Bluebirds- Spring 2012

Few more..

Great catches Dave!

Beautiful shots IRIS!

Thanks pelletory!

Iris, I begun my venture with raising mealies sometime at the end of last year. It isn't fun; that will sum up the whole process. Everything I learned was from this wonderful website: http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm
My only advise is DO NOT get mites while you raising mealies. It was a headache for me. Once I got over that. It was smooth sailing.

Lily, I read about the mites somewhere and I microwave all the bedding I buy, Sure hope I dont get any mites, I'm trying my best not too, Now, Thanks for the link, I think I'll go and take a look at it now! ..Thaks for posting it!

Wonderful photos, guys !!!

Well now I am getting a bit concerned. It has been 3 weeks since my birds fledged and I have not seen the male and female starting a new nest. The nestbox is still clean and empty. The last couple of years they started building a new nest about a week after the first fledge. Have you experienced this long of a delay?

David

David, mine female (the same Momma Blue) was just showing some interest in the nestbox yesterday. Whereas 2nCousinDave's Momma BB already initiated her second nest with eggs while she still assisting her mate feeder feeding the 1st brood. His started out a few days before mine this year. So I thought it all depends on each individual bird?

This message was edited May 20, 2012 7:44 PM

Not me... ever. But then, mine never really leave my yard. When they fledge they fly to the trees right behind the house and I saw (some of) them there every day. They started coming to the deck for meal worms with the parents in less than a week and now they are flying down on their own when they see me out on the deck. As I mentioned earlier( I think), Mama started her second nest on Monday following the Friday they fledged and three of the four eggs she laid hatched this morning. I think she started earlier than usual this time because other birds were showing an interest in the nest box. Can't imagine why yours haven't returned, David. Possibly they found another nest box because they certainly should be nesting by now.. If they did try a different location, they may show up at yours for the third nesting (about a month from now). And maybe a different pair will choose your box before then.

Good Luck.

I was going to post the last photo on the "It's a Bird's World" thread, but I will I will add it here instead.

How appropriate a caption! Greeat pix. I love every single one of them.

Thanks Lily. I haven't posted in a while so I may have a few more

Love the pix!
bluebirdsnbells, My pair never really left the yard, But, It still took them a while to start a new nest, Which now has three eggs in it. Daddy still feeding the flegelings ( Though they do come by themselves sometimes too) Mom won't feed them, She will let them eat out of the bowl, But, She won't feed them, Seems she must want them to learn on there own now.

Wishing your BBs will start their nest again soon Dave in Stafford. 2d Dave, your photos had my DH goes oooh and ahhh every time he sees them! I especially partial to that youngster spreading his/her wings.

My female BB found a new mate, the two of them were busy as bees building their 'new' nest today. I saw Momma Blue with straw in her beak. Yay!

Well my fourth egg has finally hatched and they seem to be doing all right. It has been raining the past two days so I imagine Papa has had a time finding small spiders and bugs to feed them. Here are several pictures of the one fledgling from the previous clutch that is still begging for meal worms.

Yay, New family to look forward to LL!

2dCousinDave, Very nice photos!

Great pics everyone!

Congrats Lily!

Dave, I love that second photo from 5/20, 8:32 pm.

fledgling's are still around and doing fine, Dad still feeding them plus taking food to the nestbox to feed mom BB ( She occationally comes over and eats the mealies too)

Dad BB does a lot of work ...fledgling's sometimes follow dad to the nestbox and sit on top hoping to still be fed ..Just a few more photos

Great pics I wish my camera would take pics like that. We just put up a bluebird house and have a pair of bluebirds checking it out. They both are there everyday. One is going into the house while the other one is standing guard. We have another one but the house sparrows usually occupy it. So I put this one out on the fence post and so far the house sparrows have not bothered it. Hoping to see some babies come from this

sami

Wonderful photos everyone!! The little ones just get cuter each time I see them here.

Sami, When they are at there feeding bowl they are only about 20 ft away, makes for good photos ( I do use a long lens too though) I hope your Bluebirds nest for you, But, Keep an eye on those house sparrows.

ducbucln, Thanks! I love all the fledgelings here ( Theres a lot of them this year!!!) But, I must say, I think the Bluebirds are the prettiest!!

