Squirrels and Bluebirds (Part 1)

lso see Flying Squirrels

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

Subj: snakes/flying squirrels
Date: 8/18/99 7:42:40 AM Central Daylight Time
From: kridler"at"1Starnet.com (Keith & Sandy Kridler)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: kridler"at"1Starnet.com (Keith & Sandy Kridler)
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu (BLUEBIRD-L)

Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas This week for the first time in 8 weeks morning lows have hit below 70*F. City public tap water has hit 85*F catfish and chicken farmers suffering large losses to heat, Dallas TX at 21 consecutive days of 100*F+ with no rain in 45 days and none in sight. (Actually a normal summer for us!)

Flying squirrels: I know several old time bluebirders who kill every flying squirrel they find in a nestbox and teach others to do the same! They are a nocturnal native American predator of bluebirds but this does not stop me from placing nestboxes just for them. They are a communal animal and several generations will be in the same area for years as long as they have food and most importantly shelter. The correct nestbox for them consists of a TWO HOLED (one in the top and one in the bottom compartment) 6"x6" nestbox with three or more nesting compartments about 10" tall each, making a box 36" tall. The bottom nest compartment should have the hole sized 1&1/4"1&1/2" and the hole 6"8" off the bottom (just like a bluebird nestbox. This vertical box should have connecting holes drilled or a corner cut off on the bottoms of the nest compartment floors large enough so the flying squirrels can escape from floor to floor and exit either the upper compartment hole or the lower compartment hole whenever a snake enters the box. Most snakes can only catch one squirrel while the other 8-10 squirrels escape. (The Krueger snake trap will sometimes trap and kill flying squirrels when they try to crawl through the mesh so you should not use this trap to protect flying squirrels.

These boxes should be mounted in groups of three about 100 yards apart in wooded areas, they can be mounted at eye level but where the squirrels can climb to a height of 40' or more to sail to the nearest tree. A 70' tall utility pole will give the squirrels a "flying" range of almost 200'. A Tyler TX. man perfected this nestbox for flying squirrels in the 1930's & 40's when he was trapping and selling them for pets. He claimed to have made a good living for over 40 years doing this! Groups of 4 or 5 bluebird nestboxes on the same tree or pole will have the same effect at drawing the squirrels but a very large snake killed and ate 12 flying squirrels in a single night in these bluebird boxes with oversized holes. These are called "southern" flying squirrels but a member of our list from Rhode Island has them in his yard and I saw a nest with young in Northeastern Ohio this spring on April 17. How many have seen them and what is their range now? I expect they are expanding in population & range right along with the bluebirds! KK

Subj: Flying squirrels/opinions
Date: 12/5/99 7:27:09 PM Central Standard Time
From: springer"at"alltel.net (Gary Springer)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: springer"at"alltel.net
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu (BLUEBIRD-L)
CC: springer"at"alltel.net (Gary Springer)

Hello all,

As with the study of any subject where there is more interest than knowledge, opposing opinions will abound.

One reason this occurs is that when an observation is made, conclusions are drawn without considering dozens of factors that go unnoticed by the observer.

For example:

Observation: Flying squirrels are found in a nest box previously occupied by Bluebirds.

Conclusion: a) Flying Squirrels prey on Bluebirds

In this example the unnoticed factor may be that the nest box represents the most suitable nest site available for this cavity nesting mammal.

To many, even after considering this factor, the conclusion remains the same. That is: Flying squirrels are a menace to Bluebirds. But, to the informed student of nature the conclusion may become: Not only are the Bluebirds experiencing housing shortages, but so are the Flying Squirrels.

I live on a small ridge with a mixed lawn, scrub and orchard type habitat that is engulfed by mature forest.

Every nest box I place on trees or utility poles becomes occupied by flying squirrels. My wood shop is also occupied by them. I put peanuts in a feeder inside my shop so when I work at night I can enjoy their company.

I also have Bluebirds, Chickadees and other songbirds nesting on my property throughout the spring and summer months. During the 6 years I have lived
here I've never had a bird nest in a box robbed by a fling squirrel, snake,raccoon or other predator.

This year Bluebirds fledged 5 nestlings from a nest box within 25 feet of a nest box simultaneously occupied by between 3 and 5 flying squirrels.

The only difference between the nest boxes used by the flying squirrels and the nest boxes used by the songbirds is how they are mounted. As stated, the squirrels occupy every box mounted on a tree or wooden post. The flying squirrels never occupy or disturb a nest box mounted on a metal pole, even
though they have access to them.

In my opinion, nest boxes mounted on trees and wooden posts are an invitation to flying squirrels that need nesting sites every bit as bad as Bluebirds. When a flying squirrel occupies a nest box intended for Bluebirds but mounted on a tree, utility pole or wooden post, the squirrel isn't the problem. The problem is failure to provide a nest site that excludes species other than the Bluebird and the blame should fall, not on the squirrel but on the individual encouraging a Bluebird to nest in a nest box positioned perfectly for flying squirrel occupancy.

This list is for discussion of cavity nesting birds. Many have suggested adding bats as valid subject material for this list. I believe it is time to remove Flying Squirrels from the list of Bluebird nuisances and add them to the list of other wonderful cavity nesting creatures threatened by loss of nesting sites.

Sincerely,

Gary Springer

PS Because snakes rob flying squirrel boxes I plan on replacing the nest boxes on trees with a two entrance variety as recommended by Keith Kridler
to prevent loss of every squirrel in the box when raided by a snake.

Subj: Re: MrSpringer's Logic and Squirrel(opinion only)
Date: 12/6/99 8:58:58 PM Central Standard Time
From: KCBSP"at"aol.com
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: KCBSP"at"aol.com
To: springer"at"alltel.net
CC: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu, mrsimple"at"earthlink.net

I used the example about the Flying Squirrels because they are a species which many Bluebirders consider a nuisance and threat but which are actually another of God's wonderful gifts to us that need help in much the same way Bluebirds do.

Gary.. when you're right you're right!!! I put a couple in the wooded areas for just such a purpose!! Didn't attract any yet.. but it's nice at the state park to be able to show others especially children all the species of birds and mammals that use nest boxes including bats . We had one in one of our boxes on a check.

While I don't expect this list to be a place to learn all about Flying Squirrels, I do think everyone that is involved with providing nesting for Bluebirds should learn to respect these creatures. Respect means not evicting them when they are found in a nest box, not inviting them by setting up a nest box on a wooden post or tree if Bluebirds are the only desired occupants, and, most importantly, not destroying an animal or its young that have occupied a cavity that was built and mounted to meet its requirements perfectly when alternatives to exclude that animal are available to us.

