Boy did I get a surprise today. A couple of weeks ago (when there was snow still on the ground) I noticed a pair of bluebirds surveying a box that I had put in my front yard as an addition to the one in the back yard. I took a few photos of the pair and watched. A week after I took these photos a nest appeared in the front box and what I think is another pair was surveying the back yard box.
Another shot of the male
A couple of the female looking in my window
one more
Congratulations blue!! Very nice pics! Be sure to keep us posted on their progress!!
They built a nest sometime after the big rains that we had in March and I did not see them around the house until this morning. I went out to check the box and this is what I found. There are 5 eggs. I don't know when she started laying but I am going to start my day count as of yesterday and modify my charts when they hatch.
There is still no activity at the back box other than a pair of bluebirds coming and going. I have seen them both go inside but there is still no nest.
This message was edited Apr 15, 2010 3:12 PM
Oh they are beautiful!!!
an avid bird watcher and feeder of birds i particularly love,love,love bluebirds!!! We recently moved and have not put out boxes at this house yet however i do spy them at my hanging feeders occasionally.
This is wonderful news. Let us know when you become a "granny"!
It is windy and cool in Stafford today. But it is also a busy day at the Bluebird house. I noticed a flurry of activity as both the mama and papa birds went in and out of the nest box and took a couple of photos. They both left for a minute so I went out to see what was happening and found the hatching in progress.
Here is mama bird peeking out of the nest box a few days ago.
Another of her watching the neighborhood
Both involved in taking care of the hatching this morning
I walked out to see what was going on. They watched from a power line.
Here are the hatchlings - 4 of the 5 eggs so far and it looks like the last egg is cracking. One of the guys is ready for a meal.
Very cute!!! Congratulations!!
Thanks for posting the pics!
Congratulations on the babies!! This is great news. Loved your photos!
I'm so envious!
Oh they are so sweet!
Bluebird: Did another pair of bluebirds take up housing in your nest in the back yard? I too have a bluebird box in the front yard and one in the back yard. My BB always choose the house in the front yard. However, I notice they look in both houses even after they had started nesting in the box in front. Silly Birds! :) My backyard box always gets the house wren. Noisy thing!
My Chickadee's did the same thing with the boxes.
I'd rather have chickadees instead of hose wrens. House wrens can be predators to bluebirds. I have tried to discourage them from nesting in my yard to no avail. So far, they have left my BB alone.
Birder, I have a pair going in and out of the box but no nest yet. I cannot tell whether it is the same pair from the front yard nest box. I have had no other activity (chickadees, wrens, etc.) at the house. I have read in the literature that bluebirds might defend another nest box if it is too close to the one that they occupy. This one is about 100 feet away from the front box and not in direct view - unless they are in a tree to the side of the driveway. As I said I am not sure that the pair looking are the same ones.
My hunch is it's the same pair of bluebirds. My bluebirds do the same thing: they look at both birdhouses and defend both of them. I guess just in case they "change their minds" and want to use the other birdhouse. My BB have fledged one clutch. We have cleaned out their nest, and it is ready for a second clutch. My nests are totally out of sight of each other, but they still check out both of them.
Here are a couple photos that I took at the end of last week. We are seeing feathers and an appetite.
Here is the female checking out the back yard
This message was edited May 12, 2010 2:55 PM
Here are a couple of the young ones at 7 days old
So sweet. Congratulations!
How exciting BB&B. Today I saw my Momma and Poppa BB with their single fledgling. I have struggled with supplying mealworms for my BBs, and Mockingbirds taking over the territory. Today I managed to feed the BBs. At one point, a Northern Cardinal moved too close to the fledgling BB, and Poppa BB went into action. After a dogfight, the Cardinal decided to stay away. I am impressed with how protective BBs are.
This is the meal worm feeder I use. No more worrying about mockers getting the worms.
http://www.bluebirdnut.com/Feeder.htm
I really like it.
Thats the same one 2ndcousinDave uses. It's a great design!
It is a great design. And I must admit, I didn't realize what a high value food the mealworms are. I also hoped to sidestep the $60 price tag of the cage feeder. My Mockingbird has become increasingly territorial and aggressive with the BBs. It is clear to me, that if I want to continue mealworms, a new feeder is in order.
gazegirl: I agree! My mocker will even sit on top of my mealworm cage feeder and keep the BB away. Then, he finally gives up and leaves, and the BB move in.
I whistle to my BB when I feed them, and they come a running, oops, a flying! :) I have more or less trained them to come when I whistle.
