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Gami Pami – the only thing I can think of is that she did not begin incubating immediately, but even if it was 2 or 3 days after the last egg (unusual) this would still put them way late for hatching. Are you real sure about the last egg date? I know sometimes I write in my notes something wrong and then catch it later on. I believe It is a little unusual for papa to be going in & out when she is supposed to be incubating – maybe he senses there is something wrong. Sure hope your dates are wrong. Only thing you can do is wait a while longer.
Pami, do you have a heat shield on your box? That real hot spell we had here in Missouri around June 23-25 was brutal. We were going to Branson for a few days and I had a nest but no eggs and went ahead & put on the shield, which is not normal, because the forecast was upper 90’s for several days. When I got home she had laid 2 eggs, so I was glad I went ahead and put it on.
Sure hope everything is okay there – keep us informed.
Need to think about having a baby get foot caught & can’t get food from parents or fledge. I had to move eggs one time because of a very wet/nasty nest and I WAS very nervous, but everything went smoothly & they hatched okay. Just have to be very careful & gentle. There is probably specific instructions on the http://www.sialis.org website. Whatever you decide, good luck!
Sue, sounds like she is managing even with her injured leg. I would keep offering the worms, if she is used to them, but I am confused. Where is the “feeder” for these worms – your post sounds like it is ON the box. Did you do that because of her injury? That is usually something we should not do because it could draw other predators & other birds. I bet the male is around and helping her – we just sometimes do not see it. My mama is incubating the 2nd batch of eggs now, and I do not see papa very much – but he does bring her food sometimes, along with coming to my mealworm bowl two times a day (bowl is about 60-75′ away from box). Sure hope your papa is there, but sounds like she might be okay with only 2 babies. Bluebirds do “find & drop” for their feed, versus some that walk & hunt on the ground. Maybe she can hop on that one leg. I don’t know what else you can do but offer the worms (I’ve never fed dried worms so don’t know if they feed them to babies or not). Good luck!
Tammy & Gin & PhillyBlues – I was about to ask about that wire on the bottom of the box, and in zooming in it looks like to me that there was some grass on the bottom and the wire is over that. Guess my question is, is that wire built into the box or was it added after the nest was started? I, too, believe it would be possible for a baby to get its legs in this wire. Congratulations on this new nesting!
Amen to what David said. However, I know her situation and it is a very touchy situation, even when trying to tell your next door neighbor this! I don’t remember where you live, Rich, but you really need to inform people about HOSP dangers. I have gone slow with a couple of people whom I know well and have actually got two people started trapping HOSP. Since I give presentations on BBs, I definitely do bring this information forward, so I’m hoping a lot more people get the idea of not letting them nest at the least, and trying to decline their population is the right way to go.
BZ, Gin reminded us of a good point about bright light on/in babies’ eyes. It has also been mentioned that it is best not to use a flash camera on young babies – Gin, is this before their eyes are open or after?
Anyway, congrats BZ on your successful 2nd fledging here in Missouri. My pair only have 3 eggs in their 2nd nest right now (had another 5 eggs in mid-May but mama left & eggs were not incubated, thus no good). First fledglings are here eating mostly on their own now – parents will probably kick them out after this 2nd brood are born or fledged.Well, to update about putting on heat shield prior to eggs. As I mentioned, we left for a few days and the temps were forecast for the mid 90’s, with heat index above 100 degrees. I did put on heat shield (complete nest was built) and when I got home found two blue eggs and hoping for another one this morning (Sunday). But remember, this was for a pair of blues which had just successfully fledged 5 babies from this same box which had spooker, wren guard & heat shield all on, so they were familiar. Not sure I would do this with newbies.
Yeah, what is with those swallows? Last year (my 3rd year with them) all 6 hatched and about 3 days before fledging I found them all dead – no signs of trauma. But when I cleaned out box it was just FULL of mites, which proceeded to get all over us when we were cleaning. UGH! I’m assuming this was the problem since they all died at same time – but it could have been extreme heat, also. I did have heat shield on the box, but it was a Gilwood box, which I really believe to be too small for 6 babies!!
Sorry, Cher, you have definitely had a bad year – those “missing” eggs are a real brain-teaser. I’m sure you had baffles on those boxes (snake)? My year started off to a bad, with the blues being VERY late building 1st nest, laying 5 eggs, and then something happening to mama about 2-3 days into incubation & she was gone. The 2nd nest (new mama) fledged all 5 about 2 weeks ago, and they have all returned to eat me out of house & home (worms). They have new nest but no eggs yet. Hang in there, Cher – we need everyone’s help (even though it sometimes drives us crazy).
Gin & David – A HUGE THANKS! It is done – hope I see an egg tomorrow morning before we leave on Thursday – If, so I will put up the wren guard 1st, as there is a pesky one around, but it has its eye on a different box & filling it with sticks right now.
Sounds more like a house wren to me – have you seen or heard a wren around? I have watched house wrens go in & out with their twigs & sometimes they (twigs) are so long they cannot get them in the hole without going in at an angle. Have never seen (or heard) about HOSP bringing in twigs – only junk, feathers, & coarse grass & weeds. BUT different areas may be different?? Here is a link from the Sialis website showing a dummy wren nest. http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm
Rich, glad you got it moved safely. For future reference, a female will usually lay her eggs in the morning sometime, but we always wait until noon or 1 p.m. to check. 10:00 a.m. would be a little early to see if an egg was laid. Sometimes, they are just later than others. You would not want to open the box if she were in the middle of laying her daily egg, as she would probably fly out and drop the egg. Something to think about & remember. (as if we don’t have enough to remember!)
Yes, move it before incubation begins – you will need to be very careful about not damaging the eggs when you put the pole in the ground. What are everyone’s thoughts on the best way to do this – leave nest & eggs alone in the box or take them out while the pole is being set? I have never done this, so I really don’t know what is best – just that those eggs are strong, but could be damaged by tamping the pole into the ground. Just thought of something – do you have another pole which you could put into a new location and then just attach the box with the eggs to that pole, thus relieving some possibility of bumping the eggs during the tamping of the first pole? Just a thought.
Good point, David, about having the necessary “landing spot” for fledging babies. Tree or shrub or something not too far away from nest is needed – 50-60 feet is good. And Rich, facing boxes away from prevailing winds will definitely depend on your geographic location. Here in the mid-West we get cold North winds during the first nesting season (March-May), so we would never turn the box facing directly north, at least the first nesting – but it might work in a different locale. And I believe angling it two different directions is good, also.
