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That’s very frustrating. But it was a dead bluebird that first drew me to becoming the Bluebird Nut I am today. Don’t give up. You might be able to get the little devil using a VanErt trap in the box, and just hanging out for a little while near the box – parked in your car or something. Disposing of the culprit would be the best thing you could do for that poor dead mama bird.
Central NY
TMB StudiosFood and water, plus a place to get out of the sun if the trap is outdoors, should keep them alive for several days. My issue with keeping more than one or two in the trap, even with food and water, is that they start to peck each other to death. Nasty little birds!
Central NY
TMB StudiosActually, the arbor fell over a couple of weeks ago in a windstorm. That’s the second time this year. The first time, the top two tiers of the fountain were blown over, and the birdbath overturned, too. The arbor is even staked into the ground. Time for longer stakes, I guess.
Central NY
TMB StudiosThey need to learn to follow
Central NY
TMB Studios That really stinks, Renee. Maybe they’ll come back for their second round. Of course, I don’t have anything here yet, either, but then we just had 6″ of snow over the weekend!
Central NY
TMB StudiosI agree with Gin – from the Sialis website:
Experimentation: When conducting experiments, we must make our best efforts, based on available information and good judgement, to first do no harm.
For example, somebody tried putting Plexiglas roofs on a nestbox, in an attempt to deter House Sparrows. The heat cooked the eggs. There is no need to repeat an experiment like that. This is why I encourage people to report not just on successful experiments, but also on failed ones, despite how embarrassing that may be.
Central NY
TMB StudiosNo, not yet – it’s just house-hunting at this point. I’m sure they’ll be back, though.
Central NY
TMB StudiosOooooooh! BHNU! They are so cute – my daughter calls them “duck birds” because of the sound they make! LOL They are highly desirable tenants to have! Congratulations!
Central NY
TMB StudiosThere can be interruptions in incubation – if you suspect that at all, then I agree with Gin. Wait.
Central NY
TMB StudiosYou could try re-introducing the spooker slowly and give him some time to get used to it. As long as SHE is going into the box, that’s the important thing. I don’t know what others might say, but that’s probably what I would do, especially if you know there are HOSP in the area.
Central NY
TMB StudiosSometimes the males aren’t as attentive during the incubation phase as they are during the courting & nestbuilding stages, but then step up to the plate again once the eggs hatch. Mom CAN care for those babies herself, but if the male is acting more like a “Baby Daddy” than a real father, then you could help her out by feeding mealworms. She’ll appreciate it.
Central NY
TMB StudiosWe love this chart – That being said, 18 days of actual incubation would be pretty long. This mama bird may be as confused as you are as to why these eggs aren’t hatching. You could try candling one of the eggs if they don’t hatch soon – then you’d know whether to remove them and let this pair get on with attempting another nesting or not. There’s an old post on the archives about egg candling.
Central NY
TMB StudiosCarol, I do firmly believe in doing all we can to protect our blues from aggressive competitors that may harm them or their babies. But when it comes to favoring one native songbird over another – either within a species, or of a different species (with the possible exception of HOWR, who are very destructive) – I tend to let the birds sort it out themselves. I usually have at least a couple pair of TRES and one Bluebird pair, and sometimes a BCCH pair all vying for my four nestboxes every year – I call it the “Nestbox Wars”. Eventually everybody settles down and finds their own place without any tragedies (although NOT without quite a bit of drama!) It’s the HOSP and the HOWR that really get on my nerves. HOSP are easier to deal with. HOWR take uber-vigilance and clearing the nestbox of sticks used in their dummy nests (sometimes multiple times in a day). It can be exhausting!
Central NY
TMB StudiosWhen using bleach to sanitize the inside of a nestbox, be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse!
The birds have a way of sorting these things out amongst themselves. We can’t control everything, all we can do is provide the safest housing and environment possible, with protection against predators, and let the birds figure out the rest.
Central NY
TMB Studios
