So you are dealing with the Western Bluebird where are the mountain bluebird. They have a different Nest box size requirement than the Eastern subspecies

@@crzrck Yes I notice about 3 families a day on my walk. Right the Western Nestbox hole is 1 9/16" diameter. There are many communities of Western Bluebirders in SoCal with organized Bluebird conservation activist volunteers. That's likely why I haven't seen any European hous sparrows. The Mountain Bluebirds are found here in the Sierras mountains.

Only seven house sparrows? I get about five hundred plus a year

@@crzrck In town, there's tons of sparrows, some of my friends feed them despite my protests. I'm out in the country near mostly woods & cow pastures, so not so bad. But when I had chickens, they were a pest from the chicken feed.

@@IowaKim I have 40 chickens I have nothing eating chicken feed except chickens not even mice

Bluebirds were already in terrible trouble by the late 1950s, long before the oil crisis. If that argument is true it will be the same for the wood ducks

I would walk up to their nest box and put the steel tray on top with mealworms and would give a specific whistle. The idea is to get them to associate you with that tray with food. Once they figure that out you can put the tray anywhere

No they cant..only small birds can get thru

I trap and shoot house sparrows year round. I have several types of traps I have Nest box traps all over the place. Usually by the first week of April there are no hospitals around whatsoever. I have a video or two about the type of trap that I use if you look around on my videos

Bluebirds are what you would call locally common. In theory they should be everywhere in a Suburban setting. Truth are there often relegated to areas around a golf course. At least where I'm at. The spot I moved to was specifically for Purple Martin. But there are also tree swallows. So I put up a box for tree swallows. Eventually a pair of bluebirds showed up there is a golf course about 4 miles from me with bluebird houses and there is another area about a mile south of me that has a few bluebird houses I do not get them every year. The years that I do get a pair of them they show up the first week of May. I had two pairs one year but that was a couple years ago. In my travels I can count on one hand where I saw a bluebird just by chance. The only place that I saw them on a regular basis is in Amish Country in Northeast Indiana. Check your local golf course and see if they have Bluebird houses up. If you're near that golf course there is a chance that you might get some

@@crzrck Thanks for responding so quickly, I dont have golf course near me but there is one outside of town, but not close to me. I do happen to live in central Indy actually more south of. Wouldnt be surprised that a tree swallow might nest in my box. I appreciate your thoughts on what could happen in my area. Also that a box needs to be cleaned out after a nesting is over.

@@yes350yes put up more than one box. If you get tree swallows you can get blue birds.. they may be more common there than you think

You can give it a try. I don't have any experience with mockingbirds, I am too far north. I do know it works with red-winged blackbirds and grackles

Sharon Bender that's just a generic whistle. In the past I just call him and call them blue. I love bluebirds tremendously, but they are just not very common. So I consider myself very fortunate to get a pair most years

You can't have bluebirds and house sparrows coexist they don't. If you killed the house sparrows bluebirds would still be there. House sparrows will kill bluebirds they will also kill their babies and destroy their eggs

@@crzrck this is true for Chickadees as well. We lost 5 babies last year. I've since gotten aggressive with my .22 and traps with good success. We hope the 'Dees will hatch another brood this spring - my Vanhert traps are at the ready for the HOSP. We had 7 Bluebird fleglings last spring - a pair had 2 broods which was pretty awesome. Shenandoah Valley VA.

Bluebirds. Use woodland habitat to winter in. They breed in edge Habitat.. this is why they like golf courses and orchatds... they have to trained to use a feeder since they are insect eaters

Scroll through the comments I have given the address and phone number to several people who have left the same question

Ground squirrels will

I have another video which shows you how to train them come when you have mealworms. You don't have to feed all the birds in the neighborhood. Offer them food in the morning and in the evening. They will actually let you know when they want some mealworms. But you don't have to leave them out there all day for all the other birds. They recognized the call that I use and it goes straight into the feeder

crzrck I checked for another video. Didn’t see it.

@@plzhd2 I can't locate it on my phone but I made it probably close to 10 years ago. To make it real simple if you can place a small feeding dish on top of their birdhouse, go out there use a distinct whistle leave the dish and step away and watch. Do this a few times and they will associate your whistle with food so you can call them anytime. It doesn't have to be a whistle it could be a call to

@@plzhd2 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gK2BgsKjxMu4c4E.html

crzrck thanks

no, I monitor the boxes at least once every 5 days...more if I suspect there is a problem

I move it whenever I want to. I typically will put the silver dish on top of the nest box with mealworms first. Once they recognize the dish as a source of food it doesn't matter where I put it

@@crzrck So basically, they will learn to associate the feeder itself with food, regardless of where it’s located - cool! Last year was our first year to have a nest box, but I got the feeder late in the season so they never really had a chance to use it. Thank you!

@@margaretmathis4775 it will get to the point where they associate you with food. If they see you they'll wait. I whistle for them to come. I don't keep the feeder filled all the time I typically will go out early in the morning and give them worms. And then if I come home in the evening and they're out there I will give him some more

@@crzrck would love to know where you found that feeder

@@gstimman1 nature Unlimited... 260 - 593 - 0610 extension1. Leave a voicemail message with your phone number after you hit the number one. It's an Amish owned company out of Indiana they will mail it to you. Tell them Rick Cruz sent you. They will appreciate that. It's made locally so it's not made in China or any other crazy place by Amish Craftsmen. It comes in a different color as well comes in a tan color.

Yes call nature Unlimited, leave a voicemail at 260 593 0610 extension 1. Leave a voicemail with your phone number they will call you back. They are Amish and everything is Amish made. You better call soon because I was there last weekend and they're having a shortage of poly-wood that they make this product out of. Tell them Rick Cruz sent you. These people are my friends and I get all of my product from them because they are just really good products and it is a small family-run business wonderful people I've known for over 20 years

@@crzrck Ric.wanted to Thank you for the contract information for the Blue bird feeder.Called the man.he returned my call the same day, took my order and shipped the next day.I received in a few days.What a great feeder.Quailtiy workmanship.I hung up,waiting for blue birds to arrive. Thx again.

@@tomrudy8407 you are more than welcome. You just help support a small business that's Amish run family run business. They are really great people to do business with thank you for patronizing that you didn't have to do that

It's Amish made. From a place called nature Unlimited and Topeka Indiana. Phone number 260 593 0610 ex 1.. leave a voicemail and they will call you back. Tell them you want the blue bird feeder that Rick Cruz has bought they will know who you were talking about. You can tell them that I sent you. They are good friends of mine and you're supporting an Amish made product and business. They come in two colors at least they used to there's also a tan one

You can get it at troyer's Birds Paradise or nature Unlimited in Topeka Indiana. I don't know if you can find them online or not because they are both Amish. I do have the phone numbers for both if you are interested

Thanks. Just ordered one.

@@crzrck I would love to have the phone number(s). Thanks.

@@fredpenna5750 which store did you order from?