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Looks like 4 is the number. Momma is in and out of the box all day today likely starting to brood. On another note my new slot box in the very back of my yard is being scouted by a different pair of EABL’s!! If I get two with nests at about the same time that will be a first for me. I have had the same pair (assume so) switch back and forth with second nestings but never two pairs at the same time. My boxes are about 100 feet apart. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
Egg #3 today! It was cold and rainy this morning. I went to check at 9:15 making my usual gently clicking sound with my fingers. To my surprise Susie was in the box when I opened it and flew off! I felt bad! However, literally 10 seconds after I closed the box and slinked away, she flew back in. I waited until Noon to check for egg #3. I have never had a female lay so late in the morning. In all the broods I have had over the past 6 years there is an egg by 8 AM. She must be a late riser!! LOL!! Also of interest is Mom and Dad are regular visitors to my fly thru feeder. I use a blend of seed called Farm Fresh Harvest that has chopped cranberries which I suspect they are eating. I also have a Bluebird suet that they regularly feed from as well. I will be buying some live meal worms soon to supplement their diet and help with the fledglings when the time comes. I usually ration about 30 a day for the adults and about 50 day when the babies hatch.
These two are nerve racking!! This morning I checked the box at 8:25. Still only one egg. I was afraid the Spooker had scared them off, although I had seen them all day yesterday. I watched the box and the female went in for about 5 minutes at 8:45. After she came out the pair flew off so I checked the box. Still only one egg. Hmmmmmm….
I grabbed a coffee and went back to the window to watch. Billy was sitting on the fence in front of the box and ominously a male HOSP was lingering around. Billy seemed to be nervous flying between the trees, the neighbors yard and the fence. No sign of Susie but I assumed she was in the box. 20 minutes later she emerged. Billy flew to the box and peeked in and they flew to the back of the yard together. I checked the box – it was 9:25 AM. Low and behold another shiny blue egg for a total of 2 now. Bluebirding is not for the feint of heart!!This happened to me three years ago with my backyard Gilbertson. I believe the female was killed either by predation, a car or the bad storm we had the day before. I left the nest in the box. The male began singing for his mate that day on the electrical wires at the back of our property. This went on for two days. Then he moved to the row of trees on the other side of the street and began his trilling call for what I assume was a new mate. About 8 days later a new female showed up, continued the nest building and hatched a successful brood of 4!! So I would say let it play out over the next few days!! Nature truly is amazing and resourceful.
Thanks Carol! You won’t believe it but within an hour I caught another Male HOSP! TODAY my Blues moved into the Gilbertson. They were back and forth between the slot box and Gilbertson but for the past 3 hours they have been in and out of the Gilbertson. I’m hopeful they will build.
This happened to my neighbor on second brood. She was hit by a car after laying one egg. We waited a week but no luck. I think the pair I got shortly after that were like the Male with a new Mrs.!!
Bluebirds were nesting in the neighbor’s apple tree. There was a small knot about 7 or 8 feet above ground that was cavity and they were nesting in there. I observed them going in and out on a regular basis. I imagine in the day before HOSP and EUST showed up there were a lot of these types of nests!
I have had a slot box and had Blues every year. Usually two broods. I have never had HOWR even put sticks in mine!! However the HOSP’s are an issue and you can’t use the Van Ert on a slot box. Luckily I have become a really good shot with my pellet gun!! LOL!!!
I have also had Blues in my Gilberston’s box but not the past two years. I think there is too much shrubbery around it now so I am going to cut it all back this Fall and hopefully get them in it again. HOSP’s don’t seem to like the Gilbertson’s but I have had Chickadee’s in it which of course is awesome!UPDATES!!
I nailed the Male Sparrow two days ago! The Blues disappeared for a day but this morning they were back. I checked the box and I have AN EGG!!! I put the Spooker up and about 10 minutes later the Female went in and the Male was sitting on the Spooker!!!!
I rarely see the fledglings after they leave. Last year however a Juvy male hung around to help feed the second brood. That was really cool! He hung around for the remainder of the season. So far this year there have been 10 fledglings from the neighbors boxes. I haven’t seen any since they fledged. I think that is common for a lot of species. My DEES had 7 babies and only now, 5 weeks later, am I seeing them at my feeder (along with 4 baby Downy’s!!)
UPDATE:
Well the neighbor to the left of us has an amazing pair of very determined Blues. They are on their 4th nesting. They started a 3rd brood in the lower box but it did not have a baffle and I believe either squirrels or raccoons got into it as the nest was totally disturbed and the eggs were at the bottom. So the pair left this box and went back to their original box and now have 3 eggs close to hatching. The neighbors across the street had 3 of 4 fledge (one died in the box perhaps from blow fly or rain – I was away unfortunately and didn’t get to monitor as closely). So the neighborhood has had 3 successful nestings with 10 out of 12 babies fledging and hopefully another 3 in 2 more weeks. So although I got skunked in my boxes this year (except for 7 DEES) – we will have added 13 new Blueys to the world’s population this summer!! I will count that as a big success!!!
Susan:
TBH I found out completely by accident on the dried cranberries. I bought a bird seed at the local hardware store that has peanuts, black oil, sunflower chips and dried cranberries. I started to notice the Blues coming to the feeder and the only thing I could figure out they were eating was the cranberries! I know they are not seed eaters!She is hiding them in deep bushes or trees for a while until they learn to forage for themselves. She will find plenty of food for them don’t worry. My guess is you won’t see her for a few days or even a week or so. I just saw my pair tonight on the wires in front of our house. My four fledged Monday. Daddy flew into the big maple tree across the way and I heard the babies screaming for their dinner!!
Keep in mind that the worms will die really quick in the heat. They will turn brown in about an hour and momma likes them fresh and alive so just enough for her to gobble up in a short time frame. It may appear she is eating them all but they take them in their mouth and “churn” them around a little to make them easier to feed to the babes.
