I was amazed to find 6 eggs as the final count again! The last one was laid on 4/22, so I will watch for hatching on 5/4 (pretty sure that is right). 13 days to hatch, then 18 days to fledge is what I understand the norm to be.
Here's a pic of the final egg laying day total.
This message was edited Apr 26, 2009 9:00 AM
This message was edited Apr 26, 2009 9:01 AM
The nest is on the back corner wall of my house, under the eaves beside the sliding doors to the deck.
The nestbox is not a traditional Bluebird box either........it actually used to be used as a nestbox for tiny baby squirrels when I did Wildlife Rehab.
A couple of years ago I stuck it up here to see if anything might use it... I sure Never thought I'd end up attracting a faithful Bluebird, who now has returned for the 3rd year in a row to this box
And this year, he has brought a new mate, as sadly, last years momma disapeared suddenly during the 2nd hatchlings growing time. Daddy blue and I raised them (4 in the 2nd batch) to all succesfully fledge. I provided Lots of mealworms and sat guard on the deck for many hours. He of course did all the feeding and "housework" ^_^
On May 4, hopefully I will get a picture similar to this one from last year. I felt VEry lucky to get this shot of 3 babies "coming out" party!! #1 is dry, #2 has just kicked of one end & extricated itself from the confines of that shell and looking closely under the foot of #1, we can see #3's Egg Tooth breaking thru the shell. They must saw all the way around with the egg tooth, then kick n wiggle very hard to get out of that perfect little package. I imagine the tiny new hatchling must be totally exhausted, yet now it must begin to exercise the neck muscles and learn to hold up that huge head in order to compete for food.
**again, this picture is from 2008, but I thought some may not have seen it + this is what we are waiting for on Mon, May 4th **
OOPS!! Now I can't get the picture to load...My mother board has gone bad. the 2008 hatching pic can be found on the other thread that was started a few days ago..........I'll post it here when I figure how, or we might luck up as sometimes 2nd Dave works miracles and he may be able to post it for us on this thread
For now these parents are doing great.....I go out a couple times a day and offer a few meal-worms.
Yesterday I did a lot of potting, etc that had me right under & near the nest off & on thru-out the day. they just did their quiet little chip chip to me an didn't seem to get upset by my presence.
Updates to come as anything exciting occurs . things should be quiet & boring for this nest week
Wing waves to ya,
BirdieBlue ^_^
Birdie, I'm glad the birds are so used to you being around close. Looking forward to seeing the pictures in the future.
Here is your picture Birdie
Thank You Dave!! I figured you would know how to retrieve that picture, you are so good at that type of thing........
.....as my "new" computer is now having problems....My access to different things is messed up too....I thought "refurbished" meant "good as new"....oops, that's a whole entire different issue........
Patiently and excitedly awaiting baby birdies here ^_^.
I do have some baby Carolina Wren's on the front porch that are about a week old....amazing how they scrunch into that little "cavern" that momma built out of straw n other stuff......they are in a hanging planter of dead plant matter from last year......as I began to clear it out a couple weeks ago to plant anew, the momma flew out & nearly up my nose!!! 5 nestlings in there.
Spring is such fun!!
Picture of newly hatched Carolina Wrens
Very cute Birdie!
Oh, how sweet!
3 years in a row into your porch box is pretty remarkable! You must be a good innkeeper/midwife!
Yea, the Bluebirds must just really like the milleau back there ^_^ the next house wall is maybe only 30' away, but I have a privacy fence and there is a Dogwood just the other side of my fence that they can sit in and keep watchon the nestbox, + nab any unsuspecting insect that gets out of line in my little garden area. It is quiet and private with very little intrusion by man or beast.
Really very different from the textbook described preferred sites that a Bluebird would choose. So I feel very honored that God has them come home to me each nesting season. Although they are year round residents here, I never see them except then and dont wast mealworm$'s keepint their MW dish supplied unless I know they are around. Other birds (except hummers) don't get fed in the back because I wanted to preserve the "privacy" which is what I am assuming the Bluebirds like about my spot.
Ah, good point about the privacy and not feeding the other birds to preserve it.
I think that's where I go wrong here. We have too many red-bellied WPs, blue jays, etc. to give a feeling of security for a bb to nest.
I do have Mother Robin nesting in the woodwork around my front door, which I think is remarkable since it's rather exposed and we get lots of hawks, cowbirds, etc, not to mention we are always going in and out!
There's always hope, I guess.
Very cool Birdie! What fun for you. Congrats on 3 in a row. Can't wait to hear what happens next.
While sitting on the deck to nite watching the BB's eat their MW's...a Mockingbird dared come to their dogwood tree. It is about 15' from the nest and is their look out tree where they watch the nest and their little private courtyard created by the privacy fenced area between mine and the nest house. Well they didn't want this intruder anywhere and spend at least 5-10 min dive bombing it a d chattering away. Between clearing it completely away from the tree or even the top of the fencing was a serious battle. Then!! ...less than 10 minutes later a little Tufted Titmouse came right up to the meal worm dish...approaching and watching from a close lookout point, then actually getting to eat the last couple of MW's without any reaction from the BB's at all. this was very interesting o me. I guess they were not threatened and have no reason to fear the Titmouse, yet they knew that Mockers are very aggressive and they wanted to set things straight as far as who's territory that was.
