Bluebirds from He??

[Dozernut]

We have Bluebird nesting boxes set out and have Bluebirds nest in them every year. This year we have a pair that took the nesting box close to the house and they are like the bad relatives who won't leave.

This pair of Bluebirds are extremely territorial, we have never had Bluebirds this bad. They are constantly fighting their reflections in the car and truck mirrors and any glass that will show their reflection. The problem is they fight so long that they crap down the glass or mirror. This is bad in of itself but with the constant fighting and fluttering they get the crap all over their feathers. With the crap on their feathers they distribute it evenly over the mirror or glass. This is on all four sides of the of vehicles and the mirrors.

We tried placing a fake owl on the wife's car, the Bluebirds were perched on top of it. Sacks were placed on the mirrors which helped the mirrors but not the glass. Bought six rubber snakes and draped them over the vehicles. This slowed them down but did not stop them. As soon as this bunch of babies is raised I am tearing this Bluebird house down, no more nesting boxes close to the house! It is hard to admit that I have been beaten by a Bluebird.

 

[zzvyb6]

Pictures please. Are you sure they are Bluebirds and not barn or tree swallows? I have a hundred or so bluebird houses on every other fence post and I have both types of birds in them. The tree swallows are very tame and agressive. Not so for the bluebirds. They keep their distance. Houses close to the buildings get you English sparrows which are the messy, noisy and crappy birds. Make excellant target practice with .38 birdshot. I also have quite a few wrens this year. Cute but a bit chirpy, too, if you get close to their homes.

 

[mojoinco]

No help, but we had one looking through our bay window at a painting ~20-25' across the house on a wall -- not even well lit. It was attacking the window. My wife covered it up and the idiot bird quit.

Funny.

 

[Dozernut]

"Are you sure they are Bluebirds and not barn or tree swallows?"

Positive!

We have both and have Bluebirds every year. This one is a new one on me, these Bluebirds are not shy at all. I will try to get a picture of the perpetrators but the wife has the camera and is not home.

 

[wny770]

This year we have a pair that took the nesting box close to the house and they are like the bad relatives who won't leave.


We tried placing a fake owl on the wife's car, the Bluebirds were perched on top of it.

I know this is not funny to you, but when I read the part about the owl, I fell off my chair laughing! You see, I bought an owl last year for starlings..... Same results!

 

[grnspot110]

I've had the same problem with Cardinals in the past, they can scratch the mirrors! ~~ grnspot

 

[Mousefield]

Somehow you need to catch them and then tar and feather them. :laughing:

 

[johnrex62]

I had the same problem with a pair of cardinals. We suffered several years of dirty car windows and windows and dive bombings when getting in and out of the car.

Fortunately for us, a stray cat came along and dropped a litter of kittens in our lap. One of them developed a taste for cardinal on autoglass. :thumbsup:

 

[magicheater]

I put up with ALL the birds that nest near my house. It is a delight to watch them and alas a minor inconvenience when the brood is almost ready to leave the nest and the parents are over protective. This year I have a house wren just outside my office window in a hanging basket. They won out over the swallows that were looking early on. The house with bluebirds last year have swallows this year and the young are out and I noticed other birds perusing the house now. A first time mourning dove nest under a roof met with disaster, the day after I took this pic a predator had a meal. A robin in an open garage actually has been the most lenient in scolding. She never squawks or leaves the nest either when I leave the garage with the mower or when I return. She is on brood number two now. I have a whip-poor-will that frequents at 4AM and sits on a roof top within eye-shot and very loud ear-shot frequently! I have managed a look when I can. A very small bird for the volume of their voice. I do have a toll every year of unfortunates that fly into a window but have had the bird from he** that you describe also, but it was a robin but definitely had a thing for that one particular window!

 

[lhfarm]

We've had a "mad" bluebird the past couple of years who would wake us tapping on the upstairs windows. He would hit the car and truck mirrors too. He doesn't seem to be around this year. Maybe all that head banging got to him. None of our boxes are within a 100' of the house.

We really enjoy all the birds and have been willing to put up with the occasional bad behavior. Lots of fun right now watching the young.

 

[rswyan]

We have had chimney swifts nesting in our chimney for the past several years.

Other than the young being very noisy at all hours, and the diving-bombing that goes on while I'm mowing the lawn (there's usually a dozen of 'em or so swirling around the tractor, trying to pick off the insects the mower kicks up) they're not much trouble .... and they are a Federally protected species.

Hopefully they are reducing the population of skeeters and other undesirable bugs ...