This cage is a great feeder and gives me lots of peace of mind knowing that the little birds are getting the worms.
I buy 3000 meal worms at a time.
I have a cage feeder in my front yard and on my deck in the back. One note, the BB prefer the cage to be stationary (mounted on a post) rather than hanging. It makes it easier for them to fly in and out of the cage. You may also have to open some of the openings a little bit more for them to get in and out.
The bluebird meal worm cage feeder is an excellent invention. I just wish they could come up with something to keep the blackbirds out of my feeders. They run the rest of the birds off. They bullied my little female downy woodpecker into my patio door and killed her. I think the male is trying to feed their babies. My little downies come to my feeders more than any other bird. So, I am sad that I have lots her. Maybe, he will find another mate. I'll have to read up on downy woodpeckers.
Off topic a little bit, but I am still feeding my BB the Bluebird Banquet. They still eat some of that and of course, the woodpeckers and bluejays love it. I made it with all peanut butter this last time instead of some lard. I thought the heat would not melt the product as much.
Hi birder, When you say Blackbirds do you mean Grackles?
So sorry about your Downy, Birder. I currently use a pre-packaged peanut suet which is regularly used by my Chickadees, Downy & RB Woodpeckers, and Louisiana Waterthrush. It is away from my main seed feeder, and there have been no major conflicts over it. Now that I think about it, it is located on a branch in my Live Oak that a larger, clumsier bird may not want to negotiate. My experience with the Mockingbird is a first for bird bullying. I am thinking carefully about feeder relocation and strategies that will reduce conflict and minimize the threat from predator and bully birds. I want to move the main feeder, mealworm feeder, and birdbath farther from the BB nest box. I am also thinking about a feeder in the front of my house, which would create a secondary feeding area.
pelletory: The ones that are at my feeders now are grackles.
gazergirl: I have the brown thrushes visit my feeders very often. Mockers are bullies, but they try to keep the grackles and starlings away from the feeders. They stand up to them when the red bellied woodpeckers and bluejays won't. I made a single batch of the bluebird banquet with just peanut butter about 10 days ago, and it is gone. I made another single batch today. The bluebirds are still eating it. Maybe it is because we are still having cool weather.
Birder, I recently bought a hanging platform feeder to try out - I have never used or had a platform feeder before. It is definitely favored by the big birds. My Brown Thrushes could not negotiate my other feeders (poor babes, they were so clumsy), but they are now able to use the new feeder. I am sure it helps to feed the fledgling. But back to BBs, I had bought some ingredients to make a BB suet I saw on the Sialis website. My BBs have never come to the suet feeder, and I am curious about how your suet feeder is set up. Any hints on what has worked for you would be appreciated.
Today I got my BB surprise. I noticed Mrs. BB in and out of the nest box this afternoon, which is unusual. I peeked inside and found that she is beginning to build a nest!!! My BB pair has claimed my nest box as their territory, but chose to nest elsewhere this spring. Not only did they not nest there, but they wouldn't allow any other pair to nest there, either. I had already picked out a new site to move it to, when this happened. I am excited - it is located near enough to my house where I can easily watch the happenings. This will be my first (hopefully) nesting pair.
Gazergirl,
Congratulations on the nesting pair. They are a treat to watch.
I put the bluebird banquet on my platform feeders. Sometimes I put some in the meal worm feeder when I am afraid the BB won't get any.
The BB are bringing their four fledgings to feed them all on the platform feeder for the suet. They line up on the deck rail by the meal worm feeder for the mealworms. They are sooo cute! I was busy working on my deck. As long as I ignored the BB and their babies, they would feed the babies while I was on the deck. It was fun.
So glad gazegirl you have a nesting pair of bluebirds. You will get much enjoyment from them.
Thanks BB&B and Birder. My secret fear was that something had happened to the fledgling, since they were building a new nest so soon. But this evening I saw baby, and then there were several more! I think there were a total of three fledglings. Here is a pic of momma eating every last mealworm I put out. Did she share with babies? No! Did she share with poppa? No! Maybe she is expecting again, she is super serious about building a new nest. By the way BB&B, shouldn't there be some photos of your fledglings soon?
Good picture gazegirl. My female BB has been making a nest for at least two weeks. Papa BB is mostly responsible for feeding the four fledglings. Pictures?? Umm, I thought about it the other day when they were all lined up on the deck railing, but they were gone before I could get my camera. I guess I need to get that camera and put it right by the kitchen window!
