- This topic has 18 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 8 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Hi All, My name is mspatt and I’m new here. I have four babies and one egg still waiting…The temps have been very warm (around 90 for the past four days) and the male blue comes to the nest often with his offering of food and moisture.I thought both parents took care of feeding the babies, but I never see the female. Is she incubating that one egg that has not hatched or has she abandoned the nest? If the egg does not hatch should I remove it myself in a few days or will the parents take care of it?
Thanks in advance for any info you can give…Ditto to what David said. She should flush if she is incubating, although she may be on a “break”.
how long ago did the others hatch? Not uncommon for 1 to be a day or 2 behind others – good sign papa is bring food to the box – that other egg may be infertile and you leave it alone unless it should break. They usually will settle to the bottom of the cup.
P.S. One year my mama blue disappeared and had 4 eggs within 3 days of hatching in the box. Do you know that those 4 eggs went on to hatch WITHOUT incubation – it was very hot during that period. I am positive she was not around, and when they did hatch papa blue of course could not brood them – he did not even go to the box at all and they all perished. They are buried in my garden. I had even contacted a rehaber closest one was 65 miles away and they told me they would not survive the trip.
mspatt.
I had Mama Blue disappear two years in a row, don’t know if they went on their own accord or if something happened to them. The eggs had hatched and the babies were a pretty good size. The first batch Papa took care of by himself and I did see one fledge before we went away for a few days and when I returned they were all gone but what happened afterwards is beyond me. Last year they both disappeared and all the little one expired but one that fledged but with no parent and no rehab that would take the little one I assume it didn’t make it either. This year Mama and Papa are in constant feeding mode and thankfully they are both around. I hope you are just missing seeing Mama when she comes to feed. Keep us informed.
Connie (PA)Good Morning, The babies were born last Saturday and I wanted to wait until today to check the box again. The blues are in a box on our deck and so I can see it almost constantly. The female seems to show up in the morning and then I don’t see her for the rest of the day.But the papa feeds regularly. Anyway, I opened the box this morning and could not see the egg at all (I’m thinking it is not going to hatch and has just dropped to the bottom of the nest). I only saw two gaping mouths, but did not want to disturb the cup too much–I am hoping all four babies are there…Thanks for your advice. I will let yu know what happens… mspatt, Ohio
Connie, So sorry to hear your babies did not make it a while ago!!This was supposed to be a relaxing hobby, but it is turning out to be so stressful,lol Mine are in a box on our deck and I am able to see them almost constantly through the glass patio doors. I sometimes see the mama in the morning, but then she vanishes for the rest of the day. Maybe because it is so hot she is hanging out in the shade of the trees. We have lots of old growth forest around here…Anyway, I opened the box this morning. Most of the babies were born on Saturday, so I wanted to wait a bit before checking on them again. I could be wrong, but I only saw two gaping mouths–no egg, but no dead bodies either. So I am hoping for the best…papa is still feeding regularly and the weather is supposed to break after today–that should give the parents some relief!!
Thanks for your response… Mspatt, OhioGlad that you got to see some babies and I bet that maybe the one egg is at the bottom of the cup –
it is hard to tell how many are in the nest because they are so curled up.mspatt, I think it is good that Mama is showing up at least in the morning, why not the rest of the day is beyond my knowledge of what a Bluebird would do. I can tell you in the last 3 years I have had Mama show up more than Papa to feed until Mama disappeared then he took over full time, but there is no set rule, as I am learning. I can see how it would be hard for you to miss Mama showing up with the box so close by. I agree it is stressful but we all love seeing them, and doing the best we can to keep them in our lives for a long time to come.
Maybe with the cooler weather coming Mama will show up more. We are due for a cool down this weekend, it can’t come too soon, and my little ones should be fledged or fledging by then.
Connie (PA)Welcome Matt. When those babies are 12 days old stop checking on them so they don’t fledge prematurely. Hey..you said that your box is on your deck. If that means it’s attached to your deck please consider moving it after these fledge. Raccoons, squirrels, snakes will raid the box and make a meal out of babies and eggs. It should be on slick metal pole with a baffle.
Let us know when those babies fledge. If you count up the days you may be able to see them do it!Tammy
I had same thought as Tammy about the box being on your deck – ditto to her suggestion. This is convenient but not very safe for the blues &/or babies.
I’m not sure what they are called, but we have 11 inches of a metal cage made out of hardware clothe that wraps around the box and has pointed spike-like things sticking up at the end. Then we have a sparrow spooker on top of the box. We had four babies that fledged from this set up last year and I haven’t seen a snake in the five years we have lived here. We do have raccoons, but I don’t think they can reach inside and they come after the birdseed.The box is in a position that keeps it out of the sun most of the day. The man across the street from us had four boxes on his deck–I was surprised that they nested that close together, but all his boxes were filled.
Anyway, thanks for the advice. I wouldn’t want to endanger the blues or their babies, (eight days old) and when they fledge I will let you know…Thanks, again MsPatt, OhioMaybe Dees or Wrens or do we say Sparrows. It would be good if you could check to see what is going on in your bird’s neighborhood.
David
Stafford, VAMy box is on a metal pole with snake trap (garden mesh) about 3 feet from my aluminum golf course fence. The other night I took the dogs out and found a snake probably a foot long curled up on the fence right behind the box. I don’t know how much they can stretch but he would have been able to slide over that trap. They really have a keen sense of smell for those nestlings.
Well, now I am wondering what is going on. The nestling is in a standard BB box with a hole of a bit more than 1.5″. Both parents show up in the early morning (6:00 a.m.). And then they both disappear for the rest of the day. The papa BB will return in the evening. Sometimes with food, sometimes without…The feeding seems to be very irregular. Now the strange thing is this: my husband opened the box the other day and there seems to be one large baby in the nest. Maybe the other babies are underneath the big one?????
We do have some cowbirds around, but does anyone know if they could fit through the entrance hole?? Could it be a HOSP? Sometimes they build there nest on top of the BB nest, right, but then we never saw any other eggs…I’m very confused!!
Mspatt, Ohio
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.