Bluebird thread # 8

I wonder if something has happened? There has been no posting here from Dave since the 21st!

I don't know nanny. I didn't get a reply from him.

Probably busy with the inlaws…

Ok.

Hi Gang:
Not inlaws, but close. Sorry if I caused any concern. We went to Kentucky for the Memorial Day weekend, and then turned around and flew to Phoenix for one of my grandsons' HS graduation. Got back after midnight last night. I was worried about my birds the whole time but they seem to be all right. I accidentally went off and left the VanErt trap set in the dummy nestbox. Fortunately, Papa didn't check it out. He has done it before. I was out there at 1:30 a.m. with a flashlight.

They have chased off the fledglings from the first clutch. Haven't seen them in 10 days or so. I assume the nestlings are fine, based on the amount of mealies they are carrying and the fecal sacs they are removing.

They have a pretty effective system for controling the mealworm feeder. One stays by the feeder to keep the HOSP out while the other flies to the nestbox. Then they switch places. Here is a picture from this morning of Mama with a mouthful.

I am afraid to open the nestbox to check on them because they are due to fledge Monday or Tuesday.

Dave



This message was edited May 31, 2008 10:22 AM

Glad to hear all is okay!!

The nestlings are growing so fast at this stage that the parents seem to be feeding them every 15 to 20 minutes! I sometimes try to stop them as they put on the brakes approaching the nestbox. Here are a few from a few minutes ago.

Mama

Papa

Mama again

Well, that's probably enough. I got about 20 but will throw most of them away. Here's one final one of Papa.

That last one of momma is neat!

Glad to hear everythings going well Dave!

Good to hear from you Dave. I think mama and papa deserve a trip to Phoenix when they're done. Whew!!

Great photos Dave. Please keep them coming. I've missed them lately.

Janet

Poor Dave - you can't even go away for vacation and family events, and we are clamoring for more photos! Don't mind us, Dave! We're addicted. Love the new photos, though. I learn so much through your photos and narratives. I'm hoping for fledglings this coming week - and of course I have to go out of town... if I could stay home, I would.

Dave,

Love all the fledging pics! They so adorable! :-)

Thanks for sharing!

Marilyn

Wonderful images, Dave. The USA birds are so new to me. Fascinating. I'm jumping from thread to thread like a crazy woman. Do the birds retain their colour throughout winter? We have some species of birds that are highly coloured during the mating/nesting season, but have less spectacular colouration during winter.

Wonderful images, Dave. The USA birds are so new to me. Fascinating. I'm jumping from thread to thread like a crazy woman. Do the birds retain their colour throughout winter? We have some species of birds that are highly coloured during the mating/nesting season, but have less spectacular colouration during winter.

MargaretK

Once they get their adult colors, Bluebirds retain those colors, but their feathers do become drab and worn over the summer, so they do molt each year at the end of the season. Then they begin each new season looking brand new, crisp and attractive.

Dave

Ok, time for an update.

As you may know, the fledglings from the first nesting, that fledged April 22, are now gone. They were apparently a nuisance, continually perching on the sparrow spooker above the nestbox, calling attention to the fact that Mama had five new ones growing in there. I assume Papa ran them off. He was growing very short with them before we left for Arizona and when we got back, three days later, they were missing. Rather young to be chased off, but not unheard of.

Anyway, the big news is that yesterday the second clutch fledged successfully. Fledge day is always a big deal as I like to watch and try to capture their "leap of faith." To do this you must be dedicated and that I am.

I had reason to believe that at least one left just before dusk Monday, during our supper (the adults were fluttering about the nestbox but also were making occasional trips with worms to the tall trees behind the house). As it was growing dark another bird was doing some serious peeking and also seemed likely to go, but it grew dark.

Working on that assumption, I got up at daylight yesterday, and took up a position on the deck where I could control the mealworms and watch the nestbox. I positioned a camera on a tripod about 15 feet from the nestbox and another next to my chair. The camera nearest the nestbox was aimed at the opening of the box, set on autofocus and to rapid fire. I controlled it with a wireless remote. The camera on the tripod next to me was also set on autofocus and I controlled it from my chair with a 3 foot remote cable. I had another camera sitting next to me and two additional lenses, in case I needed them. I had extra batteries and extra CF cards. You never know how these things will develop and I tried to anticipate everything.

My DW served my breakfast and lunch on the deck and I sat there for nine hours. Lots of peeking, especially after noon, but no one fledged. Then at 3:10 p.m., one did. Almost immediately, a second one appeared in the opening, and within a matter of seconds (less than 15 seconds, literally) it also flew out. Then the third, again very quickly appeared and fledged. I had never seen such rapid succession before. All three were gone within 10 minutes. And they all flew to different trees, all at least 150 feet from the box and all perched at least 50 feet from the ground.

Almost immediately, a fourth bird appeared at the nestbox but the parents didn't seem anxious to have to have it jump. As it was perched to fly, a parent flew to it with a mouthload of mealworms and the baby withdrew into the box. It peeked out from time to time but the parents were away, apparently gathering the others to one location. Before they returned, we were hit with a tremendous rain storm that drove me and my cameras inside. It was too dark to shoot anyway, and I had to run an errand since today (Wednesday) we must go to Baltimore. (It was scheduled for yesterday, but we changed things to accomodate me and my birds). At our house Fledge Day is Priority One!

Thanks for struggling through this lengthy introduction. It probably contains typos. If so, forgive me, I will edit them later.

Dave

This morning it is still drizzling, and the parents are here for mealies and they are not flying to the nestbox, so I presume number five has left.

p.s. Before we left I did check the box and it is empty.

This message was edited Jun 4, 2008 2:55 PM

Next

I have tried to post more pictures four or five times, but for some reason they do not take. I'll have to wait till later to add some more.

Congratulations Dave! Beautiful pics!

The sound of clapping here in Texas! YEAH!!! I admire your dedication to these beautiful birds. Thank you so much for sharing your joy with us all.

Janet

To hang out all day like that ...You are very dedicated...and we appreciate it so much!

I love that story. Waited nine hours and they were gone in 10 minutes!!!

Give you and your DW a big hearty congratulatory hug!

Thanks. You would be surprised how few bluebird hosts get to see the birds fledge, much less get a picture of it. I am up in Baltimore now and I brought a few pics with me. Let me try again. Maybe they will load this time. Bear with me. They have the cheapest DSL and it's not as fast on the upload as my cable.

This is the next shot in the sequence. Same bird.

Here is Mama, trying to entice one of them out.

And Papa, doing it his way.

A similar shot

The operation was highly coordinated with both adults working together beautifully. Of course, there was a lot of arm and hand signals.

At one point a squirrel approached the nestbox. Both BBs dive-bombed him. Very hard to get a picture since it was such fast moving action. But I did get two that I will include, with apologies.

Here is the other shot. It was definitely a two bird attack. Papa has just hit him and If you look carefully, the tip of Mama's wing is visable at the top left, just above the squirrel.

But, despite all that was going on, Papa took time for a bath in the sundial.

Back to work

Here is the second one, just before he jumped.

Little fellow looks determined! lol

Poor papa need to cool off after all that and before he got back to work!

Superb pics Dave! They are so cute!

OK We had a big storm come up and I had to run to Home Depot for a tarp to cover a reclining chair I have on my truck. Still under a tornado warning but I think the worse of it is east of where we are. At least we haven't lost power yet.

Here is the second one again, after he jumped.