Opossums & Bluebirds

In addition to Messages that have appeared in the Bluebird Mailing Lists on this topic, the following are on the Audubon Society of Omaha website:  Predators and Problems On The Bluebird Trail

Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 11:55:54 -0400
From: Joyce Sobey jsobey"at"erols.com
To: "'BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu'" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Oppossums and Mites

Hi Everyone,

I have two questions I would appreciate some expertise on....

1) I have seen a opposum in my yard late at night recently and wonder if he/she is any threat to birds. I know I have racoons around, too, but hopefully I've foiled them.

2) Read recently someone who checked on newly hatched baby birds one day and then 2 days later found the babies dead and covered in mites (yikes!). Usually before nesting starts I clean the boxes out throughly with bleach, etc. but this year, time crept up on me and I didn't get to. Is there anything I can do at this point to prevent mites or blowflies or whatever else may hurt the birds?

Cheezz, the more I learn every year about all the things that can happen to wild birds, the more amazed I am that there is a bird in the sky at all. It makes me very appreciative of nature's successes.

Joyce, central Virginia

Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 15:22:28 -0700
From: John Schuster John"at"KABAaudio.com
To: agnel"at"ils.unc.edu
Cc: Listserve BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: WWC Re: heartbroken :-(

Dear Laura,

Good to know what we are dealing with now.

Get everything that I told you to get at Home Deport, but because we are dealing with a mammal that knows of your nesting boxes, we will need to take more aggrieve measure.

Here is a predator guard that should do the trick. These materials can also be obtained at Home Depot.

Follow the instructions and you'll be just fine.

http://audubon-omaha.org/bbbox/nabs/rk1.htm

I don't know if I mentioned this, but get yourself a good bird bath and keep it filled with clean water. Bluebirds just love baths and all incest eaters need
plenty of fresh water. In fact I change out the water in my bird bath this morning and guess what I found. The spine of a European Starling inside the bird bath. Looks like my Kestrels are doing a good job.

Keep the faith,

John Schuster
Field Vineyards and
Wild Wing Company

Laura Agnew wrote:

BB's
Thanks to everyone for your kind Messages. I got up my nerve and went out to
thoroughly inspect the area. It was an oppossum. I saw scratch marks on the
post and I have seen a possum in the yard before.

I have gone to home depot and gotten the right hardware and will never put a
vulnerable box up again. I'll try again... I sure will miss Abby and
Christopher. I think they are long gone.

Thanks again,
Laura

Randy Jones wrote:

My heart goes out to you. I'm sure there are many of us who are remembering
such times with you.

The sun will shine again, and you will have bluebirds, I hope.

Randy Jones
Allentown PA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Laura Agnew" agnel"at"ils.unc.edu
To: "BLUEBIRD-L" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 10:12 AM
Subject: heartbroken :-(


Well everyone,

I went to check the nest this morning when I saw no signs of blue birds
around.
There was one egg and tiny broken shell pieces. The one egg was cold. I
guess
I really had too many hopes invested as I have been crying all morning.

I have seen a small bird around the box and I think it is a wren. I will
try to
hang in there and learn something. I removed the nest and am keeping it
on a
heating blanket, just in case.

I hope the parents didn't get hurt. Thanks to everyone for all of your
help and
wish I had a happy ending.

-Laura

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