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Hello,
I just recently got into birding about 6 months ago. I was late to put out some houses but as soon as I did some Wrens made a nest in my bluebird house. I never did see the Wrens and there were never any eggs laid. The nest became infested with ants so I cleaned everything out. I left for vacation about a week later and there was nothing in the box. When I returned, there was a bluebird nest with 5 eggs. I have been monitoring it ever since and I see the mom and dad every day. Most of the time the mother is on the nest, she has been turning the eggs frequently. I don’t know when the last egg was laid but it’s been 15 days since I returned home to a nest full of eggs. I am starting to worry that they may not hatch. I don’t believe it has been hot enough to kill the eggs so the only thing I can thing of is infertility? Any help is appreciated! I was so excited for my first ever hatch and am now becoming very disappointed :(Hi Whitney:
Welcome to the world of Stress and Worry, believe me you have a lot of company. I do know from reading previous posts and as much as I can on http://www.sialis.org that it takes 14 days for the eggs to hatch so you may have babies at any time now. I would say if you don’t see any in another 4 or 5 days they are probably infertile eggs, if you are sure she has been brooding them that long. I just hope I will see a post from you later today or in the next few days that you have 5 new BB babies to keep us informed about.
There is a ton of knowledge on here from experienced birders that will be able to tell you more. I am learning something new all the time, so please don’t take me as the final word.
Connie (PA)Hi & Welcome Whitney – yes 14 days is usually the time period, AFTER mama begins incubating, when babies hatch. I bet you have babies any time now, like Connie says. She could have began incubation a day or two after the last egg was laid, not uncommon at all. Just hang low and bet they hatch soon. They will lose interest and/or abandon the nest when the time is right if they are not fertile. Don’t do anything at all yet for sure. Keep us informed.
Good luck Whitney…Mine had a funny nesting this last go round, one hatched on day 14 and the others a day later. Like Gin reminds me, they don’t always read the books…Fingers crossed.
Still no babies :( The day I returned from vacation and checked the nest to find 5 eggs was 6/11 so today is at least 16/17 days
Is mom still incubating them? The kindest thing is to leave them alone until mom figures out they are infertile….
Yes she is. I won’t be touching them anytime soon. Just very disappointed. What’s the odds that the very first time I get bluebirds to lay eggs in my box they are infertile? :(
Whitney, I hate for this to be your first experience. The problem is, there are lots of bad eggs out there and there are so many reasons: elderly female, sterile male, temperature during egg laying, genetic malformations, etc. Just please leave the eggs until she is no longer interested.
Gin
Atlanta, GAWell today I walked out to check the BB house as I always do and saw the nest sticking out of the hole. I opened the box and no eggs. There were pieces and reminants of some eggs in the box and on the ground. I’m not sure if this was another birds doing or the mothers. Either way I don’t believe the eggs were ever fertile. Both BB are still around and I saw one of them fly over and check out my other BB box so maybe they will try again. I have seen 2 new BB over the last few days as well. I bought two guards for the hole on my boxes, I was wondering if I should put them on now or after an egg is laid? Thanks for everyone’s help throughout this journey.
It also sounds like the work of a raccoon. Do you have a raccoon baffle on the pole? Is it close to a fence or tree trunk?
What kind of guard are you talking about?
Gin
Atlanta, GAYeah after looking online I kinda thought raccoon as well. I don’t have a baffle. It’s on a big fence post so not sure if I could get a baffle on it. The guard I have in talking about goes on the hole of the bluebird house and sticks straight out so the hole is longer. I think it helps protect against raccoons as well as bigger birds.
I you have snakes at all or raccoons a fence post won’t really do. Or cats.
It’s worth every penny to invest in a good metal pole. That way you can attach the proper guards. I have a new resident raccoon and if I had the right guard for raccoons I’m afraid it would help a snake bypass my Krueger guard.
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