We try to teach others about anything that might use the nest boxes in our display. I mentioned before we use the peek a boo board with nest boxes which open and show all the species of birds or mammals that might inhabit a bluebird nest box. Teaching respect is very important ... and habitat and other options we can show others to accommodate different species are very important. The only one we don't want are the HOUSE SPARROWS!!!

Wendall I so enjoy your posts and know how much you have a love of nature too.

I was ready to string her then along came Springer.

Jerry? Ha ha.. I couldn't resist..

Kathy Clark
New Cumberland, PA

Subj: Squirrel(flying)
Date: 12/7/99 9:43:56 AM Central Standard Time
From: blueburd"at"srnet.com (Bruce Burdett)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: blueburd"at"srnet.com
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu (BLUEBIRD-L)

To the Constituency:
When someone maligns the Flying Squirrel, he maligns a creature near to my heart.

First off, I've never had any evidence that they interfere with my Bluebird operation in any way. All my houses are on individual poles, well out in the open, 100' at least from the kinds of places they like. As many have observed on this list, mounting Bluebird houses on trees, in or near thickets, or on buildings is simply asking for interference from any number of things, - 'coons, cats, snakes, House Wrens, Red Squirrels, chipmunks, to name a few. Even the nuthatches, chickadees, and titmice will sometimes take a house that isn't far enough out in a substantial clearing. The Flying Squirrel seems to be a FOREST creature, and his favorite tree seems to be the oak. (Can you guess why?) I have never, in 9 years of trying to figure out the Bluebird thing, seen a particle of evidence that
Flying Squirrels had been in or near my houses.

On the other hand, I've had a number of pleasant and fascinating personal relationships with them, though I've never actually married one. Some years ago, having noticed that I sometimes glimpsed one landing near a certain crotch in a certain oak tree in our back yard, I put up an extension ladder to the crotch, set out a couple of floodlights, and climbed up to see what was going on. What I learned was that about a dozen of them were simply playing, sort of like otters on an ice slide. They would land on the tree, sometimes inches from my face, climb to the tree-top, and launch themselves into space, gliding down the long sloping draw that led in the direction of the Farmington River. It must have been a luxurious, euphoric rush for them, like coasting the perfect long sled run on your Flexible Flyer. What happened down there in the darkness, out of the reach of my floodlights, I'll never know, but gradually they'd make their way back, tree at a time, until they reappeared at my oak and started the whole process all over again. I spent many hours watching them, pretty much mesmerized, when I
should have been correcting my papers. I even caught two or three with, of all things, a landing net. One of them I kept for a while in a huge hardware-cloth cage, and he (she) became quite tame. The thing he loved best was acorns, but he'd settle for just about any kind of nut. He liked lettuce, but had no interest whatever in hamburg or any meat. His favorite indoor sport was being tossed from person to person across a large room. He'd land on your pant-leg, and crawl up immediately to your arm and down to your hand to be tossed once more. Once or twice he hid in the bowels of the grand piano, playing strange tunes on the strings, but he always came out and went back into his cage when he needed an acorn fix. Our daughter had one at college fo a while, and he quickly learned to steer his transparent plastic exercise-ball down the corridor and into various rooms just to visit, or to try out whatever snacks were available.
(He loved anything with salt on it.) When we finally released them late in the summer out in the back yard, they hung around and begged and scolded for a time, but not for long. In a week they were back on their own. But you could always see the whole gang, any evening, just by putting out the floodlights and watching The Big Game.

I think it would be a shame, on this list, to keep our subject matter too restricted. For my part, I treasure the many stories we've all been privileged to enjoy and learn from, particularly since they come from so many parts of our vast continent, and involve so many different living things. And in the final analysis, a large element of the fascination is the myriad intricate ways in which this whole natural world is inter-related, often in ways which are endlessly mysterious, intriguing (sp.?) and even unknowable.

Bruce Burdett, Sunapee NH

Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 05:35:12 -0500
From: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
To: "BLUEBIRD-L" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu, adancer"at"avana.net
Cc: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
Subject: Re: 5 eggs

Dear Deb,

Congratulations on your early breeding season success.

Why do you hope you do not have flying squirrels?

Gary Springer

...

Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 17:24:13 -0500
From: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
To: "BLUEBIRD-L" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu, adancer"at"avana.net
Cc: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
Subject: Flying Squirrels

Dear Deb,

If you have been having squirrels eating your feeders, I would bet my bottom dollar they were not flying squirrels.

These creatures that take peanuts from my hands befriend humans more readily than any other wild animal I've had experience with, are active only at night and they have frequented my feeders for years with absolutely no damage to the feeders. Nor do they chew at any parts of the wooden nest boxes I build for them and mount on trees and utility poles.

In my experience, flying squirrels will not normally climb onto any structure that isn't at least 12 to 18 feet tall, especially if the structure is several feet from trees. And, they prefer trees and poles that are 25 feet and taller.

The reason is that they do not actually fly. They climb tall trees or utility poles and dive nearly straight down, opening their folds of furry skin on their sides just before hitting the ground. They gain so much speed in the steep downward decent that when they open their folds, they have a lot of momentum to sail long distances. And the reason they will not normally land on shorter structures is that they would then have to crawl on the ground until they found a tree or taller structure to climb up to sufficient height to glide from. It is dangerous business indeed for such a nice meal sized rodent to be defenseless during the night when owls and other predators are on the prowl. That's why they will not normally climb on shorter structures.

They are so uneasy about being on the ground that they will not pick up peanuts off the ground clearly visible to them from their nest box, even though the box is only 6 feet above the peanuts directly below and clearly in their view.

Therefore, if your feeders and nest boxes are not attached to trees or utility poles, it is extremely unlikely that they will be visited by flying squirrels. The one exception to this would be nest boxes or feeders that are along a fence row between forested areas. They would occasionally follow the safety of the fence row to cross from one forested area to another.

I hope this alleviates some of your fears of these wonderful creatures.

Sincerely,
Gary Springer

Writing from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Northeast Georgia, further north than most of South Carolina and a bit of North Carolina
Member NABS, Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania, and Ohio Bluebird Society
www.realbirdhomes.com

...

Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 07:59:51 EST
From: MSBOC"at"aol.com
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: Flying Squirrels in the Attic

I had flying squirrels in my attic! I used to hear them rustling in the walls. They had a clear run from inside my garage along the air-conditioning piping into the attic. Then one night, then came down through my bedroom closet. My golden's eyes opened wide and saw this little thing streak across the floor out from under my bed. Yikes!!!! I was fortunate in that they were only using my attic for a night time play area. Once I figured out how they were getting into the house...and once I was sure they were out, I closed up the holes...and have not had my sleep disturbed by them since.

They are cute..but only outdoors!

Nancy
Newtown, CT

Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 08:55:41 -0500
From: "Bruce Burdett"
To:
Subject: 'Glaucomys'

To: the Constituency, from Bruce Burdett. NH Bluebird Conspiracy, Sunapee NH
blueburd"at"srnet.com

I LIKE Flying Squirrels, and I've never had them bother my bird-houses or their occupants in any way. I guess I'm also fortunate that they nevergot into our attic.

For a while I had a couple of them as pets, having plucked them off our platform bird-feeder at night (bare-handed). They like to ride around in pockets, they love acorns, they never bit anyone, they like to run on exercise wheels, and they enjoy being tossed across a large room (a classroom, actually) from person to person. Once one ran around inside our grand piano (piano a queue, Fr.) for a day or two, but he came out and went back in his cage when he got hungry. He played some bizarre tunes on the strings, I can tell you.

After we released them, they hung around for a few days, appearing at unexpected times and places, but they quickly got re-adjusted to their former life and rejoined their old friends in the oak trees. No Bluebird sightings yet, at least not in Sunapee. We had 9" of snow last Saturday. (No, Haleya. I ain't dead yet. When I am, I'll tell you.)

Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 17:24:41 EDT
From: "Rwatts"
To: bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu
Subject: re Flying squirrels
Message-ID:

Rhonda Watts
Wilton, N.H.
(no BB sightings today, but they were at the same box, wing-waving, again yesterday) Delete this now if not interested in anything but BBs. It's distinctly off topic!

These old houses-- hard to keep the flying squirrels out! The first winter we hosted them, they came down the chimney, pushed the damper, and took up residence in the living room woodstove. Hard to know what to do; we couldn't just open it and toss in the siamese cat! By winter's end, the pong was a bit noticeable... Next winter, we had the damper wired shut. FSs began popping out the chimney caps (of which there are many, upstairs and down). *19* times one of the 3 house cats would come with a gift! Always late at night, just as we'd be ready for bed but ended up instead trying to capture the elusive little creatures with pot-and-lid!

I'm glad they keep to the attic now; we keep an eye on things and uneasily co-exist. But yes, they ARE cute.

Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 23:54:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Horace Sher hjsher1"at"yahoo.com
To: rkells"at"virginia.edu
Cc: Bluebird-L"at"Cornell.edu
Subject: Squirrel in captivity

Robyn had mentioned her Robins & a "squirrel" being obnoxious to her bluebirds(BB). Let me tell you what I saw a couple of days ago. A squirrel was creeping along the overhead power wire that leads to the telephone pole that has the BB nestbox on it...he was about 25-30 ft. away. I hadn't seen the male BB for at least a couple days.. I think. Out of nowhere, comes the male BB chasing the squirrel back up the wire away from the BB nestbox. Mrs. BB was in the box but hidden. I wished at that moment that I had my camcorder (which has been on order for a few weeks). Anyway, it was great! I don't know where Mr. BB is right now. Haven't seen him since that incident & I haven't seen any squirrels back there either. I wonder if Mr. BB is holding that squirrel in captivity somewhere back in the woods. I hope not... I hope Mr. BB comes back soon, as I miss him, because he's going to be needed in about 4 or 5 days, as that's about when I expect those 5 beautiful eggs to hatch..... Horace in NC.

Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 21:22:56 EDT
From: JaneHopeC"at"aol.com
To: Bluebird-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Rock Rimmon and Flying Squirrel

Hi all,

All well at the boxes on this golf course that I've started monitoring. 4 EABL nests (1 with one egg), 2 TRES started ( the birds were all around and on top of the boxes), 1completed Chickadee or maybe TUTI, 2 more possible EABL (of grasses, not the usual pine needles here), 1 empty box, 3 still not up. No sign of HOSP anywhere.

The 14th box we thought had mice in it and the superintendent was going to clean out. He hadn't done it yet so I decided to see if they'd left or anything. Tapped on the box and out popped a flying squirrel. It landed in a tree about six feet away. It was somewhat stunned, I nearly had heart failure. What should I do? Get it cleared out or leave it?

Very excited about the first egg. Going back Monday and hope to see plenty more.

Jane
Pound Ridge NY

Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 22:01:53 -0400
From: "Bruce Burdett" blueburd"at"srnet.com
To: "Jane Child Pound Ridge NY" JaneHopeC"at"aol.com
Cc: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Glaucomys.

To: Joan, et al

I LIKE Flying Squirrels, and if I were in your place I'd leave them there and enjoy them. However, you'll have to weigh your own personal pros and cons and play God a little. Flying Squirrels are fairly common; Bluebirds are not. You're going to have to decide which is more important to you. If you're having success enough with your other Bluebird nestings on the golf course, then I should think you'd be inclined to let the squirrels stay in #14. These are fascinating little animals, not nearly as pesty as the Grey Squirrels can be. Remember one thing, though; Flying Squirrels are almost entirely nocturnal, so you won't see them much unless you go out of your way to light up the area around the house.

Bruce Burdett, NH Bluebird Conspiracy, Sunapee NH
blueburd"at"srnet.com
"For God, our God, is a gallant foe, That playeth behind the veil." - Ezra Pound

Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 22:10:08 EDT
From: JaneHopeC"at"aol.com
To: Bluebird-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Flying squirrel

Hi again,

Just wrote about flying squirrel and whether to remove. Looking at my notes I realize this is one of a pair of boxes we are planning to move to a better location.

