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 tweetybird |
UPDATE ON TRAPPING |
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Posts: 139 (07/17/07 2:16 PM) |
Well it finally happened I have 4 so far and about 80 more to go. The funniest thing was when we got the first one in the trap a wren went in also it must have been a young one. We got those four in about a two hour period. They are all female it seems that the males are a little leary of the trap but they will mess up one day and they will make it in the trap. Thanks for all the help bluebirders. Will get ya'll updated.
mitzi |
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BluebirdNut |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 6579 (07/17/07 2:36 PM) Forum
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Mitzi, did you have any trouble getting the wren out of the trap?
Cher ~ Central NY
BluebirdNut.com - Bluebird Information, Education and Awareness Bluebird Nut Cafe - Bluebird Discussion Forum Bluebird Gift Shop - Bluebird-Themed Merchandise and Gifts TMB Studios Shop - Gifts with Distinction TMB Studios - Graphic design, Web design, Photography, and more |
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egentry |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 621 (07/17/07 2:37 PM) |
Way to go Mitzi!!! We actually trapped 2 yesterday. Got a female in the ground trap. Left her in there and the crazy male didn't seem too worried about her - he just kept eating seed from the top and around the base of the trap. BUT, he was building a nest in the box above the trap - I swear he went in there at least 10 times but finally the Van Ert got him!! And we actually successfully desposed of them for once!! I intended to leave her in the trap as a decoy, but it was 98 in the shade and after about 5 hours I couldn't stand it any more and had hubby well, you know.... put her out of her misery as it were. Yesterday that male kept chasing off another male so I'm hoping to get him, but so far today not much action.
Keep up the good work!! Eileen |
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tamsea |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Moderator Posts: 6010 (07/17/07 3:05 PM) |
 GREAT!! Tammy
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tweetybird |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 139 (07/17/07 6:09 PM) |
Thanks everyone it feels good that it started to do the trapping for me. Atleast it's a start for now.
Cher, hubby had to try a few times to get the wren out but really it was very easy.He didn't like it either I was scared that maybe the wren would kill the sparrow wasn't sure but wanted to make sure that he didn't. Haven't been able to get the trap back out it's been raining since around 1p.m. today hope it's better tomorrow. Didn't want the little varmits to drowned out in the rain so I have them on the back porch with a towel over them so that they would settle down they sure son't like the trap. Of course my house cat would love to get her teeth in one of those little birds  .mitzi |
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tweetybird |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 139 (07/17/07 6:11 PM) |
anyone, howlong will the trapped sparrows stay alive I have food and water in there for them do I leave all the ones I trap in the cage or do I weed them out? Do I need to leave a fresh and do away with the old ones?
mitzi |
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tamsea |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Moderator Posts: 6010 (07/17/07 11:26 PM) |
I've heard from others that they can last weeks. But personally I try to weed out the old ones and leave the most recent...if that is possible. Sometimes I get rid of all but one or two. The problem is sometimes they attack each other. I had one that killed two or three other HOSP in the trap after being in there just a couple of nights.
Tammy
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tweetybird |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 139 (07/17/07 11:34 PM) |
Tammy, Thanks for the info. I will probally weed the old ones like you you said. Hubby said that we could clip some of the feathers of ones we have now that way we would now the new from the old. I would like to keep fresh ones plus I noticed how ticked off the little varmits got when they ended up in the hold area. And of course my little house cat you can see her wanting to get them she probally would run if had the chance she doesn't even know what outside is. When we had our hurricanne in 2005 she rode it out with us and done real good so I guess I will have to keep her after 12 years. Hope I get more in the trap tomorrow.
mitzi |
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tamsea |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Moderator Posts: 6010 (07/17/07 11:38 PM) |
You are on a roll. This year a lot of people have complained about not being able to trap any....including me. So you are doing GREAT.
I think that Cher clips their wings...just so if they do accidentally escape, which has happened to me a time or two, they won't get very far or won't make it without being able to fly. So how many total? Tammy
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tweetybird |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 139 (07/17/07 11:46 PM) |
Tammy, so far today in about a two hour period 3 sparrows and a house wren. The other day a cardinal got in there but not to the holding area before I got him out and now he only eats around the trap. It rained from 1p.m. till around 7 tonight so I didn't put the trap out. But tomorrow is another trapping day will fill you in if I get anymore. Wish they were not anywhere around to hurt the Blues. Seen the pictures and they are not very pretty at all when they attack a Blue. It's funny it's almost like today they just mutipled two fold after the three got in there. Hubby just laughed at me and said it's because I want them in the trap
mitzi |
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tamsea |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Moderator Posts: 6010 (07/17/07 11:50 PM) |
It seemed to me that once I was on a roll , they just kept coming. So maybe it will be the same for you. It gets to be a challenge to see how many I can capture. I was keeping count this year for awhile.
