Hi! I have had a hatch at 23 days. Do you have another box?

Thanks lisa and griffin for your replies. Sadly, I report that the eggs are still there unhatched. I suppose after all this time that the eggs may not be fertile. Should I remove the nest completely, clean the box and hope for a better result next year?
Do you think it's possible I scared the parents away by checking on the box. I flushed the female out once, not on purpose but she heard me walking up to the box I guess and flew out. I'm bummed because now I think it may have been my fault the parents left.

You did nothing to cause this. I doubt there are many of us here that have not accidentally flushed a female from her nest. Since you said the female was brooding, the eggs were probably just not fertile. Birds will only sit so long before they figure that out and abandon the nest.

I guess that's one of the main reasons it's important to monitor nestboxes regularly and to keep a record of your observations. A few years ago, on one of my trails, I had a female bluebird whose first clutch of eggs was always infertile. She usually made 3 nesting attempts and sometimes would get one or two eggs to hatch in the 2nd brood and then the 3rd clutch would be a little better. It was hard to remove the eggs from the first nesting but I kept extremely careful records and knew they wouldn't hatch. I even gave the eggs an extra week beyond the 14 days before candling them. Removing the eggs allowed her to get on with the next nesting a bit quicker than she would have on her own, but she would eventually have abandoned the nesting.
I remember one year only 1 egg in her 2nd nesting hatched and that was the fattest nestling I've ever seen! I began to doubt that he'd fit through the entrance hole when it was time to fledge, but he made it! She sure was a good mama.
Kathy

Thanks Kathy and Kendra. I feel better about the situation now that I am more informed. I will clean the nest box and hope they return next year.

I know im late but i had a Eastern Blue Bird egg (3) of them they been left my the mother and it took 25 days for it to hatch

Cameron- did all 3 hatch? Are the nestlings ok? Are the parents feeding them? 25 days is a long time. Was it unusually hot or cold? Hope they're ok!

I have a pair of blue birds who built nests in 2 different houses. She laid 5 eggs in one of the houses. Yesterday, was Day 14. The mama stopped sitting on eggs. Now, this morning they're going to the other box. Looks like they may be starting over. They both checked on the 5 eggs this morning but didn't enter the box. Am I to assume the eggs aren't fertilized?

I have in previous years had great success with multiple hatches in several boxes. This year, however, in 2 boxes 5 eggs each were abandoned. In the first box I eventually removed the eggs and now the pair is showing activity in this box. The second box, I left alone to see if the pair returns. I also entice the birds with mealworms near their box. I only wonder fi my horses in the pasture in which the nesting boxes are placed cause the birds to abandon their nests. In previous years that has not been the case.

Very odd things happening with my houses this year. I had bluebirds in one house that laid 5 eggs. For the most part I try to stay away so they don't get spooked. In this case the next time I checked there was one fledgling that I saw but he didn't seem ready to fly away yet. But when I checked 2 days later there were no babies or eggs. The nest was empty. This box was protected with the mesh on the opening. I'm hoping time just flew by and the brood hatched and fledged in my absence! Will the parents start a new brood in the same nest or should I clean the box out for them to start over?

I had another box that had activity, 5 eggs layed and a week later no eggs or babies. I fear they were killed since it was an old house from last year and it did not have the protective metal mesh at the opening.

I have a nest nearby with the mesh protection. I kept checking and there was no activity or eggs. Then suddenly there was one egg!! I assumed the mom would lay more. I checked for 2 days, still only one egg. The third day the egg hatched with a tiny bald with a little fuzz baby bird. I kept watching from a distance and I did not see the male or female going into the house. I skipped looking inside the box today. I wanted to stay totally away. Tomorrow I will check again. I hope the little guy is okay.... Is it unusual for a female to lay only one egg? I'm thinking that perhaps the pair that were in the other box moved to this box when a predator got their other eggs..... Thus only one last egg to lay??? The box with the one egg is about 20 feet from the empty box. Perhaps this is part of that brood? Can the mom or dad move an egg or did she just lay it in a different box??

I have another box about 100 feet from that one protected with the mesh that some sparrows have taken over. They have built a nest and hang out in front of it on the mesh opening and on top of it but no eggs for well over a month. Perhaps they are the culprits that got the 5 bluebird eggs. Very strange that they built a nest and aren't using it. I know they will build several, one as a decoy or to give the female a choice, but I don't see that they've done that unless they are planning to take over the bluebird box. I will be keeping a watch on that....

I'm on day 23 and still no hatch. She is still brooding - is it okay to remove nest?

Bluebirds are protected and eggs should not be removed until the bird starts to build a new one over the eggs or she leaves. It is Said should wait 4weeks after the last day expected hatch date.

I have a blue bird who has gone past her 21 days Definitely past 25 days. She still sits on the eggs daily but I don't see anything happening with the eggs. Should I discard the eggs? it saddens me to so this because I feel for momma bird. But at the same time I don't think its good for her to continue sitting if the eggs aren't going to hatch.

Hi my name is Lisa. It is August 9, 2023. Today is day 20 and the female is still sitting on the 4 eggs she laid. None have hatched, however she continues to rotate and tend the eggs. The male bluebird vanished 1 day after she laid her 4th egg. I I am in central GA and we are in the thick of daily temps 90° and above. Should I wait until she gives up or should I remove the nest and eggs? This is such a hearbreaking situation. It is difficult to know what I should do.

Its late August in nort New Jersey i have 3 bluebird eggs in the nest should i remove the nest