Day four - still no Dad, mom incubating on her own...

18 years ago

This was day four of incubation too. I would assume she is staying with these eggs unless she gets too lonely and starts looking for a new mate. She doesn't seem to go very far when she leaves the nestbox either as she always seems to be down there when I look, either poking her head out of the box or sitting in a tree near it. She does recognize me (I think) and the little white dish as a source of food, however I haven't been able to get her into the mealworm feeder yet, just on the ground. I have got her going about 20+ feet away from the nestbox to the white dish when I put out crickets/waxworms/mealworms for her, she LOVES those crickets, I always make sure she sees me put it down and I talk quietly to her. I took our mealworm feeder which is a wooden jailhouse style one my dh made and clamped it onto the top of a small stepladder, those three step ones, just to keep it off the ground as it wasn't made for hanging. The Robin has tried getting into it as she knows there are worms in there but she cannot get in. Momma Blue has watched me put the dish in the feeder but so far hasn't tried to go in it, will just go below it when I put the dish on the ground for her. I won't leave it on the ground long though cause the Robins will get everything then. Hopefully I can train her to go to the feeder, then I can move it a bit further away from the nestbox. This all would be much easier, I am sure if it would stop raining and I could be home all day long. Too much going on right now and stormy weather too.

I am going to try to order mealworms/waxworms from Sunshine tomorrow, I have been their customer for the past two years however haven't ordered anything yet this year. Hopefully I can get some mealworms from them. Thinking ahead what is good to have to offer when these eggs (if they do) hatch? I know when they first hatch they cannot eat anything too large, what would be good to try to help mom out at that point, praying I get to that point!

Donna

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Comments (8)

kenn3d
18 years ago
I'm sure sorry to hear about your dilemna Donna.

I don't really have any experience with such a situation to let me offer any advice. It sounds like you're doing everything a good host could do to assist your female. I really hope she can manage to hatch and fledge the chicks by herself. If you can keep providing the worms and crickets, she should have a much better chance with your help.

I wish you and your mama blue the best of luck.

Kenn
bonkers_for_blues
18 years ago
I agree with everything Kenn said! (He said it FAR better than I ever could.) I'll be pulling for you and your Mama blue, Donna! So sorry about your male. Hugs from someone whose been there!
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bonnieblueyes
18 years ago
Hi Donna. So sorry to hear about this. Are you absolutely certain papa is gone and not staying scarce? I have noticed over the last few years that the male always disappears when the female incubates. I think he does this to not draw attention to the nesting female as she is very vulnerable at this time. To much activity around the nestbox could draw unwanted attention and predators. I pray this is the case for you and papa is just being cautious for her sake. If it is absolutely the worst and the father is gone i think the mother will do great because you are very caring and will take good care of her. My little female sat for hours and only left to get a drink. I never saw the papa bird until two days after the babies arrived and he helped her with the feeding. Im sure her took her food but he was so sneaky about it i never saw him once. Im keeping my fingers crossed for you and your little bluebird family. Please keep us updated. We worry with you :-)
Bonnie
bet_from_ct
18 years ago
The urge to hatch those eggs is powerful.

I find that bluebirds usually don't feed large mealworms to new hatchlings, so you might want to get some medium or small. Diversifying food source is key.

Maybe better that it's later in the year - if it was cold and rainy, her being away from the nest while getting food (and getting wet) would be a big problem (hypothermia).

I agree it will be harder for her to find a new mate during incubation since she's stuck inside the box.

ALL you can do at this point (during incubation) is offer food, and keep an eye on things.
dzyg
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks everyone! I really don't think the male was just being scarce. I had been watching this pair for a week and a half before they started laying eggs. I would always see them together and I would always see both of them. If the female was in the nestbox, Dad sat outside watching. For all four eggs (being laid) Dad was there. If I went near the box I got scolded by both the male and the female. Then that one day as I was watching Mom just acted funny and that was when I realized I hadn't seen the male. Today was day five of not seeing him. I realized I could have missed him when watching but I really think if he had been around when I went down there he would of scolded me too, not just the mom. Now an update from today. I was watching and I saw a male BB! Watched them for a LONG time, lots and lots of wing waving going on by both but mostly the male. Mom would go in the nestbox, peek back out and then fly to the male who was in a tree near it, then she would go back in. She did stay in after awhile also and the male went to the nestbox at one point and peeked in. I went down during this and set some crickets out. Mom immediately went down to eat, male just watched and wing waved. When I went down there mom scolded me, the male did not. I think this is a new male but I guess I won't know for sure unless the eggs hatch and I find out if he feeds them or not, either that or if he gets her to start a new nest. What do you think?? I am going to post this question in a new thread too as I am curious what everyone thinks as to if this is a new male or not. Does wing waving happen during incubation by an established couple??

Donna
bet_from_ct
18 years ago
Wing waving is courtship... I have not seen it during incubation, although the male in the backyard sings a LOT while she is incubating.

I wonder if he will feed her in the box.
dzyg
Original Author
18 years ago
Bet, that is what I was thinking too that the wingwaving was courtship and not something that would be going on during incubation but I no expert, just learning. The male was here again today, still wing waving. I think mom tried to get him to come to the mealworm feeder today they were on a branch together and then she flew over to a different tree by the feeder, he followed. She then flew to the top of the feeder and sat there for a bit, then back to where he was and then down into the feeder, he didn't follow her though. Maybe she was trying to get him to get that food and feed her. LOL! I did see him once go from a tree branch to the ground and then up to the nestbox and poke his head in while mom was in there. Not sure if he had a bug or not, couldn't tell for sure but it "looked" like he fed her.

Donna
lisa11310
18 years ago
There was plenty of wing waving when my Hussy Mom quit feeding the babies. Poor Pop having to feed all by himself and fend off Moms "advances" at the same time!

Day four - still no Dad, mom incubating on her own...

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kenn3d

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Day four - still no Dad, mom incubating on her own...

Comments (8)

kenn3d

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