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Checked nest box a few minutes ago. I was half expecting to find nest material, but it is a clean as I left it.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
That happened to me with the last nest. I didn’t realize the pair had even started until I noticed the behavior of the birds. I hadn’t seen the female carrying material to the nest box and building a nest. But when I noticed the different behavior I looked and found a completed nest and one egg. That was the beginning of the clutch that just fledged. However, I just cleaned out that nest yesterday. If there is new nest now, they are indeed quick. But I get your point, Tammy.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Yeah. There seems to be something about my backyard, the neighborhood, or that nest box. I started thinking about where the rest of the bluebirds build their nests. We do have a lot of trees, as well as many live oaks in the neighborhood, and there are several live oaks in properties directly around me. A live oak looks to me like prime real estate, if I were a bird.
By the way, I saw a mourning dove grab a beak full of cut grass and fly up into the crepe myrtle. I watched for a while to see if she came back to the ground for more material. I walked over and looked up in the tree. I could see her and she was frozen the way mourning doves will do, looking at me but thinking I couldn’t see her. The crepe myrtle is filled with Spanish moss and she was in the middle of it all. I couldn’t see a nest, but it could be there, hidden. I’ll have to keep an eye out and see if she is really engaged in nesting activities.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
original post deleted
I was seeing if I could post a video using the share feature in OneDrive. I set up sharing for the video file in OneDrive and then tried to use that share link in the IMG feature here. It didn’t work. I don’t know if was because I tried sharing a video (instead of an image) and the forum doesn’t do that, or whether it was the IMG feature here can’t be used with OneDrive in the way I was trying to use it.
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- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Yes. Three more bluebirds in the neighborhood. Being even a very small part of that is satisfying.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
I cleaned out the nest box this morning. Removed empty nest and lightly brushed inside with whisk broom.
The young almost certainly fledged Friday afternoon. I watched the box for a little while when I returned Saturday afternoon. No adults appeared in the backyard, must less visited the box. No young visible at the opening. I wish I could have seen the young leave the nest, but I at least have some short videos of them peering out of the box, and in some cases stick their heads out.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Almost 06:45. Haven’t seen the parents, and in this time they should have appeared at the box if it was still active. Merlin has identified the sounds of bluebirds in the vicinity, but I don’t see them. Also don’t see babies at the box opening. I’ll watch for another 15 minutes or so. I’m thinking the babies fledged.
Lesson: When the young are sticking head and shoulders out of the box, they will likely fledge that day.
Lesson: The young will fledge in the afternoon.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
It is sunup here, about 06:00. I expected the babies to fledge yesterday. If they did, it was in the afternoon, which I think would be unusual. I haven’t seen the parents yet this morning. I have only about an hour to watch before I have to leave until this afternoon.
By the way, after I posted yesterday I looked back through the videos I made during the morning. There is one in which a baby is head and shoulders out of the opening, similar to the case I mentioned above. In this instance the baby withdrew back into the box. It sure looked like he was preparing to leave until he didn’t.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
It’s noon here. The babies haven’t fledged yet—-so far as I’ve observed—- but there have been moments when I was sure they were fledging.
The parents are bringing food and carrying away waste, and they were spending time just perched nearby on the arms of the feeder pole or on the fence.
I have watched babies at the opening peering out. One time lasted over five minutes. They have had their entire head out at times. Once a baby had much of the body out like it was about to launch, but next time I looked after grabbing camera, it was either back in the box or had fledged. But I’ve been continuing to watch and the behavior has continued and none have left so far as I’ve observed.
Now, the appearances at the opening have tapered off. The parents are still coming to the box and peering in or entering and exiting.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Waiting and attempting to watch the nestlings fledge.
I sat on the back porch from early to mid-morning watching the box. Both parents were bringing food to the nestlings and carrying away waste. Sometimes they would arrive at the same time and perch on the arms of the feeder pole, then one, usually the male, would go to the box first, then the other. This went on for a couple hours.
When the feeding stopped and the parents were not staying perched nearby watching over the young, I decided the nestlings probably were not going to fledge today. Tomorrow I’ll take another look.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
By the way, when I first started paying attention to the bluebirds and the nest box, I observed the female would land ot the nest box entrance and then go in. Later, I noticed she was going straight in, appearing to fly right to and through the hole. This is the way I remember it for the first nest.
Now, with the second nest, I noticed the female always flying straight to and into the hole without pausing, from the beginning, and continuing until the other day. Now, with the nestlings close to fledging, she is again landing on the outside of the box at the hole pausing before going in. It has been like this for the past two or three days. Maybe the female did this during the first nest and I didn’t notice the change.
I’m wondering if this is because of the age or size of the nestlings now, or if it is somehow part of preparing the nestlings to fledge soon.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Haven’t had anything of note to post lately. Tomorrow is the date when I stop opening the nest box. Not visiting the nest box today because of the weather. Can see parents carrying food to the young. Every thing proceeding as it should. I’m going to try and get video of at least one of the babies leaving the nest box when they fledge.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
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