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What's the chance that I will still see the babies?

15 years ago

My 4 BB babies fledged on June 16, 12 days ago. I have been feeding mealworms to the parents since the babies were one week old and the parents had come regularly. I really hoped the parents would bring the babies back for mealworms. As late as yesterday morning, the parents were still making the soft cooing sound on my roof top and took mealworms away (to feed the babies, I presume). So far, they haven't brought the babies back for mealworms.

Late yesterday morning, I noticed a female blue bird is building a nest in one of my two birdhouse. There are still blue birds eating the mealworms, but I am not sure whom I am feeding now.

I put the mealworms on the patio table on the deck so I can take good pictures. The Mommy and Daddy blue birds were very clean, for the past 3 weeks since they started to eat the mealworms on my table, I never saw any droppings on my deck. That all changed yesterday. The deck railing is a mess, covered with bird poops. Since the hygien pattern is so different, I assumed the blue birds I see now are the new one.

My question is: Will the previous BB family still come back for mealworms? The feeding station is about 100 ft from the on-going nest building site. Will the new pair chase away the old pair? I am hoping to see the babies so I know they are OK, but, if they are not coming back, I have to mave the feeding station. The new pair BB is just too messy!

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Comments (2)

dzyg
15 years ago
Sara, normally I have always found the fledglings to start following the parents to the feeder in 7-10 days after fledgling. It is possible you have a new pair of Bluebirds and your other ones won't come back now. A nesting pair of Blues won't let another pair in their territory. However it could be the same pair. Do you have an actual feeder on your table or do you just put the worms in a an open dish? If it is a feeder I would say you probably have the same pair and maybe you will be seeing the fledglings soon too. Normally Bluebirds need to be trained to come to a feeder so a new pair wouldn't just show up and know what the feeder was but they could find an open dish easy enough if they can perch nearby to see the movement of the worms.

Just keep an eye out for those fledglings.

Donna
Sara_in_philly
Original Author
15 years ago
Donna, it's mealworms in an open dish on the table. It's so open even the house sparrows come to eat the mealworm from time to time, they didn't need any training:-)

I wondered whether it's the same pair, but there are so much bird droppings all of sundden on deck, it coincides with the appearance of nest-building BB. So I figured it's different pair.

I am still putting dry mealworm out everyday(run out the live ones), hoping I will see the babies.
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