Jane
Pound Ridge NY

Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2000 00:47:17 GMT
From: "dean sheldon"
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: RED SQUIRREL BULLETIN

...Last weekend, I monitored Box #1 on the Savannah Trail for the tenth time this year. At the end of a typical nesting season, I expect Savannah 1 to
contain a White-footed Mouse family just getting comfortable for a long winter's stay. Imagine my surprise, then, when I opened the front and a Red Squirrel lunged straight at me [eyeball to eyeball], ran across my arm and then up my neck, across my head and back shoulders and bounded away[as only they can do] under my pickup truck to an undisclosed destination on the other side of the road. Don't tell me that these guys can't fit through a 1 1/2" hole straightaway without gnawing the hole opening one little bit. That was a first for me....Dean Sheldon, Huron County, Ohio [just south of Lake Erie]

Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2000 06:12:59 -0500
From: "dmccue" dmccue"at"usit.net
To: dsheldonjr"at"hotmail.com, BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: RED SQUIRREL BULLETIN

Dean - A similiar thing happen to me twice this year but in each case it was a small flying squirrel and they easily fit through a 1 1/2 inch hole. No warning. You expect to find a EABL nest or nothing and what to your surprise, WHAM and they are all over you. Each time it ran up the power pole to the crozzzrm and launched out for some trees about 40 feet away and just about made it. But at least close enough that he didn't have to worry about me. Dan McCue in West Tennessee.

...

Subj: [Bluebird] (1) Thanks, Dusty (2) Re: Bluebird] destroyed entrance hole
Date: 10/12/00 9:31:59 PM Central Daylight Time
From: stan_bb"at"Messagez.com (Stan Merrill, St. Paul, MN)
Sender: Bluebird-owner"at"fsinc.com
Reply-to: Bluebird"at"fsinc.com
To: bluebirdbox"at"cox.net (Bluebird List Member)

Hello EveryBIRDie!

"E Pluribus Unum," Dusty!

First off, a "BIG THANKS" for opening this Bluebird Listserve. May I be "one of many" who will find it to be especially helpful during the BLUEBIRD-L "recovery." How appropo that as bluebirders and "bluebird wannabes" for some of us, we're concerned about Bluebird recovery; and you've come to the rescue of having a bluebird listserve for exchange of ideas among us "non-rebels." Why some people get their "jollies" from that type of action, I'm not sure. But, as we all know, they're out there. There's always someone trying to stir up something (and I'm not referring to the Culinary Artists among us). And, the Laws are written, to cope with that 2%.

Now, for the second item on the subject line. How do you tell the difference ... (full question below)? If it has a bushy tail, it's a squirrel! Ha!

Oh, Dusty, you didn't realize you had a "smart aleck" among your new group, did you? Wal, now you know! I'm still try to figure out whether it's better to be a "smart aleck" or a "dumb butt?"

If you should discover the "start" of something's widening the entrance hole, a metal disc is available to screw onto the opening, which would be difficult for further damage. It's easier if the problem is detected early enough, to have wood into which to screw the metal disc, available in various sizes, such as 1, 1 1/8, 1 1/4, 1 1/2-inches, etc. I found them at Wild Birds Unlimited (I forget price, but less than $2 as I recall)...not yet available in the oval ring for the Peterson bluebird house. Though I'd think, sooner or later, they'd come up with same idea.

Happy bluebirding!

Stan, St. Paul, MN
***************************

On Thu, 12 Oct 2000 17:32:07 -0700 Dusty Bleher wrote:
I'm not sure how one can tell the difference between a squirrels
work, and that of a woodpecker?

Anybody?

Dusty
San Jose, Ca.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Teri C"
To: "Bluebird List Member"
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2000 16:25
Subject: [Bluebird] destroyed entrance hole


Today I discovered that the entrance hole on my Peterson box was
enlarged to
the top of the board. I'm thinking squirels. What do you think?

Teri in central Wisconsin

Subj: [Bluebird] (1) Thanks, Dusty (2) Re: Bluebird] destroyed entrance hole
Date: 10/12/00 10:00:34 PM Central Daylight Time
From: dusty"at"fsinc.com (Dusty Bleher)
Sender: Bluebird-owner"at"fsinc.com
Reply-to: Bluebird"at"fsinc.com
To: bluebirdbox"at"cox.net (Bluebird List Member)

Well, I asked because I have one hanging box that has had the hole enlarged to around 2.5 - 3 in. or so. But I've never been able to catch the culprit at it, so I didn't know who'd done the dirty deed.

I was going to wait until we neared "the season" before I took any corrective action. At this point I don't think inserts will do. The whole front of the box is gonna need achangin'.

Glad to be able to be of service to all of us suffering from BB list withdrawal...

L8r folks,
Dusty Bleher
San Jose, Ca.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Stan Merrill, St. Paul, MN"
To: "Bluebird List Member"
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2000 19:31
Subject: [Bluebird] (1) Thanks, Dusty (2) Re: Bluebird] destroyed
entrance hole


Hello EveryBIRDie!

"E Pluribus Unum," Dusty!
First off, a "BIG THANKS" for opening this Bluebird Listserve May I be "one of many" who will find it to be especially helpful during the BLUEBIRD-L "recovery." How appropo that as bluebirders and "bluebird wannabes" for some of us, we're concerned about Bluebird recovery; and you've come to the rescue of having a bluebird listserve for exchange of ideas among us "non-rebels." Why some people get their "jollies" from that type of action, I'm not
sure. But, as we all know, they're out there. There's always someone trying to stir up something (and I'm not referring to the Culinary Artists among us). And, the Laws are written, to cope with that 2%.

Now, for the second item on the subject line. How do you tell the difference ... (full question below)? If it has a bushy tail, it's a squirrel! Ha!

Oh, Dusty, you didn't realize you had a "smart aleck" among your new group, did you? Wal, now you know! I'm still try to figure out whether it's better to be a "smart aleck" or a "dumb butt?"

If you should discover the "start" of something's widening the entrance hole, a metal disc is available to screw onto the opening, which would be difficult for further damage. It's easier if the problem is detected early enough, to have wood into which to screw the metal disc, available in various sizes, such as 1, 1 1/8, 1 1/4, 1 1/2-inches, etc. I found them at Wild Birds Unlimited (I forget price, but less than $2 as I recall)...not yet available in the oval ring for the Peterson bluebird house. Though I'd think, sooner or later, they'd come up with same idea.

Happy bluebirding!

Stan, St. Paul, MN
***************************

On Thu, 12 Oct 2000 17:32:07 -0700 Dusty Bleher wrote:
I'm not sure how one can tell the difference between a squirrels
work, and that of a woodpecker?

Anybody?

Dusty
San Jose, Ca.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Teri C"
To: "Bluebird List Member"
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2000 16:25
Subject: [Bluebird] destroyed entrance hole


Today I discovered that the entrance hole on my Peterson box was
enlarged to
the top of the board. I'm thinking squirels. What do you think?

