspired me to share bluebirds with others as I can through being an Ambassador for the Bluebirds.

Harry Schmeider < Butler County PA >

Bluebirds during all seasons

jwatroba — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:13:53 +0000

Was thrilled last Friday morning about 8:30 a.m. to see 2 males and 1 female BB checking out a bluebird nest box in the front yard. Not sure if they were roosting in the box overnight. I hastily put out some special food with fruit and berries. Had to leave for work , but the food was gone that evening. Time to make a batch of Bluebird Suet!

< Cumberland County PA >

Bluebirds Bring Happiness

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:33:19 +0000

When ever you see a bluebird it brings happiness, if you want to experience these beautiful birds, place a nestbox designed for bluebirds on a pole in your yard and experience the mystery of the joy that they bring. I recommend reading about bluebirds first, then approach this wonderful world of Bluebirding. Recommend reading; Bluebird Book by Donald and Lillian Stokes and The Bluebird Monitor’s Guide a Cornell Bird Library Guide to bluebirds and other small cavity-Nester’s. Check our BSP online store for both of these wonderful books.

Below is a link to a YouTube Video created by friends of mine; Maria Rose and Danny Elswick just watching this video will bring happiness and joy. Experience it yourself : watch?v=sRE9RLDDnI

Harry Schmeider < Butler County PA >