bluebirds and tres both skipped egg laying?!

15 years ago

I am bewildered by the way things are going this year. Plenty of HOSP euthanized but the weather and the birds aren't doing too well.

at two of my backyard boxes, blues are laying in one and TRES in another about 100 or so yards away. The blues had 3 eggs yesterday and the TRES had 2.

Guess what?! Checked again today. BOTH still have the SAME amount of eggs!!! If you read my previous postings, you know that egg laying quit for my blues at 2 eggs and those got buried and new eggs layed.

What is the world is going on around here?????!! Something is definitely up. I didn't see the blues or swallows. It's one thing that the blues skipped laying again...but the TRES too???

Anyone have a clue as to WHY? It was densely foggy in the morning and in the 50's. Should have been fine for laying. I'm distraught at the possibility of losing another female bluebird. They seem to be targeted in my neighborhood. But this is the 1st time in a while egg laying has been interrupted. VERY strange. Would like a little insight. Thanks everyone!

-Tim-

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Comments (5)

lisa11310
15 years ago
If you have lost yet another Blue you REALLY need to find out WHY! Do you have a Hawk that prefers blue? Do you have a busy roadway between where they nest and hunt? Something is just not right there. Im praying for you.
ohsoblue77
Original Author
15 years ago
Lisa, we have had frequent problems with Cooper's hawks in the past. But I've fortunately only had to witness one get taken by it. That was an awful day. Anyway I've only seen hawks a few times this year. They were more of a problem last season

BTW these boxes ARE near the road but not all that close. I've never found any bluebirds or swallows dead on or near the road. Bluebirds are especially cautious of moving traffic. Not to say that's not possible, because it is.

