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I posted recently about seeing a Carolina wren removing some nesting material from the bluebirds nest box. I looked inside the box after that and took pictures and didn’t see an egg. Prior to that it had been raining and swelled the wood. I couldn’t get the box open to check for eggs. If I had seen them I would have put the sparrow spooker and wren guard up.
Today I looked at the pictures again from Friday (after I saw the CAWR in the box) and saw that there were at least two eggs and maybe three at that time. I looked this morning very carefully, and there’s only one egg. I don’t see any sign of damage to the nest or that any eggs were removed. I have the box out in the open on a pole with a raccoon guard. I have now put the sparrow spooker and wren guard up but am not sure if the bluebirds would have abandoned the nest by now.
I did see the female go in the box yesterday. When I looked in the box this morning I think the bluebirds were in the tree but they didn’t dive bomb me like they normally would have.
I started hearing HOWR recently but couldn’t get the box open because of the rain. I didn’t want to put the wren guard on before there was an egg. I haven’t seen any HOSP this season. What should I do? I’m not inexperienced, but this is very confusing to me.
Carol
East TennesseeI don’t know why I can’t edit this a second time, but I can’t. I just wanted to add that I saw the female go in the box at about 10:30 a.m. I stayed outside and watched, and she didn’t leave for fifteen minutes. I checked the box, and there was still only the one egg that I saw earlier this morning. Maybe the eggs that were in there on Friday were all removed/destroyed, and she laid the one egg early this morning.
Carol
East TennesseeThere was a second egg this morning, so I guess all is well. I still have no idea what happened to the previous eggs. I do know that they were there after the CAWR entered the box, so it’s confusing.
Carol
East TennesseeGlad to hear you have a second egg, Carol. Just keep monitoring the nest and you should be okay. This “hobby” does take some time to learn everything and it does take patience and time. It is just like your normal everyday living in your home & town – there is usually always something you can learn about every day if you want to – just got to get in there and do it! Good luck.
P.S. you were right in not putting up the wren guard until the first egg BB was laid – that 1st egg is their “stake” meaning they will totally claim that box and egg as their property.Thank you Carol. I was looking at the pictures again that I took after the CAWR left showing what I thought were two eggs. They were way back in the corner of the box, which I hadn’t realized before. Then I looked at the picture that I took a couple of days later showing one egg. I kept looking, and the blue that I thought were eggs was still in the corner of the box.
All of the pictures of the blue that I thought were eggs were blurry. I don’t think they were eggs at all, just something in the nest. I guess all my worrying was about nothing.
Carol
East TennesseeCarol – MO is right. They have now claimed that box and the second egg shows that they are there to stay. Watch for the wrens and others but I believe that the bluebird pair will take care of the situation themselves.
David
Stafford, VAThank you David. I saw the female flying out of the box this morning, so I’m pretty sure she laid a third egg. I think all is well.
Carol
East TennesseeI was reflecting on this situation yday while mowing. Many of us have had a strange year with the blues, and through it we’ve had to assess, pause, question, seek advice, etc. In the end, though, it seems like things righted and the bluebirds did their thing without issue. My conclusion while mowing was this: So often on this board this year the answer has turned out to be to wait, watch and see what happens. I’m mentally adding a pause button to my approach to things—bluebird-related and life-related. I’ll pause and wait a day (or six!) and see what unfolds. I’m sure it’ll be hard to remember that when I’m in the midst of a conundrum/potential crisis!! But maybe when I think on the bluebirds, I can remember!
All that to say so glad things worked out for you, Carol-TN. Enjoy the nesting season!!
I agree with Julie! I started out on this journey by accident. I have had a couple of bird houses here and there for a few years and would get blackcapped and HRENs nest. Never even knew about bluebirds until end of March when my neighbor said she saw a pair in my woods next to my hous So i watched for them. Then in mid April I saw a male BB perched on my old birdhouse in my backyard one morning and I was ecstatic! That’s when my obsession started! This scenario went almost perfect until the female layed 1 egg and then never came back. I asked myself why did I get teased and overjoyed to being sad. Haven’t seen any Blues since then. We put other houses up thinking another pair would come in. Moved them around, did extensive researching and reading to feed my obsession. Instead I have a TRES pair…LOL. well, God taught me a lesson. Take a step back. It will happen when it happens or may never. So I am satisfied with the TRES and they are enjoyable to watch. I know the confusion u are experiencing, Carol. You are being a good landlord. Enjoy your beautiful Blues!
Robbe, West Bend, WI
Robbe, my husband and I have come to love the TRES, too. They let him get very close to the box to take photos & video. They’re very tolerant of us and recognize our cars when we turn onto the street. We love the blues, too, but have come to appreciate all these birds. Your story sounds like mine—I saw bluebirds one spring after we moved here, so I started learning. I’d never lived anywhere with the right habitat before so I was excited. The great news is that with your houses up, you’ll probably have a pair next year, if all goes right (unlike this year’s weather insanity!). We find that the TRES return like clockwork each year to claim their box. This year they were a few days late due to late freezes, but they usually come back a year to the day. I mark it on the calendar! Enjoy!!
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