Digger, that's so sweet that you let them continue to build their nests in your garage. I so enjoy watching baby birds grow up. (Speaking of which, have you guys been watching the Decorah eagles?? WOW!) I have a pair of beautiful little birds, maybe a species of sparrow, that have built a nest under my porch, over a window. They're gorgeous - dark navy feathers on their heads and back and an orangish yellow breast. They're making a horrible mess with all the bird poop, but watching them is worth a cleanup day when they're done. GG, I'm with you. Every year, in late winter, my mom and I have a little competition - who sees the first robin, which is our indicator that spring is here. I won this year! Denise in Omaha

There is a lot of this going on. My TRES are doing the same thing, however there are no new eggs yet. I am going to mark the eggs and leave them in there. I would leave the eggs just "in case" and look for new ones in a few days. I am happy the adults made it through the rough weather and that my 5 baby Blues are ok too! I am concenred the Dees, TUTIs and Nuthatches that had babies in natrual cavities may not have fared as well . I went through 900 wax worms and 5000 meal worms (with help of the RBWP that also has babies). So I know there is hope. Leave the eggs for a bit, it cant hurt!

The story doesn't end there, I'm afraid. As I said, I plugged the hole in the nest box where the TUTIs nested. While I was distracted with them, a pair of bluebirds who have been hanging around here started a nest in my second video box which is in my back yard. I hadn't been paying enough attention because I had intended to put that one out of commission also. By the time I turned my attention to that box, the nest was almost done. Mama has been working on the nest and at the same time working with Daddy to feed the 3 (maybe 4) fledglings from their first brood which grew up somewhere else (I'd seen the parents come to my feeder and carry mealies off beyond my yard a few houses/never did find where the nest was; I'm guessing they got evicted by our little brown bird 'friend'). So for the last few days I have been so happy to see the whole family in my backyard, all 5 or 6 of them. They go back and forth from the mealie feeder to the top of the nest box which is not far away. Anyway, I WILL be monitoring the box as carefully as I can. My husband rigged up a cord that goes from the nest box to inside my kitchen. If I see a HOWR on the box or in the box, I pull on the cord and can shake the nestbox! Hope I never have to use it. The box is also easier to get to than the one in the front (no steps, yeah!). I have evidence that having the whole BB family around will offer them a lot of protection. As I watched (and recorded), a HOWR went into the nest box & started to pick at the nesting material with the intention, I'm sure, of throwing it out the hole. However, 'The Family' showed up and blocked the HOWR IN the box. I swear that HOWR must sit somewhere and watch the BBs cause it had the guts to go into the nest while Mama is actively in and out of the nestbox while working on the nest. Actually prior to getting trapped in the box that time, the HOWR had gone into the box & started picking at the pine needles but I chased it out quickly. So if you go to my dropshots page (guest password birdbrain), there's a new video 'HOWR gets trapped in box by bluebirds'. If you listen carefully to the video, you can hear the bluebirds 'chatting' while the HOWR quivers at the bottom of the nest. Not sure what the quivering is all about but I know that some animals (like cats, for instance) 'quiver' in anticipation of pouncing/striking. You can see that it tries to get out the hole twice to no avail (it seems to 'throw' itself at the hole). I was afraid that one of the parents was going to go into the box and get hurt. Yes, maybe there would have been a battle and the bluebirds MIGHT have won but I didn't want to take the chance so I opened the back door (this was before I had my 'shaker cord'). My two male dogs got out in front of me and not only chased away the bluebirds but also the wren. Amazing video, though! The nest is done now and when the first egg is laid, up goes the wren guard, and I go into active monitoring. Blessings, Lina... Here is a link that might be useful: Video HOWR gets trapped in box by BBs

I had a catbird using a robin's nest in my perennial g'house (roll up sides, and open to the air) up until last week. The robin had its eggs taken twice and finally gave up the nest for other digs. The poor catbird laid four eggs, and had been sitting for at least four or five days and we had a run of mid-ninety degree weather. She sat on those eggs with her beak open and panting. The structure had to be at least ten degrees above the ambient temperature. I checked the eggs daily when she left the nest and she deserted it. The last two days I checked, the eggs were cold. I have chickens who sit eggs and occasionally they'll destroy some in their nest and remove the remains. It leads me to believe they must be able to sense when an egg is not viable any longer. Perhaps the eggs from the catbird just simply fried in the heat. I had a dove try to sit a robin's nest in another location earlier in the year. She aborted it too, as it was in a busy location and I don't think doves are as comfortable with humans scurrying by as robins can be. You don't give your zone. It's a factor in how late a bird may nest. I have found blue jays babies on the ground dead after falling from their nest after storms in s.e. Ohio as late as October.