My bluebird house does not have a hinge on it. We want be able to see when they lay eggs or when they hatch. After they do nest and the little ones leave I am going to fix it so it has a hinge on it so I can take a peek at them. Our house is about 100 feet from the house but I thought that would be better and keep the sparrows away since they stay close to the house. My next purchase is going to get me a better camera so I can get better pic of the birds. That is one of my favorite things is to watch the birds

Sami

Yeah - I believe that bluebirds have returned. Yesterday I noticed what appeared to be several pair of bb's checking out the nestbox. Today I had a pair actively going in and out of the box carrying nesting material. Hopefully I will see a complete nest soon. I have not gone out to check today as I did not want to disturb their progress.

It looks like this is a different pair from my earlier nesting. The male seems to have a larger and brighter orange bib on his breast.

Here are a few photos that I took today while they working.

And great photos Dave, Lily, IRIS, ducbucin, and Sami. Good luck with your nesting, Sami.

David in Stafford
--glad to be back in the "bb" business again!!!

Sami, Sorry that you don't have a hinged one, It helps alot, Not only to check on them, But, Also to see if somethings there that shouldn't be and helps greatly with the cleaning of the nestbox with each use. ~ Watching the birds is one of my favorite things too, I kept upgrading camera's through the years untill I found one that I was happy with.

David, Great news!! ~ I'm sure you are really happy that they are back!! Hopefully, You'll see eggs soon, ~I enjoyed the photos, Thanks for posting!

Thanks Iris. Yes it is good to have them back again. There is an almost completed nest in the box. I will check again in a day or two to see when they begin to lay the first eggs.

David in Stafford

Welcome! I've had 3 eggs in mine for over a week, I believe 3 eggs will be the limit for this clutch, But, Thats usually the norm for me here. All Fledgelings from the first batch are still coming back, It's so interesting to watch, Both parents are now rejecting feeding the fledgelings so they definately want them to find food on there own now. ~Hope you see eggs when you check in a day or two!

I have not seen my BB's today. We have had some bad wind and rain here the last few days. I hope they will return.

sami

I am wondering if I put the house in the wrong place. It is on the fence post at the end of the dog pen. They come to the end of that fence a lot and bark at what ever they can. I just check it and the are no longer around the house. I think I will move it down away from the fence. I would like to move it closer to the house so I can see it. I might even try to fix a hinge somehow on it while I have it down. Also would it help if I put some a meal worm feeder out. I thought about putting the birdhouse on my shed but want this bother them if we are going back and forth to the shed?

Sami

My BBs house is very close to our walking path. And even though the female Blue has been seen bringing straw into the nestbox for 3 days in a row. This past weekend traffic has picked up. And I haven't seen my BBs coming back. Now is my turn to turn 'blue' for not having my Blue Birds back.

Know what you mean Lily. Same things happen here for several days so the blue birds going in and out of the house and then nothing. I hope they will come back too for you and me.

Sami

Sami, I can see where the location close to a dog enclosure or any place where the dogs could menace their daily activity could b a problem. I wouldn't worry too much about the wind and rain. They seem to take care of themselves in woods and other cover pretty well. Moving the house should not be a problem if they have not started to build a nest. I have no experience in relocating an already nested box. Maybe Dave, Lily, or one of the others might be able to help you with that. I would think that if it is not moved too far (and "far" is not defined) that they would still recognize the box as their place.

Lily, I walk right by my nest box to my outdoor shed a couple of times a day. I stop at the box to check on things as mentioned above. I don't think that the birds see me as a threat and they tolerate the occasional look-see.

David in Stafford

Thanks David and Sami, I may have spoken too soon. Just now I saw 3 Blue Birds out there. So, this could be new tenants looking, or it could be the 'ole Ma. Best of luck there Sami with yours.

thanks David and Lilly It is raining pretty steady here today due to the tropicla storm so will see what can be done when the rain stops

Sami

Could someone please start Part 2 of this thread?

It's taking longer to load.

Thanks so much!