Bluebird Sunday

 Bluebird activities this Sunday morning... These are from a series of 30= photos taken over 2 minutes. I suspect they're "courting", but odd that there were at least 2 females hanging around. Fascinating...

Bluebirds still hanging around

 We've had a lot of Bluebird activity recently, they seem to be checking out the nesting boxes. I presume they're laying claim to spots to shelter when it gets cold. These photos are a couple of weeks ago, but they're still hanging around.

Bluebirds Round 2, Post 7

 Bluebird update: The nestlings are 5-6 days old and are starting to look more like birds! Based on the internet, they should be opening their eyes very soon. Note the "dud" egg barely visible beneath them... Second photo is mom bringing food.

The 3 babies hatched between mid-day Friday and mid-day Saturday, so they're 5-6 days old...

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Mother bluebird bringing dinner, not long after the photo of the nestlings.

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Bluebirds Round 2, Post 6 - Trio!

 We had our 1st hatchling of the 2nd brood around noon yesterday.  by 5pm, we were up to 3 hatchlings.  As of 5:30 today, we're still at 3, with one laggard egg.  I suspect this is a "dud", as they all should've hatched pretty close to the same time.  We'll see though.  The parents seem to be working hard to bring food, so they'll be growing.

At 1 - 1.5 days old, they're still pretty ugly, huh?

Bluebirds Round 2 Post 5 - A Hatchling!

 After the Bluebird mom quit laying (at 4), I figured (based on the internet) that we should see hatchlings between 6/6/24 and 6/10/24.  I checked at lunchtime yesterday, but still nothing.  Today I noticed that the mom was spending a lot of time hanging out in the doorway.  I wondered if maybe she was sticking close to defend the nest, but NOT sitting on the eggs (so they could hatch).  She flew off while I was out filling the feeders, so I decided to sneak a peek:

One hatched, three to go!  Last round I didn't get a photo in the first day or two, they almost looked like birds then.  Not so today!  

Bluebirds Round 2 Post 4

 We're up to 4 eggs in 4 days.  Last clutch was 5 egges total, so I'm guessing we'll get one more.  The mom won't start incubating until she's done laying.   The one at the bottom of the photo sure looks bigger.  I'm not sure if that's an illusion (from the close cell phone camera), or reality.  Anybody know?

Bluebirds Round 2 Post 3

 It's been 4 days since I posted here, but I've continued to check the box every other day.  5/21 (Tuesday) was essentially no change from Sunday.  See below:

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I've been a little worried because I hadn't noticed the bluebirds around, and I have seen our Red Shouldered Hawk several times.  I was afraid the hawk may have scared off the birds.  But this morning (Thursday) I noticed the female hanging out in the box, and I hoped she was laying an egg.

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But this afternoon (5/23, Thursday) I checked in the box, and we have eggs!!  Two eggs, to be exact.  I believe they lay 1/day, so that's one yesterday, and one today.  The last clutch (brood?) had 5 eggs, it'll be interesting to see on this one.

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Bluebirds Round 2 post 2

 Two days since my last post, and not much changed...  The nest looks a tiny bit taller, but no eggs yet.  Hopefully soon!

Sunday 5/19

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Sunday 5/19, still no eggs

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I'm going to try to check more often this round, and post here.

Bluebirds Round 2

A couple of days ago (Tuesday May 14), I posted that we cleaned out the bluebird house, after the first set of babies had fledged.  It didn't take long at all for the box to get reclaimed, and another nest started:

Wednesday 5/15, another nest started

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By this afternoon (Friday 5/17) they've build an impressive nest!  Maybe bigger than last time...  No eggs yet, but I'll bet there will be before the weekend is done!

Friday, 5/17, 2nd nest

No eggs as of 5/17

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Bluebird Final Review (Round 1)

 We cleaned out the bluebird box today, hoping that we get another round of babies.  There's been some activity by the adults, but no sign of babies for 4-5 days.  No food deliveries, no poop sacks coming out, nothing.  The inside of the nest wasn't as clean as I'd thought, but I guess 5 babies has to put a strain on it.  

We started with 5 eggs, counted 5 babies.  We only saw 1 fledgling leave the nest, but when we cleaned it out there were no spoiled eggs or unsuccessful babies.  So we're hoping all five made it out of the nest!

On to the next round!

The Empty Nest

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Last or First?

So I finally caught a fledgling leaving the bluebird box Friday morning (5/10).  That was the first we've seen but might not have been the first.  The parents have still been hanging around, the dad at least.  He perches on the box, goes in occasionally.  But haven't seen them taking food in, or poop-sacks out.  If I haven't seen any fledgling action later today, I plan to check the box.  If they're done, I need to get it cleaned out and cleaned up, see if we get another brood..

 

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This is just a second or two before this fledgling left.  I have about 2 dozen photos over 1/2 hour or so, of the baby looking around from the entry.  But I just missed the moment of leaving.  Here's a before and after...

Before

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After (see wing at bottom right)

I haven't seen this, or any other fledglings since then. which is a bummer.

Hurry Up And Fledge!

 

So, If you look back, we had Bluebird eggs on April 19, and Bluebird Nestlings on April 27.  So as of today (May 8), the babies are between 19 and 25 days old.

According to the internet, bluebirds generally fledge between 16 and 22 days after hatching.  So any day now!!!   As of this afternoon, the parents are still bringing food to the nest.

I hope I'm able to catch some photos of the fledglings!

Nestlings!

 

I posted about 10 days ago about our bluebird experiences, HERE.  Well, the eggs have hatched, and we have nestlings.  It's pretty cool!  Looks like 5 babies, corresponding to the 5 eggs, hopefully all will survive.  This photo is from 3 days ago, I'm sure they've grown.  The parents are certainly making a lot of trips out and back, presumably gathering food.  Hopefully I'll be able to get some good photos when they fledge.

Bluebirds

We put up a bluebird house this year, for the first time.  It took about 24 hours for bluebirds to show up.  We've been having fun watching them.
 

Staking Claim

March 26, 2024

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Lunchtime

April 15, 2024

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Eggs!

April 13, 2024