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Mom's gone

14 years ago

We have 5 hatchlings (from 5 eggs) that are 12-13 days old. Mom has been gone for 4 days now. We're supplementing with meal worms and dad is working hard at raising the brood alone. But he's dropping worms which are accumulating in the nest and he's not able to keep up with his housecleaning duties and still keep everybody fed. We did a nest change yesterday because of the mess but today I see a few beetles from the worms. What do we need to do and, just as important, not do? Our temps are predicted for the mid 50's at night and mid 70's in the day.

We've had a house in the yard for 20 years and calculate we have helped produce 150-160 Eastern Bluebirds, we just haven't monitored them until this year when our daughter gave me a camera for the house.

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Comments (4)

dzyg
14 years ago
Keep helping out by feeding the mealworms, you could add waxworms and crickets too. With crickets though you have to remove their back legs or they will jump away. The babies should be fledging in about 4+ days so I wouldn't worry about the dirty nest anymore and don't open the box anymore, with just Dad there you certainly don't want any premature fledging. Good luck!

Donna
lisa11310
14 years ago
EXACTLY what Donna said. DON'T open the box any more, Dad can do this. Keep the worms coming,some nice juicy wax worms would be a big plus for the next few days(at most bait shops). Dad will need a good suply of worms on fledge day to coax them out of the box and to feed them as they come out. That is the very best thing you can do for him. Baby birdy blessing to them ! Good Luck!
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Sharlee, my SIL gave me this poem the day after my mom died and I felt better for reading it. My mom's mind and body were broken but in death she became whole again. The Sailing Ship I am standing on the seashore. Suddenly a ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts out for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and of strength; and I stand and I watch her until at length she is only a ribbon of white cloud just above where sea and sky mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, "There, she's gone." Gone where? Gone from my sight, that's all. For she's just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side; and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her; and just at that moment when someone at my side says: "There, she's gone," There are other voices on the far and distant shore ready in joy to ring out the happy shout "Ah, there she comes!" Words found in the wallet of Colonel Marcus, of the Israeli Army, when he was killed in action on June 11th, 1948
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I'm sorry to learn of your mother's death, and for all the ups and downs. When death comes it's hard to believe that it is over. My own mother died a prolonged death from leukemia. It was a relief when she finally passed away, but still oh, so *final*. It will probably be very hard for quite a while, but...time DOES heal. One day you will be able to think of your mother with only love -- no sorrow.
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Ah...it is over. A constant star has gone from your familiar sky. Remember its light. My sympathy to you all. Thank you for showing us the portrait of your beautiful mother. (Do you know when it was taken?)
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dtbjsb
Original Author
14 years ago
We had planned to try another nest replacement this afternoon but may not now. We're not looking for these guys to fledge til Sunday at the earliest (18 days old). They're still smaller than a golf ball now.
lisa11310
14 years ago
There is no worry about the box now, dirty is fine, the main worry with dirty boxes is early in hatchling life due to blow fly and thats usually the second nesting here. Your doing great! Just dont open the box anymore. Get a few wax worms and let Dad do the rest, your job is done except for playing look out on fledge day. Again...DONT OPEN THE BOX!(unless really bad stuff happens) Blessings! Lisa

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