Sorry to hear this Tim. If I were you I would remove the HOSP nest and hope the blues return. I doubt you will get the female HOSP now that the male has left. In my experience with TRES I see them highly motivated to run off any bird in paired boxes when they are nest building. Once they are laying/incubating and feeding nestlings they focus much more on that then defending the other box. I have lots of paired boxes and that is what I have found anyway. As far as the Blues letting the HOSP take over the box...well they know they cannot win I suppose, no eggs or nestlings to defend so it is hard to say. I think each bluebird is different too on how hard they defend things. This year I have a hugely territorial male, never had one like this before. He has chased off my chickadees and is trying to chase off all the Tree Swallows in the yard. He is defending four nestboxes, two of these are 65 yards or so from the box they have eggs in. Nothing will be nesting in the box paired 35 feet from the blues nestbox...he won't allow it. The chickadees weren't even house hunting, just trying to eat out of the birdfeeders and he won't allow it. A couple times I have seen a HOSP come to the feeder and I quickly try to get the bb gun but the Male bluebirds chases it away before I can even think about it. He won't stop chasing until it is out of the yard too. I am curious to see if he calms down a bit once the eggs hatch which should be next week. Good luck to you, hope your blues can get down to business now that that HOSP is gone. Donna

Hi Gail, I very much enjoyed reading the story about the Bluebirds and your trail. Spring is SO sweet (especially after a winter like we've had this year) and having such lovely birds to share your life makes it all the sweeter! I don't have any nestboxes (my lot is open woodland and kind of brushy), but for 3 winters now the Bluebirds have come to eat the home-made suet mixture on the suet log. Except during the harshest weather, I have daily visits from these beautiful, friendly birds. They have become accustomed to my presence to the point where I can sometimes stand about 10 feet away from the feeders and watch them, talk to them, or snap a few pictures. They cheer me up during the winter. Once the weather warms up and there are plenty of insects, I don't see them on the feeders any more. Only occasionally, grabbing an insect in the garden, or on a bird bath.

Well I just keep watching them this morning and they are both fliting all over down there, wing waving like crazy. The momma did finally figure out the mealworm feeder this morning. I have it clamped on a small 3 step stepladder and this morning I took it off and just put the dish on the stepladder and she ate out of there. Then I put the feeder back onto the ladder and put the dish in it and left. She flew to it and then away but later I saw her go into it. Yeah! I am going to check the nest today and see what if anything is up in there as I haven't checked it since Friday. I am still not convinced that this is the original male but then maybe I am just overreacting to things. Donna

Hi Anita- so so sad! I truly hate to hear that news! The males are such beauties! The only thing I can think is pesticides. Maybe the males were hunting in a yard/ area where pesticides had been used & the babies were being fed from that same hunting area? If it didn't look like any foul play took place, that's the only thing I can imagine. Some babies are affected by heat this time of year, but it's usually when they're younger. You know what? There are lots of bluebird experts on bluebirdnutcafe.com. You may want to inquire there to see if anyone else has any ideas. So glad the TRES nest was successful! So very sorry to hear about your bluebirds! Nicole