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Well, my 5 baby bluebirds fledged successfully yesterday (18 days from hatching). I wasn’t sure if all 5 would make it out but I checked box early this morning after seeing parents take mealworms to tall trees where the babies were and never going to the nestbox at all. To my delight there was nothing in the box except a mess – no dead babies or eggs in the nest itself. Whew! All cleaned out and ready for another nest, but really h ope they choose a different box this time.
Oh, the area is rid of two different pairs of HOSP – they are really trying to take over all my boxes but they are not winning!
Carol, that is wonderful news, 5 new BB’s in the sky. Congrats!!
Glad to hear you have eliminated more of those nasty HOSP.
I watched Papa put a Piney Squirrel out of an oak tree on our property this morning. Go Papa!!
ConnieWow…..exciting news. I’ve been watching for your post about fledging, I knew it was coming up soon. Did you get to see them go? Congratulations on all of them surviving….they definitely went through some bad weather days and nights. I hope they return to help out Ma & pa with the next brood. That will be so fun the watch.
Judy-Michigan
Thanks Connie & Judy – That papa blue is doing his duties well, Connie – good for him.
Judy, I did not get to see them fledge – in fact I never even saw any peeking this year, which I always do. But this box was at the very back of our yard and quite a distance so couldn’t see as well as the ones at the opposite corner, which is close to 300 foot. Most of the fledglings from this pair of blues do return with them after about 10-12 days of “training how to survive.”
Good to hear Carol. After all the weather, HOSP, and messy issues you have a successful nesting to start the season. Good luck on the rest of the year. (I am awaiting the first hatch after 4 days of very cool weather.
David
Stafford, VAThanks, David, hope your first hatch turns out as well – pretty scary with all this cold, freezing weather, THEN 80 degrees the next day.
By the way, I believe you mentioned some time back about your photo posting – that you use some place that is a free photo storage – I wrote it down somewhere and can’t find it. Would you mind Personal Message me so I can check into this.
Carol, congrats on the fledging! Your season is off to a bang-up start with a successful (albeit messy!) nest, and then getting rid of HOSP!! That’s terrific. Enjoy the season! Hope you have many more successes this year. Thanks, too, for your nest box cleaning tips. Appreciate all I can learn!
The 4 bluebird eggs in my back box hatched this week. I finally saw my neighbor and told him about it, so they are thrilled to watch the progress. His wife has a health issue that keeps her indoors during this virus, so I’m tickled the blues built back there for them to enjoy. Hopefully you’ll have hatching soon, David!
Julie, that is great your BB eggs hatched and that your neighbors will have something great to watch during their trying time. Hope they fledge successfully!
I had my 3 out of 5 eggs fledge today. It was day 19 so I parked myself outside in a chair like I always do and missed the whole thing. There was no peeking at all. This morning they took the mealworms to the box. I had to leave for like 30 minutes to go to the store and guess what? All worms going next door and empty box. I swear I am never destined to see mine fledge!!!
A lot of us are that way Lisa. Like we said before, Bluebirds do not follow any user guide, rule book, or any set of directions that we would for them to follow.
David
Stafford, VAI have only seen them leave the box a couple of times. One time there was a Male fledgling in the little hedge near the box and he scared the crap out of me! I was looking in the box and saw they had all left. I turned around and he squeaked at me right at eye level in the bush! LOL. 2 seconds later Dad came diving in at me and letting me have it! Last year two of the first brood kept returning with the pair and actually helped a little with feeding!
I love all your fledgling stories!! Made me laugh. Last year I saw two of the babies fledge. One came out of the box and flew straight up, up, up and landed on a big fat splinter sticking out on the telephone pole/streetlight pole. After a moment’s rest, it fluttered up to the lamp of the streetlight beside its parents. I was amazed at how strongly it could fly that high! The 2nd one came out of the box and flew into a humongous oak tree across the street. I saw No. 3 peering out, teetering on the edge of the hole. It leaned out a smidge too far and fell forward, flapped its wings to right itself and wanted to go back into the box, but couldn’t figure out how to get those flapping wings into that tiny hole!! I laughed as I watched. Finally it regained balance on the hole edge, rested, the wings folded, and it fell backwards into the box. Immediately I saw this little eye at the box hole, looking out. It was just so doggone funny. I never saw that one or its sibling fledge, despite waiting. They really are so much fun to watch!
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