Ups and Downs

Here's the first bird in the Nest Box (NB.)

Looks like a mature bird. It was very highly strung, really working to get out. I moved it into the V trap.

Unfortunately the night was cold and when I checked in the morning, it was dead. But there was another one in the NB. So I put the first one in a bag for the freezer and moved the other one over. This one was calm but pecked at me every chance it got. Here it is in the "V."

I think this was a he because of it's calm yet aggressive nature. He also started to eat shortly after arrival. You may notice in the first picture I used zip ties to secure the catcher. I decided I would construct a hook made out of heavy wire. I put this on the support you can see behind the left side of the cage. Then I pushed the pipe through the rubber on the catcher lid then eased it back down on the hook. It was stable, with a tight fit, and should be easier to remove the cage.

Well, yesterday there wasn't anything in the V. And insult to injury, nothing in the NB either. There were dog tracks around the trap, so many in fact it was bare dirt and no snow. I don't if the bird was so worked up it found it's way back out the slots or ,very unlikely, the dog pushed the access hatch open.

Today though, another one in the NB. So I moved the trap up onto the Mack truck bed, about 4' feet off the ground. Hopefully this will cut down on the dog's ability to stress the birds, the bird will still be there in the morning, and I can get another bird from the NB and start a small flock. I think I need a couple birds in the trap to see if the V can bring birds and keep them on it's own. I also put a branch over a couple of the slots.
 
I'm hoping I don't need to monkey with the slots, but if I can't keep birds in I'll try to decrease the width of the slots. If that doesn't work, I've got some ideas for one way wires. Another idea might be to attach an mechanism like the NB to the side of the V with the cage replacing the down tube, and maybe a plexiglass flap and a couple little magnets to hold it shut as the one way valve.

My dad said he put the plexiglass plate in the 3" T on the back of the chicken coop and caught a sparrow. We'll see if that was a fluke. I'll get pictures of that trap.

I also started to build that rotating perch with my dad today. I'll show that and some of the paracord jesses ( pronounced jessies) and a leash. Plus a lure.