When was the first egg laid? If she laid the egg yesterday and then you put the guard on, and today she didn't lay another egg yet then you should take the guard off and let her lay her second egg. Once you know she has laid her second egg then you could try again to put the guard back on but watch closely to make sure she accepts it. Some birds won't accept the guard but you don't want to keep it on if she won't accept it as she will give up on the nest then. Good luck!

Donna

Sandra, she does look to have a deformity. Bless her little heart! I would add a small perch but like a towel bar in your bathroom you know across the box not sticking out from it. Maybe even just staple a twig an inch under the hole. As Donna said take the guard off until she has laid her next egg then try again. If you take it off early every morning then replace it after her egg is laid she should get the hang of it by time to incubate. God luck with this precious "special" bird!

What?? Who looks to have a deformity, did I miss something here????

Donna

ok, just to be absolutely sure... sorry for being a bit dense, but I want to help her without interupting the nesting.

yes, yesterday was the first egg. I've watching and it's 1pm here now. I took it off.

I'll keep watching for the second egg then I'll put it back on.

So around 12 tomorrow??? if there isn't a third egg, then take it off? and try again the next day? Or if she doesn't accept by tomorrow should I stop?

Sandra

I am thinking if she doesn't accept it tomorrow either I would probably stop, some just won't accept it and "if" she does have a deformity to her foot it might make it harder for her to get in which is why she won't. The pic does look like something is up with her foot, either that or she was moving it when you took a pic. She looks like she has some blue on her rusty breast too, different!

Donna

ok, great ideas! I'll try the perch idea tomorrow.. or after I see an egg today. I think it's worth the efforts since I'll worry sick about wrens. I wouldn't even be sure if I hadn't found one in my trap house.

I'll remove it if I take off the guard though. I have some HOSP around I'm trying to trap... never ending story there!!

I hope she lays that second egg and I haven't left the guard on too long!

Hi Donna,
thanks for yours and LIsa's help! I not sure if she was moving or not in that pic.. plus she has it pulled up to leave the feeder..

I looked through other pics to see if there is a better pic of her front, I din't find any but now I'll try to get one. I have the hunting blind for closeups.. but now its REALLY hot!

I'll wait a bit and check the nest, will let you know!

dang it, here I am trying to help and there still isn't the next egg and it's 3 pm here... I mean, can she "hold it".. or would she have had to drop it somewhere..

I just hope she comes back tomorrow and I may just stay out of it and hope for the best. Big sigh!

Yup I guess it's best to let it be for now , pray and hope for the best tomorrow! You have done all that you can do. If you do get another egg I would put the trainer guard up at least for the afternoon, better some protected time than none. Until then I would leave it off till tomorrow.

well, I've been disappointed with myself all day and it's been a "blue" day, not in a good way. No egg just yet, but I'll check it before dusk. silly to let "birds" make or break your mood!!!

My day is looking up though, as I was excited to see a glimspe of daddy and one baby land on my perch by the window feeder. I didn't realize the screen door wasn't closed and was swinging in the wind. That's probably why they didn't stay long. The baby bumped into they house on take off..hope he's ok! But it has raised my spirits. Daddy came back and looked like he was trying to coax them down. I may end up setting up the blind tomorrow morning and waiting ... there isn't any morning sun there, but I would love a "not so great" pic to no pics of the babies. They are 30 days old tomorrow and will start feeding themselvs soon. I'll let you know!

The Blue Bird of Happiness! Nothing to brighten your day like a babay Blue Bird!

well, I figured out what was really wrong.. ANTS! I did a nest change and took care of the ants as best I could. We'll see if the birds come back... I thought there were quite a few ants so I put one of those ant traps to attrack them away from the nest. But later I lifted the nest and found it was infested. If I have found that yesterday I'm sure they would have continued as they were at the box later in the evening. OIY!

Oh no, hope you got them all, I have heard greasing the pole should work to deter them. Did you clean the nest out of all the ants? Wonder if she will go back in or not now that she thinks there are ants in there. May be too late, but I am hoping for you that she comes back.

Donna

Yea, I think it's too late as well. I hadn't seen her all morning but I'm glad to report she is still in the yard. I had thought she would have moved on. The male was at the feeder like clock work this morning.

I'll give it a day or two, then I'll remove the nest and maybe they will try again. Or should I just take it out tonight? Maybe move it?

My yard seems to be highly desirable for bluebirds, lucky me!, they usually fight over this box. I should put up another box in the back, wouldn't be able to see from the house though.. I am just kind of overwhelmed with watching this one, maybe next year I'll be able to be less anxious.

What kind of grease??

