Hi Donna, join my club. I don't think I've EVER seen the babies with the parents soon after fledging. They are off doing their own thing and I don't expect to see them until it's time for a new nest. Of course, I don't have a feeder in my yard either, but for me it's completely normal not to see them.

Keep watching. Hopefully you will see them fly off into the woods to feed the fledglings. That is what usually happens. Our first brood of 4 fledged fine, but we never did see them return with young. Then we noticed that the male was carrying beakfuls of mealworms up to a tree, but only fed the female. So we assume they were all lost. But of course we cannot be sure. They do face many dangers.
If we did not observe them so much at mealworm feeders, we would not even see that behavior.
Bluebars

Thanks Anita...I feel a little better...during the last fledgling, Mom, Dad and babies would flit from tree to tree, then both parents would leave them looking for food, and back to the kids pretty quickly...I SOOOOO hope you are right...in fact, I'm counting on it!

Bluebars...I didn't see your response until now...thanks so much...I am praying the babies are fine and I will keep watching hoping to get a glimpse...I am totally out of mealworms, so I'm off to the Pet Store to see if any are available!

Will give the box a good cleaning in preparation for a possible third nesting...Lord, I just don't know if my heart can take another round!!!!!!

Donna

This morning there is still no sign of fledglings OR Mom and Dad....I put the last few mealworms out and they never came to the feeder when I called...wouldn't they be scoffing them up if they were feeding the fledglings???

This just doesn't seem like normal behavior if everything was OK...I will continue to watch and keep a positive outlook, but that is diminishing quickly!

Donna

They are wild creatures, not subject to our schedules. And there is plenty of food now and juicy fat caterpillars out there. Or, maybe one of your neighbors offers more mealworms than you! LOL
Sometimes they might not visit because there are predators in the area, hiding in the trees (more often that we might think).
Bluebars

Bluebars...thanks again for your encouraging words..Before they fledged, I did see them feeding very large green caterpillars!!! None of my neighbors feed birds, much less even know what a mealworm is! LOL...
If those little buggers are OK, they need to let me know!!!!!

Donna

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!

Hey Donna -

I had a very similar experience with my first set this year. They fledged and then EVERYONE was just gone! It actually made me weepy and mopey for days, because I'd put out worms and no one would come and I really missed them. Then about a week or so later I heard that distinctive baby blue "Chirr-up!" and the whole family descended upon me demanding worms at even the slightest glimpse of me. I still see my three first babies from time to time, and Momma and Papa are about to fledge their second batch on Tuesday. So hang in there!! Your little Blue family knows where there's a crazy two-legger waiting to spoil them. They'll be back.

Many, many thanks for sharing your fledgling experiences...So I will rest easy tonight knowing that they are most likely safe and secure with Mom and Dad keeping a close watch...My dh says I didn't worry this much when our own three daughters left home!!! LOL...Never thought I'd be this NUTS over the blues!