Hmmm, it doesn't appear that I can edit my message, but pictures are below: 3 days old: 8 days old 11 days: 13 days: Mom: Dad: Both parents working hard: Baby looking out: (sorry it is so blurry) Empty nest:

Today = 18 days since 1st 3 baby bluebirds hatched in my frontyard birdhouse and 17 days since the other 2 baby bluebirds hatched. We had a rainstorm late yesterday, so I thought the babies would not come out until this morning. Fortunately, it was a "normal" rainstorm without all the high winds we've had in the last couple of months. I got up very early this morning and I think there is only 1 left in the box. I hear his lonely little sad chirping and have seen the dad bluebird 5 times since 7:00 a.m. come to this one. They could have come more times, but this is all I have seen. The next to last time the dad bluebird just popped his head in the box and did not feed the baby, or I didn't see anything in his mouth to feed as he went in, but the baby quieted down for a while. The last time, he did feed the baby and checked in on him 3 times, and "bonked" his reflection in my window 3 times. He doesn't see me as the room is dark and he sees only the reflection of what is outside. I saw 1 in the backyard kid's playhouse and this one was soaking wet. It could have been that he just got wet from the heavy dew we have here today. The babies seem to love the little shed and kid's playhouse we have because they are also made of the cedar that their house is made of. My husband said that they probably think they are in a giant birdhouse - lol. I hear at least 1 in the tall trees in the woods in back of our house making the same little sounds asking to be fed. I so much wanted to see them fledge this time, but I guess I missed it again. The only thing I can hope is that I can sit where I am in the bedroom window where I have a direct view of the birdhouse opening and hope that this last one fledges today or tomorrow. I'm really not sure he'll be ready to leave until tomorrow, so I've got a long wait in store, especially since I have to be getting ready for my son's wedding.

Sara, I would call it day 16. This means you should start seeing little baby faces peeking out of the box soon. At first there will be just shy little peeks then they will get braver. Mine Started peeking on Sunday and left Tuesday. The parents will start preparing to call them out and may keep the area clear of other birds, squirrels , etc for a couple days. They have a soft little "baby talk " coo. They may withhold food for short periods and even dangle a nice juicy bug in front of the hole but not give it to them. This is to motivate the babies to leave. There seems to be a pattern 2 days before fledging they feed them well and there is lots of activity , fighting to look out etc. The next is quieter and is a day of rest. Fledge day the babies should be returning peeps to the parents coos (however I had a very quiet bunch last year). They will be sticking their whole heads out then popping back in the box and flapping their little wings. Once you see toes sticking out you know they are ready. This is the first time I have had Blues fledge that close together, several times I have had 2 or 3 fledge and the others not go till the next day. I have seen somewhere around 30 fledges and they are all different but most have had these thing in common. Extra meal worms are of great help! Good Luck!

Thanks Kenn, there were four. I cleaned out the nestbox yesterday and took down the spooker. That was the cleanest nest I have ever removed from a birdhouse! There was only one spot of poop in the house! I found about 10 live mealworms too and two of them grew to be very large, wonder if they were feeding on the blowworm larva, there were a few of them in the bottom too, not many though. I actually had a feeling they might leave early just cause they were getting fed however I did have a nestbox at the park this year that fledged on day 16 also. Normally around here it is day 19. I am really wondering if there is time for another nesting or not, I am thinking not but you never know. A pair at the park is sitting on eggs right now on their second nesting but I don't know if there is enough time for this pair in our yard or not. My first year of bluebirding I did have a nest that fledged in August but none last year. This year at the park the pair is about 10 days behind last years schedule. The second pair at the park never started a new nest yet. I see them often with the babies, not sure if they found a natural cavity or not. It has been three weeks since they fledged. Donna