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Dibby, Carol is right about the parents taking the young fledglings away from the nest for “training in the real world.” That said, if you are located in an area that does not have much natural wooded area within a reasonable fledgling flying distance, they might stay in the area until they are strong enough to make a longer flight. Like she said – “they don’t read the books, especially the rules.”
David
Stafford, VAHappy day. Congratulations Randy. I have never had so much fun waiting for a group of birds to fledge as I have waiting (and reading) about yours.
David
Stafford, VALisa- like Carol said “They don’t read (or follow) the rules.” I found a full nest in my nestbox, perfect cup et.al., ready for the next eggs. I believe that the female will start laying tomorrow. It has been 11 days since the first group fledged, so this is about right (according to Carol’s Program).
David
Stafford, VARandy this brood was 17 – exactly as predicted on the Cornell U spreadsheet. All of my fledging for the past 10 years have been 16-17 days mostly 17.
David
Stafford, VAAgree with all above. The fun part of having these bluebirds is to ensure their welfare as they progress from egg to fledgling. Day 12-13 following the hatch should be your cutoff for actually “peeking in” on them to prevent accidental early fledging.
Let us know when your pair start their next nest.
David
Stafford, VAThis is normal. The male is around but does not have a job to do during incubation – unless he brings a grub or bug for the female. He will get busy helping with feeding after the hatch.
David
Stafford, VAFirst off, Congratulations on the hatch and the new bluebirds. The bluebirds can generally take care of their young without any outside help. While we do try to pamper the little creatures as though they were our children, Nature has provided the blues and all other birds with the instincts and abilities to provide for themselves. You can try to introduce mealworms to them now, but don’t be surprised if they ignore the offering. I tried for 3 years to get them to take the mealworms from a variety of feeders but gave up as they did fine finding grubs, larva, and insects in the trees, woods, and fields around my neighborhood. If you do try, use a feeder such as advertised on the homepage here, or one where they can feed without interference from other birds. The worm container should be smooth sided to prevent the mealworms from escaping the feeder. Depending on where you are located, it may be too late to order the worms online due to the heat. You might find small quantities available at pet shops or possible live bait stores
Good luck in your new adventure
David
Stafford, VABlues may lay 4 or 5 eggs. It depends on the female. I have had 1 season of 4, 4, and the 5 eggs and 3 years ago it was a 5, 5, and 4 season. The white spot is probably fecal matter.
David
Stafford, VABrad the spooker should work well. A little breeze will keep the Mylar strips moving andbe a distraction for the HOSP and possible the wrens.
Incubation begins at the discretion of the female bird. She may not actually start incubating until the evening after she has laid the last egg. She may or may not stay in the nestbox depending on the temperature of the eggs. When it is cool, such as Spring evenings like we are having now (high 30s to 40 degrees) she will stay if not disturbed. As the eggs warm and as the days get hotter she will be in the box less frequently. She is the one that decides when she needs to be there.
Enjoy the trip
David
Stafford, VADefinitely sounds like a wren- probably a house wren. The only thing you can do if you want to keep that wren out is to clear the nest and leave the box open for a few days. If you see your bluebirds again, close the box and watch for activity.
David
Stafford, VA
