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Have babies fledged?

14 years ago

I'm in NW GA; came home last weekend with bluebird babies in nest box- looked to be about 3-5 days old. Saw mom fly off with fecal sac material this week. Yesterday I noticed some nest material coming from hole. I tapped on box, but heard no peeps. Mom and dad are no longer tending box; I see them in backyard, scoping out other nest box.

Question: Is it possible the babies have fledged? I'm afraid to open box, because if they haven't, they should be very close, and I don't want to risk it for them. Has anyone ever used an angled mirror- like a dentist's mirror- to look inside the box without lifting the flap? I'm glad the blues are sticking in the yard, but I would like to clean out the box if the first clutch has flown. Thanks!

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Comments (4)

lisa11310
14 years ago
It's hard to tell if you dont know the real age. If they were in fact 3-5 days old last weekend they did not fledge.
The nesting material coming out of the box indicates something got them. Im so sorry. Go open the box, if there are no babies I would say racoon,Owl,Snake or even House Wren if they were ony 3 days when you first saw them. if there are dead babies I would say HOSP,cat,starling,etc. Is your box mounted properly? There are safeguards that can be added to a box to protect them from preditors. Plese go to www.sialis.org to see how to properly mount a box and how to protect them. Can you put up another box or move the one you have? They may not nest in the box after a failed nesting. Good Luck and let us know what you find so we can help determine what happened. There may be an easy fix for next time around.
decormaven
Original Author
14 years ago
Lisa: Thanks for your post. I did not see the babies last week, husband did. I have checked the nest- it is empty. I have heard some twitter out in the forest that adjoins our grounds- I'd like to think it might be the fledglings, but that may be wishful thinking. Things have been hectic lately so I have not opened the box as faithfully as in past years.
There are no broken shells or feathers in box or on ground underneath. The nest was completely clean. We've never had racoons; I have heard owls very far off, but they have never appeared on the property. This box is close to our screen porch and under my office window, so I can usually monitor it by sight most of the time. This box has been in use since 2003; it's had at least one clutch per year.
There's another box closer to the woods, and I've seen Mom and Dad Bluebird checking it out in the last two days. I've already cleaned out the box in question, and am going to install a baffle. It's silly to think that standing sentinel during the day will keep the nest box safe at night. Thanks again for your help.
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Donna, glad your dad is OK. OK, here is my vote..... they are fine! In MOST fledgings I don't see babies for a week. Now I do see the adults come in for a haul of mealies and take off farther than I can follow them even with binoculars but it is rare (in my case) for them to keep the babies close by for at least a week. On the first nesting (not in my box but in a street light that I could view) I watched papa blue take off to feed in one direction and momma in a totally different direction leading me to believe that they weren't together. That only lasted about one day till all four kids finally came to my yard. It does seem a little odd that you are seeing the adults take meal worms and perch rather than fly towards their fledglings BUT if I've learned anything in this bluebird thing it is to always expect the unexpected! Good luck and keep us posted!
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lisa11310
14 years ago
There is hope, if hubby is not really up on the Blues growth. If they were closer to 8,9 days they may have gone. The sialis site has pictures under Blubird basics then "Egg to empty nest". See if he can show you what he remembers seeing. If the babies fledged the nest should have had some poo in it and pretty well trampled down. There are cases of "fear fledging" or early fledging if there was a danger and the parents called them out a little early where the nest may not be as trampled. I hope you see babies soon. If you don't study the sialis site so the next bunch survives! Good Luck!
ohsoblue77
14 years ago
Nest material coming out of the hole?

Yeah, that definatly sounds like a raccoon.

I had an insecure door last year and the raccoon pulled the door open w/o reaching through the hole and robbed 5/6 tree swallow nestlings...It felt awful..but I slipped a guard on quickly and the other survived.

Hope you have better luck! Bluebirding is a challenge, huh?

Tim

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