Teri in central Wisconsin

Subj: [Bluebird] Metal rings, size of Peterson Bluebird Nestbox
Date: 10/13/00 7:22:29 PM Central Daylight Time
From: stan_bb"at"Messagez.com (Stan Merrill, St. Paul, MN)
Sender: Bluebird-owner"at"fsinc.com
To: bluebird"at"fsinc.com (Bluebird List Member)

Hi!

Thanks to Wild Birds Unlimited for all your support for our
birding needs/desires!

Having already purchased and attached the metal rings to two of my
nestboxes, from squirrels' enlarging the entrance holes (on one;
second, as preventive), todate I have not found your WBU store in
Burnsville, Minnesota, stocking the metal ring to fit the oval hole
entrance of the Peterson Bluebird box.

Though I'm cognizant of the Noel predator guard, I think the metal
ring would be highly desirable. And, it would be my opinion that
your supplier for the circular metal rings could come up with the
same idea, in the oval design, could they not?

Thanks for listening!

Stan Merrill, Apple Valley, suburb of St. Paul, MN

Date: 16 Oct 2000 02:45:11 -0000
From: "Stan Merrill, St. Paul, MN"
Subject: Metal ring discourage Bluebirds?

yBIRDie!

Calling all our bluebirders for your counsel!

After a squirrel had "riddled" a nestbox/roost, I put on a new "front" with the metal ring, to prevent further damage.

Someone asked about the metal's being cold in the wintertime? Guess it would be; however, I thought I had read somewhere that this wouldn't pose a problem.

Another friend tried it, and the bluebirds did not accept it.

Being new to the "metal ring' idea, has anyone tried the metal ring for nesting box holes, to prevent damage? What has been your experience with this?

Thanks!

Stan

Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 06:18:09 -0500
From: "Keith & Sandy Kridler"
Subject: Metal Hole restrictors

Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Squirrels can do a lot of damage to nestboxes and the smaller species can enter the entrance holes with very little enlargement. Flying Squirrels and I believe some red squirrels can enter a 1&1/2" round hole.

Jack Finch of Bailey, North Carolina http://www.danfinch.com/birds.htm has been adding a 29 Gauge steel sheet metal guards to his boxes since before 1984. He has them punched at 1&5/8" so that the metal is just a little back from the edge of the entrance hole (he uses the 1&9/16" round hole). I can't remember exact numbers but I believe he has shipped over 100,000 nestboxes now with these on them. He does sell just the guards about 3"x3" in packs of ten.

I have used cut outs from kitchen & bathroom sinks tops with Formica already glued on the 3/4" thick plywood on nestbox fronts and these also work at keeping squirrels and woodpeckers from enlarging the holes. Our very own hero Dusty Bleher uses the polycarbonate (Lexan) plastic for unbreakable windows (not Plexiglas as it is brittle and cracks when drilled) and uses these for hole restrictors. This lexan can be found at commercial window shops and they should have scratched or small pieces that they will sell at little cost. (New this is $150.00 a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet wholesale in my area or $5 a square foot.) Cut this with a fine toothed carbide table saw blade and drill the entrance hole with either a hole saw or forstner style drill bit set at high speed for the forstner and low speed for the hole saw. As Fawzi states the BEST protection starts at the pole and keeps the squirrels from EVER reaching the nestbox! For those using the 1/2" EMT conduit (electrical metallic tubing) with the car wax on it does this stop squirrels from climbing the pole???? Squirrels can jump great distances to feeders and many boxes are mounted at easy jumping distances for them. Also woodpeckers can fly to any box. Even guarding the entrance holes is sometimes not enough as ventilation holes and slots are sometimes enlarged to the point where they can enter through these.

As far as metal being cold and dangerous in freezing weather, we seldom ever hear of birds being frozen to power lines, barbed wire or the metal perches of bird feeders. If squirrels are a major problem with your nestboxes it probably is because there is a lack of natural cavities in the area. If you consider placing nestboxes sized for flickers wood ducks in trees they may leave the bluebird boxes alone. This will also increase the squirrel population to the point where more and more boxes will be needed for them! KK

Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 07:07:58 -0600
From: "Robert Wilson"
Subject: Re: [Bluebird] Metal Hole restrictors

Please note! The Wilson PVC box can not be chewed by any predator except by man (shotgun). I am sure the coons and mice can be kept out of these boxes. When I replace a wooden box that a mouse built a nest in with a PVC one no nest was ever build again. I had removed the nest for three week before. REMEMBER this material (cut offs) are FREE at you local fencing contractor.

Bob Wilson
(970) 242-5190
39* 06.21N 108*33.61 W
4,635 elevation Grand Junction Colorado
THE HOME OF ALL THREE BLUEBIRD SPECIES

----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith & Sandy Kridler"
To: "Bluebird"
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 5:18 AM
Subject: [Bluebird] Metal Hole restrictors


Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Squirrels can do a lot of damage to nestboxes and the smaller species can
enter the entrance holes with very little enlargement. Flying Squirrels and
I believe some red squirrels can enter a 1&1/2" round hole.
Jack Finch of Bailey, North Carolina http://www.danfinch.com/birds.htm
has been adding a 29 Gauge steel sheet metal guards to his boxes since
before 1984. He has them punched at 1&5/8" so that the metal is just a
little back from the edge of the entrance hole (he uses the 1&9/16" round
hole). I can't remember exact numbers but I believe he has shipped over
100,000 nestboxes now with these on them. He does sell just the guards about
3"x3" in packs of ten.
I have used cut outs from kitchen & bathroom sinks tops with Formica
already glued on the 3/4" thick plywood on nestbox fronts and these also
work at keeping squirrels and woodpeckers from enlarging the holes. Our very
own hero Dusty Bleher uses the polycarbonate (Lexan) plastic for unbreakable
windows (not Plexiglas as it is brittle and cracks when drilled) and uses
these for hole restrictors. This lexan can be found at commercial window
shops and they should have scratched or small pieces that they will sell at
little cost. (New this is $150.00 a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet wholesale in my
area or $5 a square foot.) Cut this with a fine toothed carbide table saw
blade and drill the entrance hole with either a hole saw or forstner style
drill bit set at high speed for the forstner and low speed for the hole saw.
As Fawzi states the BEST protection starts at the pole and keeps the
squirrels from EVER reaching the nestbox! For those using the 1/2" EMT
conduit (electrical metallic tubing) with the car wax on it does this stop
squirrels from climbing the pole???? Squirrels can jump great distances to
feeders and many boxes are mounted at easy jumping distances for them. Also
woodpeckers can fly to any box. Even guarding the entrance holes is
sometimes not enough as ventilation holes and slots are sometimes enlarged
to the point where they can enter through these.
As far as metal being cold and dangerous in freezing weather, we seldom
ever hear of birds being frozen to power lines, barbed wire or the metal
perches of bird feeders. If squirrels are a major problem with your
nestboxes it probably is because there is a lack of natural cavities in the
area. If you consider placing nestboxes sized for flickers wood ducks in
trees they may leave the bluebird boxes alone. This will also increase the
squirrel population to the point where more and more boxes will be needed
for them! KK

Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 19:00:16 -0700
From: "judymellin"
Subject: metal rings

I guess there are advantages to having a trail out in a grassland- the only birds who use the boxes in the winter are kestrels who clean their meals on top! I leave our boxes open all winter because there are no grassland birds present through the "dry" season (dry birdwise but hardly precipitation-wise).

Is it too simplistic that some birds are turned off by these metal rings because they see a "rival" in them? I'm not sure how shiny the metal is
that's being used but, if birds are seeing their reflection in the shiny surface, they may be deterred from using or at least checking out the box. Those of you who have tried this may think about the birds' reaction to this and let others know.

Judy Mellin
Palatine, IL.

Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 10:19:17 -0400
From: Haleya Priest mablue"at"gis.net
To: BLUEBIRD-L BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: squirrel problems / :-(

Haleya Priest Amherst MA

Please don't read this post if you do not support disposing of squirrels.

I need help! I've got a squirrel after none for a year that is very skittish so very hard to shoot. My next plan of action is to put my feeder out away from my window so I can get a good shot without scaring him when I open the window.

Besides wishing you were all here to help, here is my question: If I take my bluebird feeder away from the house and put whole corn kernels on top of the feeder so I can get a real good shot, will the Mockingbird that lives in my yard and have kept away by using this special feeder - will he like whole kernel corn?

If so, it poses a problem because he won't let the bluebirds near the feeder.

Your ideas of what I could put on top that the Mocker won't care to eat but the squirrels would love would be very helpful. THANKS!

Haleya

Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 09:47:31 -0500
From: "Fawzi P. Emad femad <at> fpemad <dot> com
To: "bbb" bluebird"at"fsinc.com, "bbllll" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: squirrel problems /

Dear Haleya, if it is a feeder on a pole, then there is a "peaceful" solution. As you know I do not kill any animals, and I have several squirrels in our yard. Some time ago one of them chewed "our best feeder" "at"#$% but I decided to see if I could *outsmart* the rascal. I put the feeder on a 1/2" water pipe, and I raised it up to 8'. That proved of no use, he could easily climb up and enjoy it. So, I put an 8" Kingston stove pipe guard right under the feeder. After a few days, I saw him on the feeder! Did he beat this Kingston guard? I always thought it was 100% effective against squirrels...

So, I decided to scare him (gently) off the feeder, then I waited inside the house to witness how he beat the Kingston guard. After some time, he climbed a tree near the feeder. The feeder was *not* under the tree, but a branch of the tree pointed in the direction of the feeder. The squirrel would run on the branch, much like an airplane would run on the runway, then he would jump off the end of the branch in the general direction of the feeder. He often fell off, and he would try again and again, till he landed right on the feeder and was able to grab it and stay on top of it.

The solution was to shorten the "runway" so he could not launch himself as far as the feeder. Now the feeder is such that I could reach it by hand (eye level) and is protected (as my nestboxes are) by the 8" Ron Kingston stove pipe. This is now over a year, and he has not yet figured a way back... It worked, I outsmarted him! (Julie Zickefoose's booklet "Enjoying Bluebirds More" has excellent plans for making this guard --on pages 20-21.)

I hope you'll try it.

Fawzi

----- Original Message -----

From: "Haleya Priest" mablue"at"gis.net
To: "BLUEBIRD-L" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2001 9:19 AM
Subject: squirrel problems / :-(

| Haleya Priest Amherst MA
|
| Please don't read this post if you do not support disposing of
| squirrels.
|
---snip---

Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 11:52:32 -0400
From: Haleya Priest mablue"at"gis.net
To: BLUEBIRD-L BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: More ? about squirrel :-(

Haleya Priest Amherst MA

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!! Too many of you to email back personally, so let me give a couple other details: I would mount mine on a pole right now, however, we have 7" of old snow on the ground and in the next 12 hours are supposed to get 8 - 12"!!! All to say the ground is frozen solid....

I might just have to go with the have-a-heart trap - -but before I do, what can I set on top of the feeder that will attract the squirrel, but NOT the Mockingbird??? Are mockingbirds attracted to whole kernel corn???

Of course all other ideas helpful....... THANKS SO MUCH EVERYONE - WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT EACH OTHER???

Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 19:05:48 -0400
From: Haleya Priest mablue"at"gis.net
To: BLUEBIRD-L BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Squirrel update and another ?

Haleya Priest Amherst MA

Continued thanks to everyone for all of your support and ideas!!

Well, we are having a real Nor'Easter!!! My favorite weather man just said he's never seen anything like how much snow is falling. Some places are getting 2+" an hour! After about 5 hours we had 9+", so I imagine we've got near a foot now with many hours of heavy snow to come....

Question: I figured the Have a Heart trap was the best way set up a trap before he even gets to my feeder. (No, I don't have a heart at all for this guy!!). Question is: I bought the only squirrel trap they had and it said SMALL SQUIRRELS. The man said it would catch any squirrels... hmmm... If I open the package I can't return it. What do you all think? I've used raccoon sized cages, or something bigger in the past....

My second plan is to move the feeder out in the yard away from the window where I am going to put corn cobs on top of it. I can get a good shot from there and he shouldn't be scared off by my opening the window at the precise moment of attack.

So, if I can't get the squirrel in the Have a Heart, and he gets to the feeder I am going to dispose of him with my air gun. That gives me two good chances to get him.

I came home to 9" of snow and the squirrel had eaten everything in the bluebird feeder, leaving them with nothing, so this is WAR!

Thanks for listening! :-)

Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 00:28:28 -0500
From: "Shel Michaels" shel"at"shel.net
To: "Bluebird List" bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: Squirrel update and another ?

