- This topic has 18 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 11 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
My bluebird book and ‘Sialis’ give a range of 15 to 21 days from final hatch. What do you guys consider as an average likely time? I’m in west central Missouri.
BZ
I count day 1 as the first day after all eggs hatched, in a few of my broods it has been 16-18 days.
Just so happened that today was the 18th day for my 5 bluebirds, and all 5 fledged!17 days has always been my number for 9 years, and most years average 2.5 successful fledgings. I believe one time I had one late fledge the next day. By the way I am in mid-Missouri so I imagine our weather patters are similar. My pair of blues were VERY late this year – just now in the 7th day of incubation and usually I would have had some fledge by now.
That would make my fledge date Tuesday the 17th. We are having unusually cool weather for mid May. This morning the low was 39 degrees, and it’s supposed to be cool all week with some rain. Do these conditions have any effect on the fledge? Surely Mom and Pop don’t send those kids out in a cold rain!
BZ
Don’t count on it. I had one full nest 95 birds) fledging in rain. It wasn’t torrential but it was more than a drizzle.
David
Stafford, VAIs there any particular time of day that the BB fledge? I would think in the AM, so the young ones have most of the daylight hours to get accustomed to the outside world?
BZ
Gin is right. My last fledge of the year in 2014 took all day. It depends on how brave the young ones are to take flight.
BTW – that was supposed to be a ( in front of the 5 in the post above. A nest of 95 birds would have been a monstrous feat. :)David
Stafford, VABTW – that was supposed to be a ( in front of the 5 in the post above. A nest of 95 birds would have been a monstrous feat. :)
Yeah, I just skipped over that one. 95 would have been some kind of freak occurrence for sure.
Gin
Atlanta, GAWell, my questions are answered! Last evening (Sun) about 4:30 mama was still feeding and removing fecal sacs. This morning was in the low 40’s with drizzling rain. When I went out about 9 AM I heard them chirping in several large trees around my house, and sited BB numerous times. After watching and listening for about 30 minutes, I cautiously opened the box. The nest was empty and a total mess. I can only assume that all 5 babies are safely out in the world! I’m a happy man!
BZ
The first two days of the 5 babies being out in the cold cruel world were just that, cold and
rainy for 48 hours straight. What lousy timing! As I said above, on Monday I heard them chirping
everywhere. On Tuesday I saw mom and dad coming to the ground for food, but not much chirping in the trees. Since then I have seen or heard nothing of the young ones, but have sighted mom and dad almost every day. What are the chances that the young ones did or did not survive those first two miserable days? This is my third year of having BB fledge, and I have yet to see a young one afterwards.BZ
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.