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Looks like Mama is gone... what now?

18 years ago

We had a pair of Blues that nested and raised a brood of 4. Some of you will know their nest box is now being used by a Flycatcher. The Blues started building in a different box on the other side of the yard and were actually seen in 'the act' ... (wink wink)...on Saturday morning!!! All was well!

That afternoon Hubby and I were walking out to check the GCFCs nest. We didn't realize Mama was sitting in a large plant pot (under the Hibiscus growing in there). As we approached she hopped out and seemed 'odd'. Normally she would just fly up to a perch somewhere and watch us go about our business - usually with us talking to her and usually with her no doubt thinking worms would soon appear!!! This time she hopped all the way along our flower bed before finally getting off the ground up to a fence then a roof and off. There was no visible injury etc. (e.g. lost feathers and such) but the behvior was odd, it seemed like it was a struggle for her to fly and we were worried.

Later that evening Mama and Papa both appeared at the meal worm bowl and all seemed well. She flew down with no problems, then up to their fave perch and off, but since then only Papa has returned. He still peeks in the box with the nest they started and has checked out a second one today. He came by with what we think is the youngest of the brood but no Mama since Saturday evening. We fear the worst.

I read another post where Mama was lost and there were eggs laid. In this case we have no eggs, just a partially built nest. We don't want to be too hasty with anything.... but do you advise we remove the nest? Will Papa find another mate and carry on this nest, or start from scratch? We keep looking out in hopes that Mama will appear but we just see Papa sitting and calling....so sad...

Please help...

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Comments (3)

erictammy
18 years ago
Don't give up yet. There's been many times where I thought for sure something happened to one of my blues but it wasn't long before it appeared again. I bet she will show up. I haven't seen my momma bird since my babies fledged but have seen the daddy.
Tammy
bridget_bb
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks Tammy. We're just so used to seeing the pair together that it's worrying when one of them is awol.... which you know from experience!

ANYWAY - just as I got off the computer after posting last night, Papa appeared with what we thought was Mama.

They were here again first thing this morning. Papa is really trying hard to get something going with the second nest, but we think this is a new female. She looks different and is quite skittish, i.e flys away when we go out with the meal worm bowl... not like "Mama" who would barely wait til it was put on the ground before coming in!

Papa has been in the box a lot, she sits at the entrance hole while he's in there or close by. (He even seemed to move one pine-needle from the box to another empty box but after checking that out there was nothing inside.)
He's been here a lot today just hanging out on, in or by the nest. Feel so bad for him....

At one point both Papa and this female were 'fighting' with the baby that has been hanging around them... the other 3 fledged and haven't been seen in a while, but this one keeps hanging on. Guess they were trying to give it a hint.

Just wish we knew what was really going on. He seems to still want to use the nest but I don't know if the female will go for it...
Guess we'll have to wait and see.
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bridget_bb
Original Author
18 years ago
So it turns out we're 99% sure this female is not the original Mama, she does not come down to the meal worms and seems pretty skittish... not like our last pair who would hang out in the garden with us!
....BUT there is good news, she took to the nest that was already started, adding to it and completing it - saw her adding one more mouthful of 'stuff' yesterday. This morning she laid her first egg!

Happy day!

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