Oh Kenn, you cannot imagine how much these pictures made me smile. Thanks so much for sharing them. They are exquisite!!! I ADORE the blues!!!! The family is just beautiful.

These pictures are wonderful, as always. Thanks so much for posting them. Can you tell me how you tell the difference between the parents and their offspring? Is it a dominance thing, or is there a physical characteristic that I'm missing?

Hi all,

Again a long time passes since our last post. But we'd like to share a few current photos now to let everyone see our Family Blue as of today. :)

Mr.B (Father) :

Missy (Mother) :

Together:

The five fledglings of their 1st nest (2010-1) :

The six fledglings of their 2nd nest (2010-2) :

They have a 11 babies so far this season (exactly as they did at this time last year). And Missy is incubating 5 blue eggs in her 3rd nest as I type this. We couldn't have hoped for a better nesting season...

Please wish us and them continued success.

Kenn & Temple

ps to kendra - Sorry I didn't answer before now...
Missy and Mr.B have been here continuously (every day) since 2007. We know them by sight, sound, and behavior just as you would know kept indoor birds. We get to know and recognize the individual fledges over the course of the season as many of them stay until Fall and a few over-Winter here with their parents. But we don't usually name them until the last few finally depart in early Spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bluebird Gallery

Oh my gosh! I just LOVE your pictures! How awesome. I would give anything to have a bluebird family at my birdbath or feeder. I am still feeding them, but it appears they have made a "dummy" nest in my nesting box (after the coon or cat got their babies last week). I see the male perching on top and hanging on the front of the nesting box. There is a nest in it, but no eggs. I check it every day.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with a dummy nest?

A dummy nest...perhaps that is what I have! This has been a very disappointing bluebird season for me. Last year I had two broods, but the last one didn't do well. This spring, a pair arrived, and appeared to be doing the "build a nest" dance, but when I checked, no nest was built. So I've been checking every day or so, and now there's a nest, but no eggs! The top of the nest doesn't even have that depression that mom makes when laying on the nest. It's a dense nest, looks like a bluebird nest, but no sight of the birds at all. It's been over a week since I first saw the nest. Never heard of a dummy nest before. Does this sound like what you're dealing with, mlkbskt??
Joan

mlkbskt and ladycats,

We've heard of this... a female building 2 nests, then choosing. Not sure it's a dummy nest per se, but you might likely find her in another box or cavity nearby. Many pairs will defend (if not build in) more than one nestbox within the area they claim as their territory.
Best luck to you both.

And a quick update on Missy's 3rd nest of the season:
Little bugs started coming in yesterday morning, and the hatching day evening nest check revealed 2 sweet gaping chicks, and 3 as yet un-hatched eggs.
Both parents are making tiny bug runs regularly this morning as so we are hopeful that the brood will soon be 5 sweet gaping chicks. :)

And here's a recent family shot, of both parents and the 2nd-nesters having dinner:

happy birding all,

Kenn

Here is a link that might be useful: Bluebird Slideshow

I continue to look EVERY day because a male keeps perching and then hanging on the front of the box. I do think they MAY be the pair in my neighbor's nesing box ... the one that I was monitoring because they were out of town. It was empty when they left. They returned yesterday to learn there is a nest with five eggs in it, and we also installed a baffle and sparrow spooker for them. :)

Why would the male blue KEEP hanging on the front of my nesting box if there isn't a reason? Could it be that the female from his 1st nesting was also killed by the coon and he's trying to lure another female? But if that's the case, what female built this partial nest that I have? I am so new to this and am just searching for answers.

Hi mlkbskt,

It's very normal for our pair to visit and defend the only other nestbox within sight of the one they nest in here. At least for some periods thruout the nesting season they do visit, look in, and even go in both "their" boxes every day. Once they have nestlings this activity dwindles greatly, but they still consider the other box theirs.

And another quick update:
We have 5 new 3-day old nestlings in the 3rd nest now. All the babies look fine and are being well fed by both parents.
{{!gwi}}

Happy birding all,

Kenn

Here is a link that might be useful: Nuggets

Hey Kenn , those are awesome pictures of Blue Bird family you shared here. I enjoy a lot by seeing those birds with their family. I like the way you introduced them with us.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kerala Tourist Places