Blue birds - brood 2

My bluebird pair changed houses. They are now in the back yard nest box and have started a new family. This is egg 1 this afternoon.

Congratulations blue! Be sure to keep us posted!

This is great news! Hope we'll see fledglings soon!

Great news!

My five second nesters hatched yesterday (well, four yesterday and one during the night). The four survivors from the first brood are still here most all day. They are feeding themselves for the most part and Papa spends much of his time defending the meal worms. So cute to see the fledglings copying Papa and chasing the Carolina wrens or song sparrows.

Dave

Dave,

I noticed today as I mowed the lawn that a pair of house wrens have set up in the front yard box and there is a nest of 3 robin young in a tree close to that nest box. Things are starting to get crowded here.

David

That is good news Dave!

Real bummer this morning. I went to check the nest box and found only one egg in the nest. there were 5 in the nest 2 days ago. I have not seen any other birds or other critters go in the box although I have quite a few squirrels in the yard. Does anyone know whether squirrels raid bluebird boxes? I had not put a predator guard on the post as there has been no need before. Looks like I will build something to protect the nest brood.

Hi blue, Sorry to hear that. Yes squirrels will eat the eggs. If your box is on a pole then you'll need to either buy or make a baffle for it to keep squirrels and others out of it. We made our own here.

Here is the link to making a baffle if you decide to go that way. http://www.sialis.org/baffle.htm

Oh Blue, I am so sorry. My BBs are nesting in my BB box for the first time. I am too afraid of disturbimg momma bb, so I haven't checked their progress. She is definitely hatching eggs. I see her peeking out of the box periodically. Poppa BB feeds her mealworms. I do have a baffle on my pole, and have never seen squirrels near the BB box.

I wonder if it could have been the house wren.