“Blanket” on a nest?

[David in Stafford,VA]

After my nest disaster last year, I took some time off to see if the sparrows were going to stay around. I used a few for target practice and hopefully they are gone.

I now have another dilemma. My bluebirds have a new nest that has 6 eggs (a first). When I checked the box today I found what looked like the beginning of a new nest over the eggs. Could this be just a “blanket” for the eggs while the female is away from the nest? Our weather this Spring has been anything but normal.

• This topic was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by David in Stafford,VA.

David
Stafford, VA

[TimC]

Not an expert here but I did hear a speaker at the Michigan Bluebird Soc in March mention that if the bluebirds do that it might be because the original eggs are not viable. On the other hand if another bird chases the originals away it may be building on top of the old nest. I don’t know what the correct action is. I think I would just monitor the nest for a few days and see if it is bluebirds. If so I would probably carefully remove the older eggs. Of course you may be able to identify the species using the nest materials as a guide.

I do remember the speaker talking about putting pairs of boxes a few feet from each other. If the second pair (if that’s your situation) are not bluebirds they may take the other box. I don’t think a second pair of bluebirds will nest in the second box but other species may take it.

Good luck and thanks for sharing. Keep us informed of what happens next.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by TimC.

Tim C. WI/MI border.

[David in Stafford,VA]

Thanks Tim. I do know that during the time that the female ways laying last week, the temps were in the 30’s and 40’s in the evenings and 50’s during the days.

David
Stafford, VA

[tamsea]

I agree. That means that either a female gave up on her eggs and realized they weren’t going to hatch and so re-laid eggs or something happened to her and so the nest was abandoned and another pair of bluebirds or other species of birds built on top.
Is it past hatch date? If you feel like the eggs will get mixed up I’d put a permanent marker dot on the old eggs so they don’t.

Tammy

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