Eggs should hatch Monday. I have a 10:30 appointment (darn-it) and hope I get to catch a picture of the hatching, although I do only do that if the parents seem to be away or else "trusting" of me.
1st hatchling...not more than an hour old...3 other eggs are cracking!!
Very nice!!
ooooo....a baby!!!! Be safe little ones......
this morning there is 1 egg remaining to hatch, 5 new , some still wet hatchlings and 1 wide open hungry yellow mouth (must be the little one that hatched last evening! I sure hope you can close up to see them well. This is the best I can do.
They look great Birdie!
Here's a 100 % crop of your picture. Maybe it will help.
Congratulations on the five.. My fingers are crossed on number six.
Dave
Dave, Thank you!! Well, Momma is apparently still rolling that last egg around as it has been on all edges of that little nest cup in the last 254. I don't see any signs of it cracking though. will it just dissolve if it isn't viable, or what will happen? should I interfere at all if it is still thee in a couple of days. I hate to think of it rotting and attracting any germs or mold or bacteria.??
BirdieBlue
Just leave it until the chicks have fledged - they won't have the strength to break it, so any bacteria will be sealed inside the shell.
Resin
That figures! After all, I have read that an intact eggshell isone of the strongest things on earth.
thanks for reminding me!
BirdieBlue
Well, last night I thought that the 6th egg had hatched when I took a picture that didn't show any blue. I just went out and Momma was not around , so I got nother pic, but the 6th egg is still there. Since # 1 hatched on Tuesday and the other 4 on Wednesday, I guess it is too late for this one to be good.
I'm sad and wondering what the parents think of that lone egg still in there.
Amazing the things that go on in the animal and bird world every day that we don't know about......
Here's a picture.
I think I will not take any pics for a few days and just let nature go on without my spying.
Although i will not be able to resist in a few days to check as they grow so fast. The opportunity to see these little guys changing is just to tempting to not check. Seems like the BB sites even say to check on the nest every few days.
Wing Waves to ya,
BirdieBlue
This week old baby sure knows how to get the first bite!!
I don't care how many times ones see a photo like that. ..it is still cute!
Isn't it though!! and their cheeping is so sweet.
I so wish that Robin wasn't nesting so close. I deffinately sounds an alarm an so I cannot sit out on the deck and observe the Bluebirds as I always have because I don't want to deprive those Robin babies of their worms.
Their Mom (or Dad) came wth a worm just as I came outside this afternoon to sit and observe the BB's, and rather than go to the nest, it sat in a high limb, worm dangling in it's mouth for 15 minutes, waiting I guess, until I went into the house.
I watched thru a window and no sooner was iIinside than it fed the Robin babies......******sigh*****
BirdieBlue, I've been enjoying your thread and photos!
There are a lot of us who won't ever have a bluebird nest nearby, so we live vicariously thru you, lol!
well , here is an update picture of the babies. They are now 10 days old. I am not photographing them as much as I have in the past, as the parents are much more nervous since there are Robins with nestlings only a few feet away who loudly call an alarm the moment I go out on the back deck. ****sigh****
I am glad to say that both sets of parents and babies seem to be thriving well. ^_^
that is so cute...any pics of the robin babies??
Yes, Nanny
here is a pic of the Robin babies (as I was being dive bombed and squawked at by both parents!!) They (3, I think) are 4 days old
oh and BTW, the poor Bluebirds get all a chatter and a flutter when the Robin parents get upset,so.... ***sigh*** I stay away from the back ;-(
Oops, the Robins hatched on the 8th, so they are today 5 days old
Thanks! :)
I got a bunch of pictures this morning by putting out lots of meal worms. Even the Mom Robin took some and a visiting Tufted Titmouse was very observant and captured any dropped from the Bluebirds Very full mouth fulls.
I don't know how those BB parents could have fed the babies as fast as they were taking in 10's @ a time of meal worms. they'd each fill their mouths, go into the nest box and immediately come out for more. There is rain coming and with other birds watching the meal worm dish now perhaps they were just trying to store up as many in the nest box as possible and will go back later and feed the babies.
I'll be very interested to hear Dave's take on this. I do not want to put out to many and get the nest box full of meal worms that might "bug" the babies.
I'm so sorry my pictures can't be better. Between my little 5x camera and my tremor being exaggerated today , I'm doing the best I can.
Here goes:
on favorite perch
Daddy
Both parents taking a brief rest from feeding
well, i thought this showed Daddy going in with a mouthfull of meal worms. At least you can see the nestbox and part of their cozy little quite corner of the world.
Momma collecting meal worms as Tufted Titmouse waits it's turn
This message was edited May 15, 2009 11:36 AM
both parents again
Momma Robin is sitting on the left and the 2 Blue bird parents are on the right side at same level. I hope you can see them. This tree is right over the Robin' nest. I found it very interesting that they all rested here together in harmony.
