bb's fledged

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  • #4614
    dlibby
    Participant

      Hello all, My little bluebirds fledged on thursday 6/1. I was lucky to be outside and see one leave the box and what a little flyer he was went right up into the trees with no problem. With binoculars I watched the female go to them and feed them. There were two sitting together on the limbs above. awesome to see. Odd thing is the male kept going back to the house and looking inside but the female never went back again. So I decided to look inside to see if more blues were still in there. No but there were two unhatched eggs left inside which when i examined them they were dried up and must have been un fertilized. So I removed the entire nest and now the male is singing on top of the box and the female has gone inside and seems excited about it. What I don’t understand is everything I read said the male would take care of the fledglings and the female would re nest. But as always the male just keeps singing and she is constantly coming for food and feeding them herself. So I don’t know if they are going for a second brood or not very strange year for me and my blues. Anyone think she might be making sure they can feed themselves before she starts again? She might figure dad is useless seeing he’s never been around much even during nesting. crossing my fingers for a second brood seeing they usually don’t get here till june 1st each year.

      #4615
      Carol – Mid-Mo.
      Participant

        dibby, I have always believed they both went off with the fledglings for 10-12 days to teach them to hunt & fend for themselves. Since I don’t see them during that period, don’t know if they both feed them or not, but I know when they return to “their home territory” both will help feed them from the worm bowl. I would imagine they will try for a 2nd brood. Those males had better shape up, huh!

        #4616
        dlibby
        Participant

          this morning I witnessed the male and female came down to the house and my mealworm feeder is nearby, The male sat on the fence and the female was on top of the house. And listening carefully you could hear one of the babies in the trees calling to them. The female reacted by flying up and down about a foot and and circling in the same distance. My thought was “it was like she was trying to say I’m right here come on down”. don’t know if that was it but it was a little dance I’ve never seen her do before. She then went to the mealworms and took some up to the trees. Really enjoying all I’m getting to see. It’s nice to stop and smell the roses as the saying goes. Peoples busy lives sure do miss out on the simple things in life that can make one smile. Go little blues.

          #4618
          Carol – Mid-Mo.
          Participant

            dibby, was this tree close in your yard, or someone else’s yard or what? They usually take them away, usually very shortly after fledging, from their nesting area to teach them. I have never had them stay around in their own nesting area during this teaching period (usually 10-14 days). And then they will bring them back to the feeder bowl. Strange . . . . But then remember, birds do not read books, especially the rules!! (ha,Ha)

            #4620

            Dibby, Carol is right about the parents taking the young fledglings away from the nest for “training in the real world.” That said, if you are located in an area that does not have much natural wooded area within a reasonable fledgling flying distance, they might stay in the area until they are strong enough to make a longer flight. Like she said – “they don’t read the books, especially the rules.”

            David
            Stafford, VA

            #4632
            Lisa
            Participant

              Dad has pretty much done all of the work since mine fledged. He feeds them and brings them to the feeder. But mom is busy with her new 4 eggs.

              #4640
              dlibby
              Participant

                For the first day or two they were in a huge oak tree in my back yard but now they have gone down about two other properties away. When the parents show up for the mealworms I am always right there cause I whistle and they have learned to come right over. Then I watch to see where they fly to which is now out of my binocular range but I can see the trees they are going to way over. I have a huge wooded area behind my house but they never seem to go to the deep woods but instead stay close to the properties that run down my street. Probably prefer the lawns to hunt for food. I’m hoping they will go for a second brood, I figure june 11th will be 10 days out so maybe sometime after that.

                #4645
                Carol – Mid-Mo.
                Participant

                  Dibby, this is what mine do – take them to a different neighbor/area in our subdivision for those learning days and then bring then back later to my yard area for the worms. Sounds like they are on track!

                  #4646
                  dlibby
                  Participant

                    Hope your right carol, My blues in the past have only come in june and then when they took the babies away they slowly flew further and further away making it hard for the parents to return and then It would be over till next year. So having april blues maybe I will get to see the babies stick around and maybe help feed the new brood. At least that’s what i’ve read. Keeping my fingers crossed that I will get to see this.

                    #4648
                    dogsandbirds
                    Moderator

                      They won’t be able to feed themselves for quite a while yet, but with only two to feed she can do that by herself quite easily. If there were more to feed, they would probably both be on task. If she starts building another nest, the male will most likely step in to feed the fledglings. He does not want them to starve because they carry his genes. It all sounds pretty normal to me.

                      Gin
                      Atlanta, GA

                      #4651
                      Lisa
                      Participant

                        Dlibby, it’s funny that you said that because this is the very first year I’ve been able to enjoy mine after fledge. I’m loving it. Mine always leave and it’s a long sad wait until that awesome day in February when the couples show back up!!!

                        #4652
                        Lisa
                        Participant

                          My male appears to have done 100% of the feeding and teaching. Mom is roosting and I never see her interact with the babies.

                          #4655
                          dlibby
                          Participant

                            That’s very cool lisa, I can’t wait. everyone has mentioned how they leave the nesting area and come back. Which is what mine are doing but yesterday. I got out at 5:30 am and they were 2 houses down, came home for lunch and they were all back in my big oak and after work they had all flown one house down in the opposite direction. They sure do fly around a lot. Mama is still the only one feeding them and the male comes and eats a few meal worms for himself and just hangs around watching her go back and forth feeding the young ones.It’s really cool that some how the mother and I have got this trust and relationship this year. Have had a horrible spring here in maine, just keeps raining and raining and I think it’s made it hard for her to find insects in these cold and raw conditions. She usually sits every morning on a martin house I have and waits for me to show up with her mealworms. She use to stay back until I got 20 feet away from the feeder before she approached but now will fly right down as I walk away. Yesterday was a soaker and she looked very wet but is right there to get the worms just like clock work morning noon and night. It’s going to be an adjustment when I don’t have to go out and see them anymore.

                            • This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by dlibby.
                            #4660
                            Lisa
                            Participant

                              We had a horrible soaker last night! Dad is still primary caretaker. Mom is busy nesting. Haven’t seen dad or babies today but mom is in the house all the time with her four eggs.

                              #4664
                              tamsea
                              Moderator

                                Mine are feeding their babies and building a nest and laying eggs at the same time.

                                Tammy

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