Friday, June 5, 2009

Sparrow Spooker

My bluebirds are working on their second brood and as I did have some sparrow issues last time, I decided to see if I could somehow make the box less sparrow friendly this time...maybe dad wouldn't have to constantly be on guard and fighting off sparrows on a regular basis.

Anyway, I found plans for the "sparrow spooker" online at www.sialis.org/sparrowspooker.htm and decided to try it. Everything I read was very positive, but I was still skeptical. I put it together according the "design #4" (basically because I had everything I needed just laying around the house), checked the nest yesterday (2 eggs), placed it according to the info online and waited to see what happened.

I hadn't seen either bluebird go anywhere near the box after I installed the spooker (although I wasn't watching it constantly), but when I checked this morning, mom had laid a 3rd egg !! She slipped inside while I wasn't looking, obviously.


As I watched the box (with spooker flying in the wind) this morning, I shot this photo of mom inside the box - it obviously didn't bother her at all !! What a relief !! I'll keep you posted as to how well it actually keeps other birds away.

4 comments:

  1. None too attractive, but if it keeps the sparrows at bay... then, heck, it would be in the "Awesome" category!!

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  2. U G L Y... it ain't got no alibi...it's UGLY !!

    (but not as much as finding dead bluebirds in the box, right?)

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  3. Came home today and found female dead inside nest box (still sitting on nest) and eggs strewn on ground. Eggs would have hatched in 1-3 days. I don't care what it looks like as long as it saves my bluebirds from those dreadful sparrows!

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