OH dear! Did you put the egg in the new nest? It will be interesting to see what she will do. Put Vaseline around the pole just under the baffle and cap the top with duct tape or grease inside, ants have been known to come from the inside of the pole. I would also put up another box in case she considers this a failed nesting and she wants to move on. And NO you wont be less anxious next year, trust me. LOL

LOL! So this never get any easier on the nerves!! Oh boy, what have I've started!!

yes, the egg is in the new nest... I will work to getting a new box up.. How far away will work? This one can be seen from my studio window... easier to watch and obsess, right! LOL...!! I probably have 20ft to place the box and still have it visible from my window. (I think that's why I'm hesitant to put up a second box, I could see it from the house!)

Lady blue was back in the nest box!! No more eggs, but at least she's checking it out. I came out my back door and startled her, so hopefully she'll be back!! Everyone tie blue ribbons and keep your fingers crossed!

Fingers crossed for you! Hopefully she will realize the ants are gone and try again, that egg is probably still ok yet too.

Donna

no new egg, (I'm not bugging her, I just checked when she flew out, I'm trying to stay away actually!)

I bet she's fixing it since I was in a bit of a rush..

so much for doing more than sitting at the window with binoculars!!

SECOND EGG!!! wha hoo!!! I saw her in and out of the box and last night she was hunting for nest material. I kind of thought the process was starting over and would see eggs in a few days...

Surprise the second egg!!! Now, with two days interuption will she still lay a full clutch? Or would she "lost" those two days of laying??

Woohoo, congrats! I would think she will probably lay a normal clutch. They can delay egg laying so I wouldn't think she would loose any eggs for the days she missed. You will have to let us know of course.

Donna

YES, OF COURSE! If it wasn't for you guys, my family would have shot themselves for BLUEBIRD OVERLOAD!! LOL!!

LMAO! It is nice to have friends as nutty us. Almost makes us all feel "normal" !

YES, OF COURSE! If it wasn't for you guys, my family would have shot themselves for BLUEBIRD OVERLOAD!! LOL!!

third egg today.. looks like it's back on track. I'll post the final number. We had five last time.

quick question, will the first batch of fledglings hang around.. Last year, the first batch took off, but I wasn't sure if that was because the daddy got killed, dang HOSP! the second bird's babies were here till late winter..

Normally the fledglings will stay around if the parents let them. One year I saw the Dad chase away the three fledglings from the first brood, there were two boys and a girl, never saw them again. Then last year on the first nesting there was three girls and a boy. The boy disappeared sometime during the second nesting and I thought something happened to him as the girls all stuck around. Once the second nestlings fledged a new male fledgling in the same state of changing colors as the females from the first brood showed up. At first I thought it was just a lone male but I think it was the boy returning since he was no longer a threat maybe?? I am thinking during the second nestings some Daddy blues may run off the males of the first brood. At least that seems to be what happened here. I had all ten around then until the end of October. Funny thing for the second nesting it was three boys and a girl, just the opposite from the first. I would assume last year your new male probably chased off the first nesting fledglings so this year you may have the fledglings stay around. All my other years I only had one nesting and the fledglings always stayed until they left in Fall.

Donna

ok, so maybe or maybe not.. my male is really protective, he's the one that fights with the window.

I really haven't gotten to see much of them.. I still don't know if all five are flying around... They have been trying to land on the feeder perch, not successfully getting any food.

thanks Donna!

So today was the first time I read your story and was holding my breath until you said she was back!!! You did a great job - finding those ants and keeping her focused on her nest. Congrats!!! My family thinks I'm obsessed, too ... but they still love me :)

Thanks for comiserating with me Gamom! The drama here seems to never end! I wish I had the shorten version, lol! it was days before I knew what was going to happen! So far it looks like just three eggs, but I'll check again later today or tomorrow morning..

Sandra

Saw the bluebird pair shopping at my HOSP trap house..??!! so I went to investigate their other nest.. TWO eggs are GONE!! I looked around and didn't find any shells. It wasn't a snake because it has an electric fence, plus he probably would have still been in there... I'm guessing a dang wren! (sparrow spooker in place and I'm trapping all the time!) I was hopeing it would just be okay, but murphies law.. My open house never had any sticks in it.. so I hoped they weren't nesting here.

What about the other egg? I'm surprised they are shopping and left that one behind!

So, If the pair renests, I will work with her to get a guard on there. I'll try a perch and everything suggested. I don't know if it was the guard or the ants last time, so maybe she'll work it out. If she can't figure it out, then I'll just have to let her move on.

ok, my plan for possible new nest. Once I find the first egg I'll put on the training guard and add a removeable horizontal perch. When I wake up if there isn't a new egg, I'll remove the guard for a few hours. Once the egg is laid I'll put it all back on. I'll keep this up until she works it out, maybe allowing the guard in place longer each morning. Once all the eggs are laid, the guard will have to stay on. IF she hasn't figured it out by then, she will just have to abandon the nest. No reason to keep trying here, it just won't work.