Is this weird or typical…….

[blue diamonds]

Hello All……I know you say bluebirds do not follow a rule book. Tree swallows have been building a nest in one of the paired boxes for a week plus. It looked complete including white feathers, I’ve been expecting the first egg anyday now. Yesterday they were out there all day even though it rained. Well…..this morning they are nowhere around, but papa and mama bluebird are going in and out with nesting materials like it’s always been their nest. Seems very strange to me, anyone else experienced this before?

Good news….I have bluebirds building a nest in one of the front paired boxes the other is vacant. Hope to see the 1st egg soon. Plus the bluebirds taking over the back paired box with the other box vacant. Seeing many many Baltimore Orioles this season stopping by for grape jelly. Yesterday I was surprised by an indigo blue bunting….3rd seen EVER! Yay!

Judy-Michigan

[dogsandbirds]

EABL will definitely take over anybody’s completed nest if they want the location. They will even remove the eggs of another species if they want the box. No telling what will happen when the TRES return.

I love that you saw the bunting!

Gin
Atlanta, GA

[BrendaV]

I have had my bluebirds take over the TRES nest once too, so yes the blues certainly could kick the TRES out if they really want the box.

In my case it was a late TRES nest with eggs only days away from hatching. The blues had finished their first brood and just could not re-use their old box…not any of the three OTHER boxes on the property…nope, had to use the paired one with the TRES nest. *shakes head*
If the TRES did not have eggs maybe, just maybe they will move to the paired box?

[blue diamonds]

Still do not know who will be the winner of this box. Some days the TRES are there all day and the next day the Bluebirds are there all day. They seem to be rotating days. Our weather has been unseasonably cool here with rain most days. Guess time will tell, I’m hoping they both use a box and help each other keep the predators away.

Judy-Michigan

[Countrygirl]

Following this thread and excited to see what happens!

[tamsea]

I just had the opposite. Two weeks ago I found a box way back on my property that had 3 or 4 EABL eggs. Looked yesterday and the EABL eggs are nowhere and in it’s place are two TRES eggs. I’ll look at the end and see if there are EABL eggs in the bottom of the nesting material. They were cold when I touched them so maybe something happened to the EABL parents.

Tammy

[Chris]

Thanks for reiterating that point Tammy. Tres WILL evict eabl. At the very least they annoy and harass eabl.
I realize many on this forum are all for tres. But I thought this is a BLUERBIRD forum!!
For the above reasons I have a zero tolerance policy for tres. I have witnessed helplessly droves of tres gang up and dive bomb eabl trying to defend its box, even when there where other empty boxes available. This was a by product of letting them nest in years past. This year no tres allowed. And behold- a record amount of eabl nesting, 4 pairs.

Chris
Rochester, NY

N

[dogsandbirds]

All I know is, ANYBODY will evict ANYBODY they can if they want a box. EABL will evict also. They will also kill eggs if they want a box.

True, this is a bluebird forum but questions/comments/problems about any bird species are welcome.

My zero tolerance policy is directed at HOWR. Continuously. Forever.

Gin
Atlanta, GA

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