Hi all!!! from Shel Michaels in southern NH with about two feet of snow on the ground, and blowing like crazy!

Haleya asked about Hav-A-Hart squirrel trap sizes. I've trapped in my lifetime well over two hundred gray squirrels, and my 26" by 7" by 6" trap is the means. The critters are very quick to react, so I suggest you leave one end of the trap closed and put the bait (I use a small smear of peanut butter on a slip of paper) just on the far side of the trip pan. That way, when the door starts to come down, the critter is facing the dead end, and can't just leap forward and out.

Good luck, and best regards!!

----- Original Message -----

From: "Haleya Priest" mablue"at"gis.net

Question: I figured the Have a Heart trap was the best way set up a
trap before he even gets to my feeder. (No, I don't have a heart at all
for this guy!!). Question is: I bought the only squirrel trap they had
and it said SMALL SQUIRRELS. The man said it would catch any
squirrels... hmmm... If I open the package I can't return it. What do
you all think? I've used raccoon sized cages, or something bigger in the
past....

Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 19:57:26 -0500
From: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
To: "Keith & Sandy Kridler" kridler"at"1Starnet.com
Cc: "BLUEBIRD-L" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu, "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
Subject: flying squirrels

It's amazing how different people have different experiences.

I'm covered up with flying squirrels and they have access to about 50 percent of my nest boxes..

No eggs or chicks have ever been lost in any of these nest boxes.

One box fledged 4 bluebirds within 20 feet of a box full of flying squirrels mounted on a utility pole, and, last year I fledged 4 boxes full of birds
within 25 feet of my shop which provides shelter to nearly a dozen flying squirrels.

But, then again, when I put up a nest box for a bird I put it on a metal pole. I used to mount them 6 feet high but in the past year I've mounted 24
new nest boxes and all of these are about 8 feet high.on metal poles. Just today I tore out a metal pole with a box mounted only 6 feet high and within the next couple years they will all be 8 feet high.

As I wrote in the past, if I want a nest box full of flying squirrels all I have to do is mount a nest box on a tree. And, examination of the nest
boxes of other people who mount them on trees here in Georgia reveals about 50 percent of them are unwittingly providing nesting for flying squirrels.

I pulled up Jack Finch's web page and noticed that his home page is adorned by a beautiful nest box, mounted on a wooden fence post.

We may be having different experiences because my nest boxes are inadequate for flying squirrel nesting sites.

I think encouraging birds to nest in nest boxes within easy reach of predators is setting them up for disaster.

Cats, snakes, raccoons, and many other predators are very smart animals. If you start a trail and put up nest boxes on trees and wooden posts which these predators can easily climb, or, on metal poles (with or without baffle guards) that are less than 6 feet high and within jumping distance, they will eventually learn what a nice meal bluebirds and their eggs or chicks make. Then they will visit your nest boxes regularly, and, after you have them coming for bluebird cuisine, it will be more and more difficult to keep them off your nest boxes.

Once you've trained these predators how to get an easy meal out of a nest box, they will begin to salivate when they see a nest box. The adrenalin
will begin to pump and they won't stop until they have reached the box to get a meal.

Therefore, it is extremely important to do it right in the first place. Put nest boxes on metal poles at least 6 feet up and put a little axle grease over a two foot band near the bottom of the pole and you won't be training cats, raccoons, snakes, flying squirrels, fire ants and other ground based
predators how to get an easy meal.

True, flying squirrels can fly onto my nest boxes mounted 8 feet high. But they have no use for a nest box on a metal pole so maybe they haven't
frequented them enough to learn about the availability of bluebird hors d'oeuvres.

Gary Springer,
www.realbirdhomes.com

PS Having written this, is it possible the birds knowledge of the potential danger from flying squirrels at natural cavities in trees is why they prefer
nest boxes in the open.

Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 17:01:15 EDT
From: Joagos"at"aol.com
To: Bluebird-L"at"cornell.edu
Cc: WLinst"at"yahoogroups.com
Subject: Attacking Bluebirds

This morning very early I hung up a new suet feeder filled with Bluebird Treat on a shepherd's crook about 5 feet away from their nesting box and wondered how long it take before they discovered it. Within 2 hours they had claimed it. Just a few minutes ago I noticed a commotion with darting and  diving blue colors, I then looked over the edge of the deck and noticed that  both male and female were guarding their new suet feeder from one of our very plump squirrels. The squirrel had tried to climb up the pole and go for the suet but both birds drove him off. They then proceeded to harass him even when he went to an adjoining tree and climbed up the tree, they then drove him down the tree and away from the feeder. A few minutes later a different squirrel tried the same thing and again the BBs drove them off. Do you think this kind of behavior is common? It's nice to know that fiestiness applies also to Bluebirds.

Enjoying this wonderful day, JoAnn Gossett, Guilford,CT

Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 07:23:30 +0000
From: Paula P Good sistersinhim"at"juno.com
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: squirrels

Laura, I had to end up moving my BB house and put up a replacement in it's place. Of course, you can't do that with the birds nesting already. I had a photo of a squirrel inside of the BB house that later had a killed female sitting on the eggs. I'm sure the squirrel did it. When I moved the house off of the tree onto a pole with a predator guard on it, the BB had no problems. I'm just sorry that my ignorance caused the death of such a wonderful bird and her eggs.

I check my houses every day. Sometimes mama just sits right there when I open up the door. I then quickly close up the door and walk away. If she is off the nest, she or daddy will watch me check things out, but I've never had a problem with them not coming back. I like to think that they know that I won't hurt them!

Paula

Cent. VA.

Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 09:15:39 -0400
From: "Larry Zapotocky" larryz22"at"hotmail.com
To: agnel"at"ils.unc.edu, BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Re: need help!

Laura,

YES, a squirrel can be a predator and will eat eggs and monitoring is definitely OK and in fact "a must" if you want the best for your bluebirds. Bluebirds are very tolerant to people. You may even open the box sometimes and find the female sitting on the eggs. Just gently close the box and walk away. What I do is whistle when I'm approaching the box and then gently tap on the side when I get to it to let them know that I am there.

ABOUT THE NESTBOX - this is what I would do: go to the hardware store and get yourself 1 1/4" steel conduit (the kind that you run electrical wire in)
in an 8 foot length and also get some 1 1/4" conduit straps. Drive the conduit about two feet into the ground with a sledge hammer and place it about 10 to 15 feet from where your box is currently located. Use the conduit straps to attach your box to the conduit about 5 feet above the ground.

