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Bob your houses sound good and should attract the bluebirds. I do agree that the west facing one should be turned to the SE if possible. How close are the nestboxes to trees or shrubs that might be protected resting spots for the young as they fledge? 50 – 60 ft would be good. Not too close for predators to jump to the nestbox and a protected spot where the parent birds can keep an eye on the box while they are off the nest.
David
Stafford, VACongratulations on your “bird house forest”. It is so good to see someone having this kind of success.
David
Stafford, VAI’m with Nicole. I saw 3 of the fleglings about a week after they fledged but they have not beem back to the box since. I have seen at least 1 of them on a power line across the street in the morning and another flying from tree to tree in the back yard but none near the nestbox.
David
Stafford, VASounds like she is on the way to a hatching about June 20th. Be careful not to shake the box when you put up the heat shield. Good luck
David
Stafford, VAAs the others have said, it is very hard to deal with nature in the wild. I agree that the initial pierced eggs sound like a House Wren I had that experience twice last year and saw it once. The second egg removal sounds like the new male might have done it. I also had that happen last year after the male lost his first female. I never saw them removing the 4 eggs but they were gone and she started laying a new brood. That was the one the wren got. I took the box down, cleaned it out and put it aside until this spring. I didn’t have this forum and the information about the wren guard last year that I could have used to keep the box up.
David
Stafford, VAIt just depends on the female and when she is ready to lay the eggs. I have ad them go from 5 days to 5 weeks. This year They built the second nest about 20 days after the first birds fledged but she didn’t lay the first egg of the second clutch until day 22. She only laid 4 eggs and is incubating them now.
Last year they built a second nest after about 3 weeks but never laid another egg. They did have nestbox competition and may have gone elsewhere for the second family.BTW you are doing pretty good without a tripod. I may have to look at another lens. That 250 looks pretty good It looks a bit sharper than my 200.
DavidDavid
Stafford, VAScot – you will enjoy using the zoom lens. You can get close without having to spook the birds. There are instructions for posting photos in the Sticky thread titled “Posting Tips for The New Bluebird Nut Cafe.” I do crop the photos about 60% prior to posting. It is not that hard to do. I look forward to seeing your work.
Bob- The training process is fun to watch if you get the opportunity. The little ones mimic the parent but then sit and wait with an open beak to be fed.
David
Stafford, VARick – that was my thought too. I am going to try to get photos as they mature if they keep coming around.
Nicole – I hope that your young ones will come back. Maybe mama bird can coax them back when she can get off the nest after the hatch.
David
David
Stafford, VAWell, I stand corrected on my last post. It is not necessary to have been trained to a mealworm feeder. Here are 2 of the young from may last fledge in May back on the shepherds hook in the yard waiting on mama bird who is in the nestbox laying a 3rd egg in the second clutch.
David
Stafford, VASorry to hear the troubles with the nests. There seems to be a lot of that happening around the forum. But your seeing that beginning of the robin hatch is just great. I have not had that opportunity.
It sounds like it cheered you up a bit. Congratulations.David
David
Stafford, VAA couple of photos this morning of the young with papa bird. Mama bird is in the nestbox.
David
Stafford, VA
