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Carol…..how exciting! Congratulations. I would love to see all the fledglings hanging out eating worms. Do you feed dried mealworms or fresh? I have a feeder with dried mealworms, but I don’t see them eating them. Guess they like to catch their own fresh bugs.
Judy-Michigan
Renee…..sorry about the pesky house wren ruining your nest! I had them destroy 5 bluebird eggs, two days before they were due to hatch. I had a wren guard up. Here in Michigan they show up the same time as the bluebirds and are here until fall. Each morning I can hear them singing from all directions in my yard……..grrrr. Our neighborhood is not the typical wren habitat, yet they are everywhere!
Judy-Michigan
David……so, you were able to view the photo? I thought it didn’t work so I erased the link. Anyhow I was shocked with the pink eggs.
Judy-Michigan
I tried to post a photo using google photo……..sorry it didn’t work. Update…… had 3 eggs laid, checked on day 4. In the nest were 2 eggs and I found 2 eggs on the ground. The Blues didn’t give up. On day five they laid one more egg, making a total of 3 eggs. The egg removal was the work of the nasty wren. I have the wren guard up and a sparrow spooker. Since this has happened the blues are watching their nest much more closely. They also have the help of the Tres in the other paired box 15’ away. I hope they are able to keep the wren out of the boxes. Today was the 1st day of brooding.
As of today I have 3 bluebird eggs, all pink. They have accepted the wren guard and a HOSP spooker too. Wrens ruined the 1st nest of 5 blue BB eggs in my front paired box. This is a different pair because the eggs are pink. They are also in a paired set of boxes. The other box has TRES in it. The TRES are ahead of the BB by a week to 10 day. I’m hoping for a successful nest this time. I have read the TRES and BB will help protect each other’s nests. Is there a way to post photos of the eggs?
Thanks,
Judy-MichiganTammy…..my wren guard had sides. Mama blue had no issues with it. I think the new nesters in the back box are a different pair. The nest is much messier. Sure hope it works out. Really enjoying seeing the bluebirds around the yard……so beautiful.
Thanks to everyone,
Judy-MichiganWe have 4 acres of groomed lawn and trees……I can hear the wrens all over the yard. So they are out of their typical type of choice area. Bluebirds are building in the back yard paired box next to a pair of tres, I sure hope this works. I don’t know if it’s the same pair or different.
Mr. Bluebird was still sitting around the front box this morning where the 3 of 5 eggs were ruined by the wren. I looked in the box and the 2 eggs were still in there. Checked this afternoon the 2 remaining eggs were gone. Nest was totally empty. I removed the wren guard, but I left the nest. My new question is…….should I leave the nest in the box or take it out? The nest is clean and in really nice shape, if I take it out I will save it for emergencies.
Gin, thanks for your help……I hope your second nest is successful!!! I hate to hear the wrens, I know they are super sneaky and trouble for the blues.
Thanks to everyone, I love this forum, its very helpful.
Judy-MichiganThank you Carol……I was very sad and disappointed…….I will keep watching the box. Mr. Bluebird was still sitting on the paired box after I had found only 2 eggs.
The good news is that I’ve had a lot of bluebird action at my other set of paired boxes today. First I saw 2 males and 1 female together. Later in the day I saw 2 females and 1 male together. I thought it was strange……could it be early nesters with their young?
Judy-Michigan
Carol, I couldn’t view your photo, but I understand the idea. Things are going very well so far. They have 5 eggs that should hatch around the 12th. Super excited.
Thank you all for your help.
Judy-MichiganThanks Gin. Today there is a third egg. The last couple days it has been super hot here. Temps in the low 90’s, is that too hot for eggs? The box gets full sun most of the day. Do I need to think about how the shade it?
Judy-MichiganYay!!! I got the 1st bluebird egg in my box. So, up went the wren guard, with sides. I gave them 4” clearance between the guard and entrance slot. So far so good……today was the 2nd egg. I’m still afraid of the HOSP. I do have a spooker to put up, but if the wren guard doubles as a spooker……guess I’ll just keep watch. The guard should be removed seven days after hatching? That’s when I should put up the sparrow spooker? Thank you all for your help, there is so much to learn about bluebirding that I never knew. It is a labor of love and rewarding.
Judy-MichiganThank you Carol. This is my second year for trying, so I’m still new at this. Last year I had a BB nest with two eggs that something destroyed. They didn’t return. This could be a new pair or last years. I never knew it was so hard to have successful bluebird nests. I do have two sets of bluebird boxes, two in front of my house and two in the back yard. Yesterday they were trying for a front box. This morning they are trying for a back box. Let’s hope they get an egg soon so I can get a spooker and wren guard up. Can I put them up at the same time?
Thanks Judy-Michigan
