Hi Anita,

I so do understand. My first post on this forum was entitled "Post-Partum Blues"... I came here because we missed our first fledging last summer, and the whole family disappeared. We were just miserable missing them so.

So now I must ask you: Do you feed them mealworms?
Because we started this last fall and had 2 pair of adult blues stay the winter with us. One of these 2 pair are our precious Missy and Mr.B, who's first fledges have stayed, and dine at our mealy bowl everyday as Missy incubates her second clutch of 5 lovely blue eggs. We are totally delighted and relieved not to face the dreaded disappearance of our blues after fledging.

I hope your babies come back to visit you soon, but if it will help your heart at all... we've posted nearly 50 photos of this year's first brood here.

And don't forget to clean out your nestbox... perhaps your pair will begin again soon and relieve that anxiety you feel.

best of luck,

Kenn :)

Anita, I feel your pain and wish I could think of something funny to say to cheer you up. I think that having a nest cam would make parting with them even harder. You've gotten to see them anytime you wanted, doing little "nestling things" that we who don't have a nest cam never get to see. Watching them grow and change, day by day, would make me feel even more attached, I'm sure. BUT, you'll see them again soon and then get to watch the second batch from start to fledging, too and that will ease the pain. :D

Janie May is fibbing, she DOES have a nest cam but is to chicken to use it! Anita, there is no shame in joining the blubbering idiots club, I am on the board! :)

Thanks guys, can you believe when I went to clean out the box the bluebirds were SWOOPING me? I was telling them they are stoopid, the babies aren't in there, but now they have a clean place to begin again. It IS harder when you watch every little thing. Maybe it'll be easier the second time. :)

Anita

That was me my first year with birds at my old house. Some day it will become a jubilation at another successful nesting with your accomodations.

For this location. I removed the old bus/trailer/woodshed (eyesore) and now can see the birds vying over the boxes. I wasn't ready when the first came...boxes weren't repaired. They vehemently defended last years box that was now missing half a side. Once I did repairs they let the chickadee have it, tree swallows the next closest but fought with other swallows for the box closest to the grass cutting pile begining the new compost pile.

They KNOW THE BEST INSECT SPOT!! They keep the swallows on their own side/end of the compost! They don't dare let them cross the center of the pile.

Really to help you laugh imagine an 8x5 foot long compost pile with swallows feeding on one end and blues drawing a line down the center like two kids in a room or bed "YOU STAY ON YOUR SIDE AND DON'T CROSS THAT LINE" OR "GET ON YOUR OWN SIDE OF THE BED"

They both work with inches of the center line with no squabbles but one foot over the line and POW!!!