Birders - Why have my Bluebirds departed so early this year?

[soybean]

We have had 10 boxes up for about 10 years now. We have had Bluebirds every year. This year 9 of the 10 boxes were nested in. 8 of the 9 successfully hatched and raised, but all just one batch. What is odd to me is that none of the 8 breeders tried raising a second batch...and stranger still they all departed together either last Saturday or Sunday. Gone. All of them are gone. Why did they leave? Usually a least a couple of pairs tough out the winter - the others are generally gone by the first week in October...but they are all gone now. Any idea why?

 

[joelbc1]

I never see blue birds here in Urbandale...ever. Occasionally, I will see a blue jay or two but never a blue bird.

 

[The Tradition]

We have had 10 boxes up for about 10 years now. We have had Bluebirds every year. This year 9 of the 10 boxes were nested in. 8 of the 9 successfully hatched and raised, but all just one batch. What is odd to me is that none of the 8 breeders tried raising a second batch...and stranger still they all departed together either last Saturday or Sunday. Gone. All of them are gone. Why did they leave? Usually a least a couple of pairs tough out the winter - the others are generally gone by the first week in October...but they are all gone now. Any idea why?

Because 2020.

 

[soybean]

I never see blue birds here in Urbandale...ever. Occasionally, I will see a blue jay or two but never a blue bird.

I used to see them frequently as a boy, but not again for over 40 years. Then a guy down the road gave me some boxes he built and the very next year when had nesters. He told me they were there all the time but had no habitat to nest in prior to the boxes.

 

[soybean]

Because 2020.

Hmmm....

 

[SoMplsHawkI]

SIP for bird flu?

 

[billanole]

We have them around, still.

 

[soybean]

We have them around, still.

I'm in Poweshiek County if that matters at all?

 

[billanole]

I'm in Poweshiek County if that matters at all?

Western North Carolina for me.
Ten houses is impressive. Are you saying that most typically stay around until Fall? That is what I remember here, but not thru the winter...

 

[soybean]

Western North Carolina for me.
Ten houses is impressive. Are you saying that most typically stay around until Fall? That is what I remember here, but not thru the winter...

Most are gone about the first week in October, but we have always had at least one pair tough out the winter here. I have my doubts about this but it seems that they can somehow know how hard a winter we will have and stay if it will be mild.

 

[ft254]

We had a second brood. Hoping for a 3rd. My set up is at my farm, which is 20 miles away. I am recovering from shoulder surgery, so haven't been able to monitor their activity for a couple of weeks.

 

[soybean]

We had a second brood. Hoping for a 3rd. My set up is at my farm, which is 20 miles away. I am recovering from shoulder surgery, so haven't been able to monitor their activity for a couple of weeks.

Three? Wow! Where are you located?

 

[General Tso]

Global warming
Coronavirus
Racial injustices
Trump

 

[ft254]

Three? Wow! Where are you located?

Blue birds can have 3 broods. I didn't know that until by bird savvy sister-in-law informed me.

Southern Clarke Co.

 

[AuroraHawk]

I never see blue birds here in Urbandale...ever. Occasionally, I will see a blue jay or two but never a blue bird.

We’ve had blue jays in our back yard this year along with two pairs of orioles. West side of Urbandale - just north of Douglas Ave.

Hummingbirds staring to become more active.

 

[cjnoles9399]

I’ll start by saying I know nothing about birds. And we’re trying to figure our one box out. Chickadees took the box early from them for the 2nd straight year but then bluebirds moved in, laid 4 eggs and were incubating them before we went out of town for 10 days earlier this month. Since we’ve been back there appears to be another batch of blues in there with 4 more eggs (or is it the same birds?). I know nothing about them but it’s been cool to watch. It’s the most active the box has been in the 3 years we’ve had it. We’re in Georgia.

 

[ft254]

let's see if this works.

I never see blue birds here in Urbandale...ever. Occasionally, I will see a blue jay or two but never a blue bird.

Do you ever go to Walnut Woods State Park? There is an excellent bird watching set up there. About a dozen large feeders targeting different species. The observatory has benches and opening ports for cameras or binoculars. It's remote enough to draw an amazing array of birds, yet convenient to get to.

I go there often to photo shoot through out the winter, usually concentrating on a species.

 

[NoleATL]

I’ll start by saying I know nothing about birds. And we’re trying to figure our one box out. Chickadees took the box early from them for the 2nd straight year but then bluebirds moved in, laid 4 eggs and were incubating them before we went out of town for 10 days earlier this month. Since we’ve been back there appears to be another batch of blues in there with 4 more eggs (or is it the same birds?). I know nothing about them but it’s been cool to watch. It’s the most active the box has been in the 3 years we’ve had it. We’re in Georgia.