NOTE: Don't worry about moving the box the bluebirds will find it immediately.

Now the predator baffle: go to this link http://bluebird.htmlplanet.com and scroll down the page to "PREDATOR CONTROL." I use the Stovepipe Predator Guard and it works fine. Bookmark this page because it has everything you need to know about bluebirds.

Here is another link you might be interested in for House Sparrow control: http://birds.cornell.edu/bluebirdslarry.htm

Feel free to contact me directly with any other questions about bluebirds and/or predator control.

Good Luck,
Larry

----- Original Message -----
From: "Laura Agnew" agnel"at"ils.unc.edu
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 7:59 PM
Subject: need help!

...

Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 13:48:52 -0400
From: Laura Agnew agnel"at"ils.unc.edu
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Would this work for Squirrels?

Thanks to everyone for letting me know that squirrels will eat the eggs, babies, or even an adult female BB. I think I will try putting a bucket of peanuts a ways away from the BB box to hopefully give the squirrels a more desirable food source. I thought about putting out a bucket of chicken eggs but that might give all of the predators a taste for eggs.

If this is a bad idea, let me know. Thanks again. Nice to know I am not the only one with a BB fetish!

-Laura in Chapel Hill NC

From: CATHIEBUBBA"at"aol.com
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 17:04:18 EST
Subject: Bluebird houses in Panhandle of Florida
To: bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu (BLUEBIRD-L)

I am new to bluebirding although we have been enjoying an active bluebird population here. Our bluebird house has been taken over by squirrels seeking
shelter from the cold weather here. When should we expect nesting to start here and will the birds return to the house after squirrels have used it? Thank you Cathie Giuliano very nw corner of the state of Florida

From: "Mary Beth Roen" mbroen"at"hotmail.com
To: CATHIEBUBBA"at"aol.com, bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu (BLUEBIRD-L)
Subject: Re: Bluebird houses in Panhandle of Florida
Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 16:47:47 -0600

Cathie,

Does your house have the standard 1 1/2 inch opening for Eastern Bluebirds? I am wondering how squirrels could get in that sized hole. If they have chewed the entrance to enlarge it, so they can get in, then some modification will be needed to return the hole to the proper size to omit starlings etc. There are metal pieces that can be put over an enlarged hole or you can put a new piece of wood with a 1 1/2 inch opening over the front that has an enlarged hole.

Mary Roen, River Falls, WI

From: CATHIEBUBBA"at"aol.com
Reply-To: CATHIEBUBBA"at"aol.com
To: bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu (BLUEBIRD-L)
Subject: Bluebird houses in Panhandle of Florida
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 17:04:18 EST

...

From: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
To: "BLUEBIRD-L" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Cc: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
Subject: Gray squirrrels raiding nests?
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 11:00:24 -0500

I'm interested in learning more about the possible impact the gray squirrel may have on birds.

If you have witnessed a gray squirrel raiding a bird nest of a cavity or non-cavity nesting bird species, or, if you have ever seen a gray squirrel attack an adult bird or eat the flesh of any other small animal, please send me a brief description of your observation.

Also, if you have seen a gray squirrel raid a nest, please mention whether or not it appeared the squirrel ate the eggs or young birds.

Further, if you have ever observed active interaction between a gray squirrel and adult birds near a bird nest, I would appreciate an account of this observation as well.

I would really appreciate your help.

Thank you,

Gary Springer
www.realbirdhomes.com

From: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
To: "BLUEBIRD-L" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Cc: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net
Subject: Bluebirds/Gray Squirrels
Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2002 21:20:13 -0500

Steve Garr wrote:

"I have witnessed the attack mode by the bluebirds when a gray squirrel gets near the nest box. Both male and female dove at the squirrel and their calls attracted the interest of other birds. Soon there was an assortment of song birds trying do distract the squirrel. I don't know if it was my presence or the commotion of the birds that encouraged the squirrel to leave. The same box constantly has rabbits under it but the bluebirds don't seem to mind.

From the reaction of the birds it would seem they see squirrels as a predator."

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your account of the interaction between bluebirds and gray squirrels.

I believe your logic is sound.

Most bird watchers think squirrels are just a nuisance at the feeder.  But I think the gray squirrel may be responsible for the reduction in population of some species of birds.  I'm most concerned about the larger woodpeckers, secondary cavity nesting birds that use larger cavities, and nightjars which
nest on the mature forest floor.

The older books I read nearly always indicate that squirrels prey on birds
and other small mammals.

Squirrels are commonly listed as prey of hawks and owls.  But in my experience, gray squirrels go largely ignored by these predators.

My observation has been that the population of gray squirrels explodes in areas where hunting by humans is prohibited, even where there are numerous hawks and owls.

I once observed a squirrel prancing across an open field in broad daylight. A red-tail hawk dove from more than 100 feet in the air to within a couple feet of the squirrel.  There was no doubt in my mind the squirrel was lunch for the hawk.  But, at the last instant, the squirrel stood erect and the hawk veered off leaving the squirrel to continue on its merry way across the field without exhibiting any detectable response to the hawks rapid approach.

I often write about my belief that snakes take more birds than most birders suspect.  I also believe that, other than human hunters and bobcats which  are now absent in many areas, snakes are the most effective control of gray squirrel populations.

Thanks to all others who shared their comments about gray squirrels with me.

Gary Springer

PS   What a coincidence.   I've spent a good portion of my life walking and sitting in the woods without seeing a hawk take a squirrel.  But, only two days after writing the above, on February 2, 2002 I observed the following :

Today I stepped into the forest and was startled by a huge rush of leaves and wings.

Not 100 feet in front of me was a huge red tail hawk surging into flight from the ground, and an instant later in the same area I spotted a gray squirrel running up the side of a tall limbless tree.

As I sat and pondered my observation my initial belief that I had interrupted the hawk as it sat on top of the squirrel, talons dug in around its neck, waiting for death to overcome it, was confirmed.  The squirrel, apparently wounded, suddenly fell more than 60 feet from the tree it had scaled a moment before.

As I walked away, I spotted the hawk observing me from a perch about two hundred yards away. I hope it was bold enough to reclaim its prey.

----- Original Message -----
From: Gary Springer
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 2:08 PM
To: BLUEBIRD-L
Cc: Gary Springer
Subject: Gray squirrels raiding nests?

...

Squirrels and Bluebirds (Part 2)

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