But I will let you know if I see the blues again. The TRES are here still so, IDK. I'll keep watch for a 4th egg tomorrow afternoon. If need be I'll make sure there isn't a body nearby too. Haven't been around in the mornings so IDK if I lost another bird or not. The fact that the swallows didn't lay another egg makes it really interesting. The weather wasn't bad...why did they skip?
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It is odd that your Blues are not yet building. I'm north of you and my Bluebirds eggs are due to hatch on Tuesday. My TRES have arrived, but they generally don't even think about nesting until early May. I feel for you with all that rain you've been having. We had a few springs like that, and they are so awful. It is a curiosity why the TRES so outnumber the EABL. The TRES seem to have a much harder life with their long migration. And they have very similar nesting requirements and predators. It makes you wonder why there aren't more EABL. Hang in there. I'm sure your Blues will nest there eventually.
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I looked it up on Sialis Lisa. It is 14-15 days. The blues starved because the evening before, even though it was 70 degrees, the parents weren't feeding very much at all. I knew this because opon opening the box all the nestlings heads raised up and were chirping loudly. The next day the weather turned for the worst, as described above, and actually I fed bluebird nuggets and waxworms in a tray on the ground. The worms diappeared so I assume the parents were just feeding themselves. The nestlings were about 3 - 6 days old. And actually If you follow me on the forums a lot you would know that I had 3 different pairs successfully raise nestlings last year. My boxes here are in my next door neighbor's field which is very open. Yes, I have lost plenty of birds. I'd like to say it's bad luck but IDK. Also the next property over lives a man who came from the city and landscapes his yard and sprays for dandelions. I got lucky last year when he sprayed during an active nest. Thought my blues were goners. Not much I can do about it. It's the best area in the neighborhood...you go else where and get problems with HOWR, HOSP, etc. 1 neighbor has a huge field but it's too far for me to monitor. It is straight back from my property. I want my blues nesting close to the house...not having to travel large distances. Somehow I lost 3 female bluebirds last season. I've never lost a male (knock on wood) so either female bluebirds don't know how to defend themselves or the male isn't watching his mate. Bluebirds in general don't seem to have what it takes to survive...they take forever to build in the spring and sometimes are away for days. They waste a lot of time. I've never had the luxury of time for a third brood. Something always messes it up. And this year, I think it will be because of how long the blues waited...they got back 1st but were beaten to box choices by the TRES.
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Very odd things happening with my houses this year. I had bluebirds in one house that laid 5 eggs. For the most part I try to stay away so they don't get spooked. In this case the next time I checked there was one fledgling that I saw but he didn't seem ready to fly away yet. But when I checked 2 days later there were no babies or eggs. The nest was empty. This box was protected with the mesh on the opening. I'm hoping time just flew by and the brood hatched and fledged in my absence! Will the parents start a new brood in the same nest or should I clean the box out for them to start over? I had another box that had activity, 5 eggs layed and a week later no eggs or babies. I fear they were killed since it was an old house from last year and it did not have the protective metal mesh at the opening. I have a nest nearby with the mesh protection. I kept checking and there was no activity or eggs. Then suddenly there was one egg!! I assumed the mom would lay more. I checked for 2 days, still only one egg. The third day the egg hatched with a tiny bald with a little fuzz baby bird. I kept watching from a distance and I did not see the male or female going into the house. I skipped looking inside the box today. I wanted to stay totally away. Tomorrow I will check again. I hope the little guy is okay.... Is it unusual for a female to lay only one egg? I'm thinking that perhaps the pair that were in the other box moved to this box when a predator got their other eggs..... Thus only one last egg to lay??? The box with the one egg is about 20 feet from the empty box. Perhaps this is part of that brood? Can the mom or dad move an egg or did she just lay it in a different box?? I have another box about 100 feet from that one protected with the mesh that some sparrows have taken over. They have built a nest and hang out in front of it on the mesh opening and on top of it but no eggs for well over a month. Perhaps they are the culprits that got the 5 bluebird eggs. Very strange that they built a nest and aren't using it. I know they will build several, one as a decoy or to give the female a choice, but I don't see that they've done that unless they are planning to take over the bluebird box. I will be keeping a watch on that....
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bandjzmom
15 years ago
I wish I knew what to tell you Tim. We know that a cold snap will cause them to delay, but otherwise, i just don't know. Keep checking the boxes. They must know something that we don't. ~~Angie
kendra2003
15 years ago
This is very strange. To have both skip a day of laying would be highly unusual. Are you sure you don't have a HOWR that could be stealing eggs? I've seen them sneak in quickly and not have a chance to destroy the whole nest because the parent birds catch them and take them to the ground. I have no idea if that's what's going on, but it's the only thing I can think of?
ohsoblue77
Original Author
15 years ago
Well I was so busy I was unable to visit the forums for responses.

Kendra I haven't heard or seen HOWR in the vicinity. To add to that, the blues and swallows laying are around 100 yards apart. This is my neighborhood backyard site that has 2 pairs spaced 20 ft between boxes and about 100 or so yards apart.

Nor have I found any destroyed eggs. I had HOWR problems in the past and that's why I moved the boxes...they are in my neighbor's massive field.

Okay...The TRES and Blues didn't lay any more eggs! The TRES still have just TWO and they don't appear to be incubating. the other TRES nest that has 4 eggs are still unhatched (presumably gone bad due to upper 40 degree weather a few days ago) Another strange thing...at site #2 the swallows layed just 3 eggs and not sure if THEY are even incubating! What it the world is wrong with my birds this year?!
By the way, I now think I've lost 3 female bluebirds already this year! If I lose one more I will top last year's record! Which was 3 in one season! I saw the male bluebird perched on the sparrow spooker in the Am and the powerlines in the PM. No sign of Mrs. Blue. Really wish I knew. This is the STRANGEST nesting season ever! My bluebirds can't even manage to complete a clutch! I might not see nestlings this year if this keeps up:( Mr. Blue might decide to leave:(..........why?!

bluebirds and tres both skipped egg laying?!

Comments (5)

lisa11310

ohsoblue77
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bluebirds and tres both skipped egg laying?!

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lisa11310

ohsoblue77Original Author

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