Where in Georgia and why is your "like"/post ratio so bad?

 

[joelbc1]

let's see if this works.


Do you ever go to Walnut Woods State Park? There is an excellent bird watching set up there. About a dozen large feeders targeting different species. The observatory has benches and opening ports for cameras or binoculars. It's remote enough to draw an amazing array of birds, yet convenient to get to.

I go there often to photo shoot through out the winter, usually concentrating on a species.

Walnut Woods Park!
Keeeeerist..I’d have to gas the car and pack a lunch to get there from Urbandale!
No, I haven’t, to answer your question...I have enough with keeping ducks outta my pool....

 

[joelbc1]

We’ve had blue jays in our back yard this year along with two pairs of orioles. West side of Urbandale - just north of Douglas Ave.

Hummingbirds staring to become more active.

Orioles? Wow....another bird I never see....
Starlings, robins and cardinals are about the limit for me......perhaps a hummingbird or two later this month and August and monarch butterflies..I have noticed blue jays at a couple of golf courses in the area.

 

[billanole]

We have blue jays, cardinals, bluebirds, house wrens, brown thrushes, (barn?) swallows, flickers, #%*@!! cowbirds, and others that wifey could ID.

 

[ICWestfan]

We have had 10 boxes up for about 10 years now. We have had Bluebirds every year. This year 9 of the 10 boxes were nested in. 8 of the 9 successfully hatched and raised, but all just one batch. What is odd to me is that none of the 8 breeders tried raising a second batch...and stranger still they all departed together either last Saturday or Sunday. Gone. All of them are gone. Why did they leave? Usually a least a couple of pairs tough out the winter - the others are generally gone by the first week in October...but they are all gone now. Any idea why?

They left for greener pastures?

I do have a serious question - do you put your boxes in a meadow/ , pasture and do you expect them to" just show up "? They put 5 boxes up at the golf course in North Liberty but I've never seen a one. Place them in tall grass but maybe because they are in town?

 

[Niko13]

Because of the Murder Hornets headed your way.

 

[h-hawk]

I always wonder if the drastic reduction in insects is effecting birds who eat them. Maybe they move on earlier in hopes of finding more food.

They have a Purple Martin set up at a lake here in West Des Moines and they seem to leave very early - at the beginning of August last year IIRC.

 

[Menace Sockeyes]

We have a catbirds in our lilac bush, Cardinals in the tree out front, a blue jay across the street, an Oriole somewhere, and multiple Goldfinches, bluebirds in the woods directly across the street. I saw one as recently as three days ago. I’ll try to keep my eyes peeled.

Maybe they had to mate elsewhere because they kept getting watched in the act by some weirdo with a bird fetish?

 

[SalAunese]

My parents have a ton of bluebirds. The woodpeckers are bullies though. Orioles too

 

[soybean]

They left for greener pastures?

I do have a serious question - do you put your boxes in a meadow/ , pasture and do you expect them to" just show up "? They put 5 boxes up at the golf course in North Liberty but I've never seen a one. Place them in tall grass but maybe because they are in town?

In a pasture/timber about 200 yards from our home.

 

[IamHawkeye]

I never see blue birds here in Urbandale...ever. Occasionally, I will see a blue jay or two but never a blue bird.

Hmmm, didn't Urbandale HS change its nickname from Bluejays to Jayhawks oh, yea, many years ago? They're mad.

 

[joelbc1]

Hmmm, didn't Urbandale HS change its nickname from Bluejays to Jayhawks oh, yea, many years ago? They're mad.

I dunno. Been J-Hawks since I moved here in ‘92.

 

[ft254]

Walnut Woods Park!
Keeeeerist..I’d have to gas the car and pack a lunch to get there from Urbandale!
No, I haven’t, to answer your question...I have enough with keeping ducks outta my pool....

I drive there from Osceola often, and stop there on my way either to or from other spots, like Saylorville and downtown (where I shoot eagles from the Scott St. Bridge). You're talking maybe 10 miles from Urbandale, tops. Of course, my photography is my purpose, and I log mucho miles most days looking for photo ops.

Lots of interesting places and things to see around Des Moines people miss out on. Nature is beautiful and free. To each their own, and not everyone cares or wants to observe nature.

I am also into astro-photography and astronomy, and I had an event at my farm last year which involved 8 telescopes, including some with sophistication. It was remarkable that a 20 year old was there that has never seen the Milky Way.

 

[ft254]

In a pasture/timber about 200 yards from our home.

My bird house is on a tree 5' from the ground 25 feet from my machine shed which has moderate activity.

They acclimate to human activity. My house faces south. Some people say they should face west or east, which seems it doesn't matter.