Hey Linda - I laid awake all night last week when that NorEaster was blowing through worrying about my newly fledged Blues and the two other birds' nests in my yard. It was terrible here. My Blues were in that MIA period between fledging and bringing the babies back to eat mealworms, so I didn't know if they were ok. My little House Finch was probably seasick from twirling around in her hanging basket, but she and her nest made it through. My Robin - not so much. And then this week my Blues came back with their family, much to my delight, but they only had three of their five babies. I guess the other two were "naturally selected" out, but it made my heart hurt. Still, watching baby birds get fed is a real cure for what ails you. Glad to hear your finally came back too.

Caye61542, so so sorry that you lost your baby blues from those nasty HOSP's. Never never let them nest in your bird houses. Always put up a sparrow spooker after 1st egg has been laid by bluebirds or any others that may nest with you. If you're not familiar with spooker, there is plenty of info online. Most people make theirs, but I bought mine. Make sure you remove it after babies fledge, so HOSP's don't get accustomed to it. They are really effective, but not always. The other thing that's critical when you have a HOSP problem is to get a Van Ert Trap installed inside your bluebird house (can order online & very easy to install). You can only use this when no birds are nesting. It can be removed during this time. What happens is when the HOSP enters, it sets the trap off & covers up the hole. Then, you have to get a big bag (I have large laundry bag with drawstring so I can see the bird & make sure it was a HOSP that I caught) & put all the way around house & open door for HOSP to escape. They will come out quickly, so make sure they don't escape. It's key to monitor hourly when you use this trap because you could trap bluebirds or other native birds as well & don't want them to die in box. You will then need to dispose of HOSP & try to trap the mate as well. I know some people don't want to dispose of them, but how else are you going to keep them from killing your bluebirds? There are humane ways to do it. The Sialis site outlines the entire process for you & gives other tips on how to control HOSP's. It's a personal choice, but definitely invest in a sparrow spooker. People that have serious HOSP problems trap multiples in a repeating trap that they use a decoy & millet to get them trapped. I'd be getting rid of that nasty HOSP that killed your babies! Best of luck! Nicole

Wow sorry Linda, I hear your pain. We have HOWR here every summer and we did lose 1 egg (of four) in July 2007. But I don't think our wren situation is as difficult as yours seems to be. We see them nearby occasionally, and often hear them not too far away. But we chase them off if/when any come on our property. And our parent Blues (Missy & Mr.B) both discourage them ferociously if they ever come near Missy's box. This pair has successfully fledged 41 baby blues in the past 3 seasons (8 completed nests with a 9th underway), without a single loss of either egg or chick to the wrens. We've made our decision not to use a wren guard for reasons we are comfortable with. And frankly we've heard just too many accounts of HOWR destroying nests in boxes that had wren guards installed. We know that many bird lovers willingly allow and even encourage House Wrens to nest and breed, and this can lead to their forcing many other songbirds out of a habitat completely. (The same could be said of the House Sparrows). So, I'm not sure how to offer you specific advice or comfort. I fear it will be up to you and your Bluebirds to overcome your local HOWR problem. Best luck to you and your birds, Kenn Here is a link that might be useful: Kenn & Temple's Bluebirds

I like cats, but if it was up to me, I wouldn't have them, or only have an indoor one. But, we have livestock and chickens, which means livestock and chicken feed, which means mice and rats. I tell you, if you don't have a at least one cat those varmints will take you out. We lost our last cat to old age, and within two weeks the rats were back tunneling under the barn. I couldn't believe that one cat kept them out that well. So, my mom found 2 little kittens under her building and I said I needed more cats and I took them. They are great mousers, but they also kill everything else. We feed them well, so they are not hungry. They are just hunters. So I'm just going to try and make my bluebird boxes better set up and hope for better luck next year.