Date: 4/8/25 9:55 am From: 'Candy Pfau' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> Subject: Re: [NFLbirds] A primer on early migration for new birders
This is non related. Sorry, I don’t quite understand where to ask questions. Last year something Kept destroying my bluebird house. I waited a season. This year put up new house after season was over. It attracted a male and female. They seemed to be in and out of house. Then female seemed to be sitting with male guarding. Suddenly the male seemed upset. I waited another day. No female seen. Checked the house two blue eggs had fallen on to base of floor. Two still in the nest. I’m leaving it alone. But, the male is no where to be seen. I fear something got the female and that was when after no activity I opened house and found two eggs on floor of house outside nest. Do I wait. While longer. I am so devastated over this loss. I have black bears who have on occasion destroyed a house completely. Last year a black bear ripped the entire side off my bluebird house. I’ve just about decided to give up on bird houses here. .Are there any devices I can buy to protect my houses. Thanks for any advice. I’ve decided though that as long as. I keep putting up bird houses my local black bears will destroy them. I’m wondering if some sort of alarm on side of house would work. I have a large very loud air Horn that runs them off But that won’t help in the middle of the night. I believe I’ll just put out bird food and skip nesting houses
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On Thursday, March 27, 2025, 3:46 PM, Lucy and Bob Duncan <robertaduncan...> wrote:
Hi all,
Early Neotropical passerine migrants have been moving through for the last several days. Parula, Prothonotary, Hooded and Black & White Warblers and Louisiana Waterthrushes and White-eyed Vireos. These species have populations that winter in both the West Indies and Central and South Am. Early in the season, March, early April, most of these arrivals are from the Indies. Why? Early migrants doing Trans-Gulf migration risk encountering strong cold fronts and adverse winds in the Gulf of Mexico. Better to winter in the Indies and move up the Florida Peninsula or eastern Gulf where land is down below or not far. Later in the season when the Bermuda High is in position giving them SE or S tail winds is a better deal. Populations of these same species move up later.
Rain, the key ingredient for putting birds down in the immediate coastal area, occurred on the 24th and sure enough, Lucy and I had several migrants of the above species in our yard. This was not a classic Fallout (trees dripping with birds). This is a rare event with fewer birds each year as populations decline, but enough to put some down.
So watch the forecast and hit the migrant traps when rain is forecast.
