Blue Bird Question

I have a nesting BB in one of my boxes...she laid five eggs....I had checked a week ago and they were still not hatched out...so I check today and not only are they still not hatched out, but now there are NINE eggs in the box..I have never had this happen before, and wondered what you thought about this behavior...I will try to get a picture for you later...we are having a thunderstorm right now.
Thanks..
JanetS

Do all the eggs look exctly the same?

Yes, they are all BB eggs....

Okay, I checked my pics because I knew the first ones were in June...so here is a picture of four, and she did lay one more after this picture that were laid June 7, 2007.

I left to go on Vacation on June 20, and did not check the box till I got home expecting them to be hatched...but there were still just five eggs in the nest...I didn't pay a lot of attention for the next few weeks as I have been sick since returning home from vacation on the 25th of June. So this morning my GB and DD were here and they asked if they were gone, I said I don't know let me look...and this is what I saw...nine eggs....lol They are all the same size and blue color....

Heres an article on variations of clutch size in Eastern Bluebirds.

Maybe you'll set a record for the area. Be sure to keep us updated.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/birdscope/Spring2000/tbn_clutch_2000142.html

Thanks...I emailed them and asked about the number of eggs...lol

Be sure to let us know what they say!

Okay, still NOT ONE baby has hatched out of these nine eggs as of yesterday. Should I take the eggs and nest out of the box? The Mama Bird is still sitting on them...maybe she is really confused..I just don't understand what happened. Bless her heart..lol

If she's still sitting on them, I would just let them be.

Well, I think I will give it a couple more weeks. It looks like the eggs are two different colors now...perhaps the earlier ones have lost some of the deep blue color, as there are four that a faded blue now....the other five are still a deeper blue like the picture. I don't have a clue what that means, though, if anything. I did a little research and it said the longest from laying an egg to hatching was 20 days, so I will give her that at least...I am wondering if the house is facing the afternoon sun, if the eggs are getting too hot to live. I don't know. They get late afternoon sun for a little while...but normally they are done with the hatching and laying before we get into the Summer heat....just not this year. Crazy weather all around, I guess.

WOOO HOOO....we have the FRIST baby hatched today!!! I can't wait to see how many we have! I couldn't tell if it was one of the lighter blue eggs or the darker ones...so I will check on them later...I was just so excited to see a baby, I quickly closed it and left them alone...I will try to get pictures in the next day or so. I am so glad she didn't SIT there for so long for nothing!

Very Good! Congratulations!!!

My grandchildren are hoping all NINE of them hatch out, since I have told them I can't find mention of nine egss every being laid in one EBB nest and certainly not nine babies...LOL So we will see what happens! I just want some to hatch so that little Mama will not have been sitting in vain! LOL

Here is a picture of two little naked EBB...I haven't checked to see it there were more yet...maybe later today...aren't they sweet!

Aww, very sweet! Thanks Janet!

Thank you to everyone who keeps Bluebird houses.

Here is a picture from yesterday, I think there are just two babies, I can't really tell, but I will check again in a few days....lol What a difference a week makes!

One more...look how blue they are already, and feathered! LOL

How sweet! Can't wait to see them when they fledge.

Been wondering . . .

Hmm... in your post above, looks blue to me. ;)

JanetS, glad you have two BB babies anyway. I have 5 or 6 BB houses around my yard. Had one pair only, this year, but don't know where they nested, not in one of my houses. But they did come for their mealworm treats. Haven't seen any lately. The English House Sparrows are really bad about making nests in BB houses and I don't know who to prevent their doing so. Only had one pair of Tree Swallows this year, and they did make their home in the house where the BB lived last year.

Good Luck with you BB babies and may they fledge without problems.

DonnaS

Well, if you had the time you could keep taking their nesting materials out until they give up. It would be a lot of work though.

Thats great that you had Tree Swallows! They are so beautiful! I see a lot of them here flying around.

LOL....they are certainly blue! And I am so glad she hatched a couple out of nine eggs, bless her heart! I will keep and eye out and see what pics I can get...I don't have mealy worms, will anything else entice them to feed? Thanks....

heres a recipe for homemade suet
http://sialis.org/suet.htm

Scroll down to All Season Peanut Butter Pudding.

They might eat that. Mealworms would be better though.

Thanks....I will see if I can find mealworms anywhere nearby....

Try calling Petsmart or a bird store.

Okay, we do have Petsmarts nearby, I wondered if they would carry them. Thanks...

Janet... Wildbirds Unlimited or Bird Watcher's Supply Co. are the closest to us (I'm in Lawrenceville... hi neighbor!) ... there's a BWS Co. by the Mall of Georgia... they have mealworms.
You might also find them at a bait store near Lake Lanier...
Most Petsmarts just have the dried ones.... mine won't touch 'em.
I get mine at WBU on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd.... about $12 per thousand

This message was edited Aug 2, 2007 11:31 AM

I'm so thrilled you posted these pictures. Blue birds won't come into the city where i live. I've seen them on fence post in the country. Beautiful!

Hey Judy! You need to come and visit sometimes!!! Thanks for the info!

I buy my meal worms from Grubco. They used to be quite reasonably priced but because shipping has gotten so high , I now order either 2000 or 5000 medium sized mealworms, instead of the the 1000 I used order, 2000 are almost the same price as 1000. I haven't seen any bluebirds lately, guess they have gone.

Also only a couple of Orioles, so I think I will stop putting out the grape jelly. I am not buying grape jelly for House Sparrows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DonnaS

lol...I think those Sparrows can do well for themselves either way....they seem to be everywhere!

Well, the heat must have gotten to my babies, I checked this morning and found them both dead in the nest. Either that or the Mama was killed and didn't tend them for a few days...it just made me sick! I think it was too late in the season for them to make it in this heat wave it have been close to 100 degrees and being inside that little box, must have felt like an oven....I am sad!

Awwwwwwww, Janet, I'm so sorry - that makes me sad as well.

:''(

Oh, I'm sad to hear that, too. Poor little babies...

Sorry to hear that Janet.

Thanks...