What kind of birds are nesting in your box? Tree swallow eggs are white. Is there a predator guard on the pole? If no predator could get it, House sparrows could be at fault here.

I've read that sometimes bluebirds eggs can be white. When I look in the nest they appeared white, but yesterday I slid my cellphone above the nest and they are definitely a very pale blue, and the egg my daughter found was definitely white. My predator guard was falling apart and needs to be replaced, and will be. However, what would take two eggs and not all? I did not see the parents for awhile, so I marked the eggs. Within an hour they were all turned, so they were there but I didn't see them. Today I saw them both, actively going in and out of the nest. I have never seen a HOSP here in 2 years. I know very well what they are, and despise them like everyone else, and they are not here. I have seen some about a mile away at a horse farm, in small numbers. It's very rural, and maybe something about the horse farm has the low numbers occupied. I don't know, but I am a stay at home mom, and I've never seen even one in my yard. We do have starlings, but they also are very uninterested in the bluebird house. They seem to be happy with all of the bugs and worms, and I usually only see them in the spring. Then they are gone. What would take two eggs and not all??
Thanks, Christy

You seem to have an unusual case. Nature can be quite complicated sometimes. House wrens can remove eggs too. Even another female EABL could've stopped by and removed two. It's also possible the mother thought the eggs weren't viable and took them out. I don't think we will ever know unless you see it happen again with the remaining three eggs. Just because HOSP are a mile away doesn't mean they can't pay you a visit.

Since you're down in zone 8, I wonder if it could be House Wrens? Have you heard them yet? Sometimes the holes they poke in the eggs are not easy to see. If it is House Wrens, they'll be back to toss the eggs yet again. My guess on why they didn't toss them all is probably because they got caught in act by the owner of the nest. I've seen it happen here. Once the owner of the nest (in my case Tree Swallows) caught the HOWR near their nest, they took the little fellow to the ground.

The three eggs are still there, and mom and dad have been busy at work. They're eating up the dried mealworms, too. I haven't seen any house wrens, but I'm not great at picking them out, either. I just went to my Sibley book, and it says that they are at edges of woods and overgrown gardens, we really don't fit that bill. No woods, and not much of a garden. This neighborhood was corn fields until 2006 and they scraped off all of the good soil and left the clay. Two neighborhoods side by side, same outcome. Any trees here are under 7 years old. I've put in bushes in the last 2 years, all are still quite small. I do have a carolina wren that nests every year in the propane tank, about 15 feet from the bluebird feeder. I've left that nest alone, but found it on the ground after the propane guy came about a month ago. I don't know if the wren will rebuild or not, I hope so. That's a funny bird, when we sit on the back porch it'll jump around the porch just out of eyesight and peek over to look at us as it goes around. Like it thinks we don't see it!! Would a carolina wren disturb it? My daughter just started taking lessons at that horse farm, I was actually shocked when I heard and then saw those HOSP. They were only there that one time, but they were there. We are quite rural, and close to the bay with a lot of swamp around. I never feed birdseed beyond the winter time and it is always BOSS or safflower seeds, never millet and that filler crap that those HOSP seem to love. I really hope I never see one of those here!! I have a killdeer nesting somewhere way in the backyard, I haven't gotten too close, I got a warning last time I walked back there, and my purple martins are back, too :) Each of the plots in the neighborhood are an acre, and it is only about 40% built, the builders left after the market crashed. The empty plots are regularly mowed, lots of empty fields around here.

Christy

Carolina Wrens are as sweet as can be and would not disturb the Blues nest. I love having them nest around here. House Wrens do not always follow the rules. Last year they kept trying to nest in the most open space in my yard, in the Purple Martin house no less. Often times you will hear them (loud like most wrens) before you see them. They can be quite sneaky. Try listening to the sound they make on a birding site and see if you can identify it. They are quite cute, but very nasty to other birds. A few years ago I heard a House Wren before seeing one, and I rushed outside. They had destroyed a Black-capped Chickadee nest in no time.
You are lucky to have the Killdeer nesting there. I love those birds. I'm always amazed at how well they do with their nest on the ground. I've never had them here, but see them at the conservation area all the time.

Thanks :) I've listened to the sounds of the house wren, hopefully I'll recognize one when I hear it. I still haven't seen one. I'm zip code 27944 and have seen one site that says the are only here in winter and my Sibley book says they are all year. I have a male HOSP :(. He's been here all day, my husband has a pellet gun set up. My bluebird eggs should hatch any day now, the three that are left. I found two dead purple martins in my gourds. I don't know what killed them, and there aren't any eggs. Last year they bred here happily, and this year out of 4 gourds only one had an attempted nest, and the pair is dead. I'm going to fashion a sparrow spooker now, but I really hope my husband can take this male out tonight!!!