Abandoned eggs but chickadees taking over

[Lynne F]

Hi! I have a question I hope someone can help me with. I have had the pleasure of having bluebirds in my yard for 18 years. I have 4 boxes in my back yard an every year they pick a different box and have usually 2 broods. This spring I replaced and old box with a brand new one and within a day, a pair of bluebirds built a nest and then laid 5 eggs. I was away all last week and came home on Friday. I checked on the eggs and all was well. I started to become concerned when I only saw the male bluebird feeding and hanging around the nest. Well today (Sunday) I have been out in the yard all day and kept noticing a pair of chickadees trying to go into that same box. I kept shooing them away but they were sooo persistent! I finally put a piece of cardboard over the hole just until mom or dad bluebird would come back. The chickadees then started to peck at the tape and were going to be successful at getting it off. I then threw a pillowcase over the house and boy they were not happy. Daddy bluebird finally came back and I was watching him very closely. He started going to all my other houses and checking them out (they are all empty). Both times he came back I removed the pillowcase but he never bothered to go in and check his eggs. Of course the chickadees came back too and only one time did I see daddy bluebird chase them away. And then I witnessed them going into the house and daddy bluebird just continued eating the mealworms. I finally left the pillowcase off and I now I have been watching the pair of chickadees going in and out of that bluebird house and pretty much staying there. It has been around 3 hours. I just went and checked on the eggs and they are perfectly fine. Is it possible the chickadees have taken over incubating these eggs? I have tried in vain to find something on the internet but nothing. I am fairly confident mama bluebird is gone since I have not seen her since before I left but definitely not since I came home and it looks like daddy bluebird is looking for another house for a mate he does not have at the moment. Anyone have any thoughts or opinions? Thank you for taking the time to read this❤️

[dogsandbirds]

Nope. The dees are not incubating the blue eggs. If the male EABL has lost interest in the box, you can remove the eggs and the nest. If you’re lucky the dees will build in the box. Of course if you do nothing and the dees want the box they will just build over what is there. Better to take the nest and eggs out so the dees have a clean box.

Gin
Atlanta, GA

[tamsea]

Or put up a new box further away and see if they take that one. That’s what I would do…just in case.

Tammy

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