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Mine are going in and out of my boxes too. They could be scoping them out for next season but are probably just curious.
Tammy
We all know one main reason of the decline here. ;)
I’ve heard this about HOSP the past few years. That’s wonderful.
Yes Pairing Boxes works great for bluebirds and tree swallows and even purple martin colonies.Tammy
I can’t remember, do you have a camera in the box so you know for sure what’s happening. You’ve seen her rotating the eggs.
If you don’t have a camera do you check a couple of times a week? I’m asking that because of it were me (without a camera) I would be afraid that perhaps a new female laid eggs and I missed it somehow.
That’s very unusual for them to incubate 22 days past the normal time. They usually abandon the nest. As you know.
I agree with your evaluation. The idea of her starting a new nest now are probably slim anyway. But if there’s not even a sliver of a doubt that these are old eggs you can remove them. How about candling them? I’ve never done it but I’ve heard it’s easy.Tammy
Bummer! Were they in there when you attached the wire mesh to the front? They are so vulnerable to all types of critters. Raccoons, squirrels, mice, snakes, cats. I think the wire mesh was a decent idea. It couldn’t have hurt anything. I don’t think they are very helpful normally but in this situation it was worth a try!! Sorry, that they didn’t make it.
Tammy
I think you can find the larger floor boxes (5×5) now online but you can also make them if you’re handy. I can give you a link if you are. I’m not handy and my husband doesn’t have the tools to make boxes so…I have to buy them.
Tammy
It’s hard to know why it died. It just happens sometimes. But yes, it’s better to have a 5×5 floor instead. But, I have some Gilwood boxes that have smaller floors and my bluebirds do great in it. So the floor space probably isn’t really the reasoning behind your dead bluebird baby. There could have been several other things that were the culprit.
I have a few boxes on a walking trail that were made by someone else and his floor is larger that 5×5 and it’s a little hard for the bluebird to build a nest in it because it takes so much effort to fill it up.
As you get into this hobby you might want to start monitoring your nestboxes. Check them when you think they might be building so when the first egg is laid you’ll know. Keep records of when the first egg is laid and also when she’s done laying and then you’ll know when they should hatch and then after that when they should fledge. Opening the box and checking doesn’t discourage the parents or harm the babies as long as you don’t open it after the babies are 12 days old because they could fledge prematurely. You’ll love this part of being a bluebird landlord if you aren’t doing it already. So much fun to see the babies!! And it also keeps you aware of any problems.Tammy
My guess is just what you said. The parent or parents are feeding them you just aren’t seeing it.
I do the same….try to just assume the best and not think about what could be happening. It helps emotionally to do that. I would be a basket case if I didn’t do that!Tammy
@Ilovebluebirds. Is there a reason you do not open your boxes? Monitoring your boxes really is important and helpful. It really helps you notice any problems that are going on, instead of guessing.
Hawks really can be an issue. The only thing I know to do is to stop filling bird feeders for awhile (if you have bird feeders.) And that only helps temporarily.Tammy
How old are your babies that are still in the nest? Could it be babies from that nest that have fledged but there are still a couple of babies left? It’s not normal for babies from a different nesting couple to show up because bluebirds are so very territorial. I’m not sure how they even got to this area.
They beg for food ALL the time even if they have just eaten when they have fledged. I’m guessing that is what you are seeing. They follow the parents around and beg continuously.
If there’s something else going on, there’s not much you can do. You could put out mealworms but that age of bluebirds will beg for food when mealworms are right in front of them.
I’m hoping that what you are assuming is happening isn’t really the case. Sorry. I know that doesn’t help much.Tammy
I’ve never seen this idea but it makes sense. It used plastic sheeting. https://nestwatch.org/blog/how-to-protect-tree-mounted-nest-boxes-from-snakes/
Tammy
The only thing you can do is put a predator guard around the tree using some sort of aluminum/metal that you wrap around the tree. It’s been done before, I’m just not sure exactly what people have used. I’ll look it up.
Oh, I just thought of another solution and that is to put up a pole about 5 ft away from that tree where nothing can drop down on it. Put it right in front of where the house was on the tree and maybe at the same height. You would have to wait there and see if the bluebirds accepted it but I’m really almost positive they would.
Otherwise you’re just going to have to let it be and hope for the best. Predation is very likely but there are people that have boxes on trees that have successfulness nestings so it may work.Tammy
Did you say you got a trap? What kind did you get? The repeating trap? If you did you’ll need to really brush up on your birds because house sparrow is the only “Bad” bird. The other native sparrows are not an issue and need to be protected.
Tammy
Another thing you might want to buy is a Van Ert trap. In case House Sparrows try to take over. https://vanerttraps.com/shop (First one)
You can wait but if you need it you need it!!Tammy