Tammy
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BluebirdNut |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 6579 (07/18/07 7:24 AM) Forum
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mitzi congratulations on your trapping success. You might find you catch even more if you leave your trap out even when it's raining. Provide some kind of cover to protect the birds already in the trap from the elements. I use an old plastic birdbath basin inverted over the top with a rock on it. The HOSP might see it as a nice dry, safe place to get a snack during a rainstorm! Or, if you have a little shed or barn, try setting the trap up just inside the door when it rains - HOSP love little out-buildings.
Cher ~ Central NY
BluebirdNut.com - Bluebird Information, Education and Awareness Bluebird Nut Cafe - Bluebird Discussion Forum Bluebird Gift Shop - Bluebird-Themed Merchandise and Gifts TMB Studios Shop - Gifts with Distinction TMB Studios - Graphic design, Web design, Photography, and more |
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bbcathy |
trapping | ||
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Posts: 1204 (07/18/07 8:09 AM) |
Mitzi, I agree with Cher. I have had some of my best trapping days when it's raining or really cloudy. My native birds have all been in the trap at least once so they now know to stay out. Once I start trapping and catching the hosps I quit putting food on the ground neAR THE TRAP. oops I also believe in dispatching of the bad ones after dark. I think that if the others see you doing it they know what's going on. I like to stay away from it unless of course a native bird gets in. I release them right away. Continued sucess, Cathy
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tweetybird |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 139 (07/18/07 3:37 PM) |
Thanks Cher for letting me now about the cover I really didn't think about that I guess I wanted the other sparrows to see the other ones. I found a cover for them. Of course Hubby said they don't need to have any shade or anything of course he laughed at that so he fixed them up so they can get out of the rain and sun. Today alone we have caught five so far our grand total for two days is 8 and wanting more lol
Thanks again mitzi update on the trapping so far two days total is 10 that have been trapped many more to go lol |
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nativebirdsrus |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 223 (07/18/07 11:44 PM) |
Congratulations Mitzi!
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tamsea |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Moderator Posts: 6010 (07/19/07 12:12 AM) |
Wow Mitzi! That seems unusual for someone to catch that many right off the bat!! It took awhile for me to catch my first one and I was discouraged at first. So, that's great.
Tammy
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tweetybird |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 139 (07/19/07 12:55 AM) |
Tammy I think that what has happened is that I use to feed all the birds neve thinking that I would get a pair of bluebirds and when we did and I seen what they would do I quit feeding the birds everyday. Then it is only about 60 feet from where they roost and have their nest and when the other birds like the cardinals, blue jays, doves and woodpeckers come in to eat they always show up. I am pleased that they are finding the prize in the trap waiting for them. I was amazed during dinner two got in there. we had just took out two and left two. It would have if we would have had more light but it's been cloudy today so nightfall hit quick tonight. I wish everyone could have the luck that I'm having it would be a better place for the blues. But the bad thing about it is no males have been trapped yet one got in the arm and got back out so I hope they start getting in there soon also. I hope they keep it up. But thanks sorry so long.
mitzi |
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Ziebirds |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 427 (07/19/07 1:44 AM) |
Mitzi,
Great work on the trapping. You may be catching males and not realize it. There are a lot of juvenile HOSP out there right now. All the ones I caught at my friend's house were juveniles or there were 44 female HOSP which I doubt. My mentor told me before they go through their first molt, it is hard to tell them apart. They all looked like females to me. I have an adult male HOSP as one of my decoys. Maybe he is just irresistable 
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tweetybird |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 139 (07/19/07 6:22 PM) |
Ziebirds,
Thanks that is great on those 44 seems that the mature males seem to be leery of the trap but if I can get one in there I will keep him as a decoy right now I have what I think is two females one is very cool and calm the other is not. But today I haven't had much luck on the trapping. Hope it picks up again my nieghbor still has alot of them that need to go. mitzi |
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Renee in Winslow |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 466 (07/19/07 7:45 PM) |
This afternoon I looked out the back door and noticed that the seed mixed w/ cracked corn I am using for bait had been eaten off the ground trap. I looked closer and I am happy to report that there is going to be one less female hosp. For now I am using it as a decoy. I dont know if it is from that family of 7 that has been hanging around or not.
Renee
Rural SW Indiana |
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tweetybird |
Re: UPDATE ON TRAPPING | ||
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Posts: 139 (07/19/07 10:13 PM) |
Renee,
Congrats on the trapping, I didn't think that we were going to be lucky it sat empty for about five days before we got the 10 we did. Now today we didn't get anything. My neighbor is the nesting and roosting place to be and they have been saying they need to fix the birdboard at the top of the house and after two years it still isn't fix. we figure there has to be at least 100 around here. Didn't pay attention to the bad birds until we had a pair of bluebirds and that is when I started to worry about the bad birds getting in the nestboxes but at least I have 10 less as of today. Hope for more tomorrow. Good luck Renee. mitzi |
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