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Question on bluebird nesting behavior

16 years ago

Hi! I'm in NW GA; bluebird box is visible from my second story home office. Box has been in place for a couple of years; last 2-3 years not utilized as bluebirds opted for another box closer to the woods behind house.

Husband checked box last p.m.; confirmed that fresh nest was inside, but no eggs. This a.m., I see male in tree looking down on box, singing loudly. It looked like mom's head peeking out from the house. He sang as she sat in there. Both have taken off now. Do you think she was laying eggs?

Hope this family is successful; the dad is a really pretty one. Thanks for your help, and bluebird blessings to all.

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Comments (4)

griffin_MD
16 years ago
Egg laying does most often occur in the morning hours. Care should be taken not to monitor the nestbox at this time. Wait until afternoon, possibly at a time when you see the female leave the box, and check the nest. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that eggage has begun for you.
Keep us posted.
Kathy
decormaven
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, Kathy! I think it has, too. I just saw daddy bird at the box- he may have been ferrying something to mom. She does not have her head out as she did this a.m. Daddy bird is keeping monitor from his perch on a nearby tree. I get to see him very well from his perch. He's a beauty- good true colors. Yay!
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We have been blessed to have bluebirds nest in our bluebird house for several seasons now. When I noticed the male and female tending to the box this spring, I took a photo of the nest which showed 5 perfect bluebird eggs (4/29). Two - three days later we noticed that the pair was no longer tending to the nest. The male began to charge at his image in our windows all day every day. The female could be seen at the suet feeder from time to time but not at the bluebird house. A closer check of the house revealed a clump of pinestraw protruding from the entry and so I checked the nest. It appeared that the eggs had been stolen (by raccoons?) and only a small piece of shell was left. The birds were no longer tending to the nest and so I cleaned it out and the pole was greased with cayenne pepper to deter raccoons. Another few days went by and I noticed that the pair was tending to the box again. I waited a few more days and took a photo on 5/10 of the new nest which showed 4 white eggs in it. Ever since then the female bluebird has been diligent in tending the nest, but the male rarely goes to it. I checked the box again today 6/7 and the eggs have not yet hatched. It seems that the hatching is overdue. Are these indeed bluebird eggs? I will avoid removing anything from the nest but I'm just curious about might be going on here. Any advice? The photo from 5/10 is attached.
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lcmoore99
16 years ago
Hi, I too am in NW Georgia. Until yesterday I thought I would not be having a bluebird nest in the nestbox I have had up for years that has a video camera in it.

Yesterday, a titmouse started to bring in materials but I was SHOCKED & VERY HAPPY to see the bluebirds going in and out of the box taking OUT the material. Just a minute ago, the titmouse came into the box and looked around and left. It came back again but so did the blues who took out more of the material.

Last year Mama Blue took 13 days in March to build the nest and then she laid the first egg on April 1st. If that is going to be a repeat (that's a long time to make the nest), we are way behind schedule but it has been a much colder spring than usual.

When it's egg laying time, Mama lays the egg in the morning and usually does not go into the box again that day. She will not sit on the nest for long periods of time (incubation) until all the eggs have been laid. Daddy may go in and check things but if it's egg laying time there, you won't see a lot of activity.

Bluebird blessings Linda...
NW Georgia (Acworth)
decormaven
Original Author
16 years ago
Linda: I think our birds are on same time table. I think the eggs are being laid now- not seeing mom and dad much. Working up courage to peek in box- I love it when I get blues in this box, but they've stayed away a couple of seasons from this particular one.

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