I also advise not to clean out the box. It is illegal to remove eggs and nesting material btw. Are the sparrows still around? Maybe they are harassing the EABL pair and causing her to delay laying. This could also be the females first nest and she isnt playing by the rules. The weather can also delay egg laying if it is cold. Keep an eye on the situation the next few days an hopefully she continues to lay. You could pair another box to keep the HOSP distracted until she finishes laying. Once she has finished laying and starts incubating, I would put the sparrow spooker back on. Good luck and keep us posted!

I would put up a second box for the HOSP. It doesn't have to be anything fancy (no baffles or anything since you'll be using it as a trap house). Set it up with the screws in place for a Van Ert trap. Let them get used to it and start building. Once they are attached to the box, put the Van Ert in and trap them. I know you're not supposed to put up the spooker until the first egg is laid, but in my humble opinion, I think you did the right thing under the circumstance. It is better than having them fight in the box and having a Bluebird killed. When the HOSP come back, if you have a spare box up, they will choose the box without the sparrow spooker (your trap box). Just plug up the hole in the trap box when you're not using it so no native birds try to nest there. I hope your Blues are already attached enough to their box that they won't abandon it.

Tim! You can fashion a spooker out of the skinny wooden dowels at the hardware store, you'll need cable ties or duct tape to put them into the "T" position and then duct tape the mylar streamers. If your boxes are wooden you can screw in two little eye hooks or something to the back of the box then cable tie the dowel to the box. If you make them like that you'll have spookers for every box and you only have to keep buying the mylar banners from the dollar store. Like Nicknack said they need to come down right after fledging so these b******s don't become tolerant. Cable tie or duct tape something to the tres box temporarily till you get situated. Right know my spookers are all gunked together due to the rain which makes me real paranoid. Yesterday I ran down my driveway in the rain like a wild beast 'cause I swore there was hosp intrusion at a box but it was just tres relatives going in the box causing a ruckus. I'll relax when the wind dries out the streamers and they unfurl. Good luck Tim, Sue

Suzanne, a spooker should always be installed after the first egg is laid, if possible. Once an egg appears, the pair is more bonded to the nestbox and less likely to abandon it. However, if the spooker is installed after the female begins incubating eggs, you must observe the box to make certain that the spooker is accepted and she reenters fairly quickly. You don't want to interrupt the incubation cycle. Kathy