100% confused

14 years ago

About 2 weeks ago my Blues laid their first egg and accepted the spooker just fine. I put the Wren guard up after the 3rd egg. I saw Mom go in under the guard but I do not know if she actually went in the box. I assumed she had accepted the guard and thought no more about it. 2 days later I noticed neither bird was paying any attention to the box. I expected to find 4 or 5 eggs but found only the first 3. We had a cold snap & I figured she was not incubating right away. I took the guard off just in case. She never returned to that box but built a very deep nest in my Cam box. I pulled the first nest. I was happy she was in the camera box but then the next day she was looking into the other 2 boxes, sure enough she built another nest in now a 3rd box. I checked it the next day and it contained 2 Dove feathers. SO yesterday she began building in the first box again, today it looks finished and they are still guarding the box. Now I don't know if the Wren guard made her leave the first nest with eggs (white eggs) or if she is just young & confused. The Dees are looking for a box and the TRES are back but not shopping yet. Do I pull the empty nests and hope she stays where she is? I do have HOSPs this year and I am working on getting rid of them but they have not been harassing the Blues at all in fact will even sit on the fence just a few feet away from each other. The HOSPs have a few nests started one in a box and 2 others in my Martin house. They have not bonded to any box where I can get a shot off. Anybody have any clue whats going on here?

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Comments (6)

dzyg
14 years ago
Wow, Lisa! I don't know what to think either. She only needs one of those nests so I would say whatever box the Dees may be showing interest in, I would pull the blues nest out. The TRES will just build over the Blues nest if they want a box that the Blues aren't going to use, I don't think it would deter them if there was a nest in a box that wasn't being used. Hope you figure this one out!!

Donna
ohsoblue77
14 years ago
Confusing indeed! Last season I had a female who layed eggs but ALMOST NEVER completed the clutches! She went back and forth between my nestbox pairs, at least 2-3 times, and incubated a clutch for a few days then switched boxes AGAIN!

Finally, about the time June/July came around, she layed 3-4 eggs and the male (alone I believe, despite her STILL being alive) raised the nestlings

Sometimes we get situations with these Bluebirds that we'll never figure out! Very strange things happen out there!

Good luck!!

~Tim~
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lisa11310
Original Author
14 years ago
My Blues have done some strange things over the years but nothing as wacky as this, the funny part is this female is kinda strange looking (but very pretty) herself and I have never had white eggs before.
lisa11310
Original Author
14 years ago
UPDATE: I pulled the nest that had the 2 Dove feathers in it and left the bottom 1/2 of the nest in the cam box (as it really looked like the Dee's had started a nest the Blues took over. Actually both nests had a spattering of moss in them but not enough to determine a Dee's nest. As soon as the Blues realized those nests were gone they started checking out those 2 boxes again!!!!! They have not been to their "current" nest since I pulled the other 2. AAAACCCKKKK! SO I put the nest with the Dove feathers back in and have left the 1/2 nest in the cam box. The Dee's dont use my boxes every year but I love it when they do, they are here year round and I am sure very familiar with all the natural cavities we have. I am worried about the TRES. I have 2 more "junk boxes" I can put up. I am at a loss as to what to do here....add more boxes, take some down???? Lordy! somebody help me!
lisa11310
Original Author
14 years ago
I have e-mailed Bet and hopefully she will have some kind of suggestions for me!
dzyg
14 years ago
I guess at this point I would leave all the nests in and see what she does. I would guess she would start laying again soon so you should know which she chooses pretty soon. Hopefully it all works out with the TRES and Dees too. Do you have a picture of this female? Didn't you say she has white edges on her wings? Would love to see that.

Donna

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