mlkbskt...where are you located? I am in WI and we normally get two nestings per season. First one is just finishing up right now, babies are on day 17 today. If your pair are checking out the box again there is a very good chance they are planning on nesting again. Twice I had a pair that only nested once and they never checked boxes out but the pairs that were planning on nesting again have always checked the other available boxes. Mine sometimes take the same box and sometimes a different box, just depends on what is available and if their first nesting was successful or not. I normally see fledglings about 7-10 days after they fledge, that is about the time frame when they start following the adults more and will follow them to the feeder. Is this your first year with Bluebirds or have you had them before? Glad to see in your other post that you didn't open the nestbox to check on your Baby Blues, I knew you knew about sialis and read it but the wording made it sound like you had opened it. I almost opened the box to check the baby Blues on Saturday thinking it was day 13 but I looked at my notes again and realized it was day 14 so my last check had been on Friday and I wasn't going to risk looking again. Probably would have been ok though, they seemed a bit smaller than normal to me and here we are on day 17 and I haven't seen any peeking yet, mom and dad still going in the box at feeding time too. Maybe with six mouths to feed, they just need a little more time in there, hopefully they stay in there as long as they need to. I hate having non flyers at fledging time! I have 10 nestboxes on our property and 5 at a park near us. Had 46 TRES and 6 Chickadees fledge so far this season from them. Six baby Blues should be going any day now and just yesterday I found a new Bluebird nest being built in a box on our back property line. So I should have two second nestings of Blues...I know the pair nesting now will nest again as they have been checking out the houses and for the first time in the past six years I got the same female back that I had last year. Never had that happen before as they don't overwinter here. The reason I know this is because she isn't the normal blue of the bluebirds, she is more of a skyblue in color, plus I didn't have to train her to come to the mealworm feeder like I have always had to do before.

Congratulations Ron, Our pair is currently incubating their 4th nest(Day9)... which is also a first for them. It is hot here too, so you might be right about that affecting their decision to go again so late in the season. Best luck to all with active nests now, Kenn & Temple Backyard Birders in St.Louis, MO Here is a link that might be useful: Kenn & Temple's Bluebirds

What a great picture. I think it has been an amazing year for so many of us. There have been quite a few that have had three broods this season. Hopefully there will be lots of Blues around in the spring. Congratulations on three successful broods your first season. That is just wonderful! They do get you hooked. I never would have believed I'd grow bug larva in my home. But I love having plenty of mealworms on hand for them.

Thank you both! I listened to the song of the red-eyed vireo and I suspect that's what I've been hearing and attributing to the wrens instead... the nest is fascinating though awfully low to the ground! I looked these birds up and it sounds as if one chick would not be unheard of ... I will have to research them some more... thanks again! A new one for my list!