Lisa, while I am very grateful for two successful nestings at my first attempt to host the blues, I did not get a 3rd nesting...and yes, I am very disappointed! Can't explain why...my blues have just totally disappeared, and everyday, I continue to look for them to no avail. I just keep looking at that nestbox everyday and NOTHING! Now, I have to wait until 2009 nesting season and that seems so very far away!

Donna

Donna, you SO look forward to it and then *POOF* It's over!Seems the season gets shorter every year. I guesit's age (mine) LOL.

I have had three nestings each year for the past four years.

This year I had three nestings from my first female. The first two clutches (three and five) fledged successfully, then, with five more eggs in the nest, she was chased away by a new female who built her own nest and began laying in a week and now has three 4 day old chicks in it.

I guess you could say I have three the hard way.

Dave

Mine have only had two, how soon do they usually begin another one IF they are going to?

Mine start winthin 10 days to 2 weeks after the last ones fledge.

Dave

I'm one lucky Newbie, because I'm on my third nesting my very first year doing this. I live in southern Delaware. This last nesting is a little odd, because I think my Mrs. took up with a new man, but there are four little eggs down there - so whoever he is he's done his job! She built and laid while I was away for a week, so I'm not sure of my time-table this time around. I'm guessing there will be babies by mid-week, but who knows? I could go down there and see a little mouth today... Can't wait!

Hi lisa and all,

Our pair has fledged 8 in the first two nestings, and has five more 13day old chicks peeking almost constantly from the 3rd nest. We hope to see them fledge early this week.

We're in St.Louis, MO.

Kenn

We seem to always have 3 broods, if all goes well. I've heard that Texas and Florida sometimes get 4.
Our 3rd brood starting hatching yesterday.
BlueBars

I (or at least "they") always nest three times here in Atlanta. Only the third one in my yard this year (I found the first two in nearby locations!) and the 5 babies are 10 and 11 days old now.

Lisa, here in central WI we only get two nestings. The first year I had two nestings in my yard but last year and this year I must have gotten a pair that had a failed first nesting as they showed up late so I only got one nesting here for the last two summers. At the park where I monitor BB houses, I have one pair that has two nestings each year. Then I had another pair down there this year which only had one nesting, I am not sure why she didn't nest again as I saw them often around the park. The one pair down there that always has two starts her second nest about a week after the babies fledge.

Donna

well Mine had one failed nesting, and then this last successful one with two chicks that fledged 2 days ago.
Although I am not certain this is the same pair that had the first failed nesting, one reason is the first pair had at least 2 fledglings that showed up during the nesting. But when the HOSP killed the chicks, I saw no more fledglings with this pair who immediately stated nesting in another box.
SO I have no idea if I will get a third nesting or not.
I have not seen the babies at all, just the parents the last two days. I see the parents in the trees, preening and sitting there, but I dont see fledglings anywhere at all

I'm in southern New York state and last year was the first time I had three nestings. So far there's no sign of a third this year, but I'm keeping an eye on the nestboxes. Haven't seen the fledglings from this last nesting either but that's nothing new!

A

This is my third year having Bluebirds nesting in my yard. both my first and second year I had only 2 nesting. This year the BBs nested somewhere else and then bought their 3 fledglings to my yard. They then had their second nesting here and fledgled 5 nestlings on July 8. I have not see any of those fledglings from either batch. The female started building her second nest a week after the 5 fledged and layed her first egg on the 17th and her second egg on the 18th. She has skipped a day since there is still only 2 eggs so far. This will make a third nesting for the BBs but technically two for me.

I forgot to add that I am located in southwestern Indiana. In a tiny town called Winslow which is about 40 miles north of Evansville, Indiana.

I forgot to mention too, that I'm in east central MISS...the first brood fledged 4/25 & 4/26, the second on 6/19...sometime later, I posted a message about their total disappearance...it was just such a mystery! Even now, I never see or hear them! Would weather conditions have anything to do with the number of nestings or is it based on "the urge"!!?

It's been so unbearably HOT here, and no rain I might add...maybe my little pair has headed north somewhere to cooler temps or perhaps Mom thought two broods were enough!
Boy, I sure do miss them!

Donna

Well, I live 45 minutes away from you and I usually get 3 nestings. This year the wrens took care of that!! They filled 4 of 5 boxes with sticks. All of the boxes are open so now no one can nest in them :(

Karen

Karen, where do you live??? I am soooo jealous of your third nestings!!! I don't have any HOWR, just the Carolinas and I love them...they nested in a wall planter about a 6 weeks ago and it was so much fun watching them from my den window..I was able to see the entire nest building through to the babies fledging!

Donna

Donna, I live in Michigan, about 30 miles north of Grand Rapids. Oh, don't be jealous......I have to worry one more time than you do :)

Karen

Hello to all, new member here. This is the first year I have had blue birds. They are so fun to watch. I have had two nestings so far. Mom and Dad are back and making another nest. I live in Estern Michigan.

Here in Central Arkansas I usually have 2, but the first baby from the 3rd nesting hatched today. If we hadn't had the problems from HOSP we had this year we would probably have 4. Though I don't think the female is the same for all 3.

Karen, it's 45 mins the way YOU drive...for me it's 1&1/2 hours LOL. Thanks everyone. What I have learned again is that you never can tell what the Blues will do! LOL

They just made a lovely 3rd nest yesterday. They fledged 6 the first time and 5 the second.

I am in Indiana, about 75 miles North/West of Indianapolis.

I live in Northern VA. I just moved my nest box from my fence (learned the hard way on that one) to a pole with baffle. I am noticing a male BB around today. Could he be searching for a nest site to bring a female to or is it too late in the year for me?
Thanks.

My first ever third Bluebird nesting has ended in disastor for Bonnet (Mama Bluebird). I do not know what happened to her but she is gone. The following is cnp from another forum so I don't have to retype all of it.

7/22
I have not seen Bonnet since the morning of the 19th. Blue (Daddy Bluebird) comes every morning and looks in the box, flys to the clothesline and sings and sings. Back to the box, another look inside then back to the clothesline and more singing. Then he flys off. He does this throughout the day. I checked the box again and still two eggs and I could still hear Blue singing. No feathers in the yard or any evidence of a preditor. If something happened it happened somewhere else. Probably a cat or hawk. There are pleanty of them around. I doubt that Blue will find a new mate this late in the season. At least incubation had not started yet. I hope if something did happen to Bonnet it was quick. I will wait and see but don't have my hopes up.

7/23
I am almost positive that something has happened to Bonnet. I have seen no signs of her at all. Not at the feeder, not checking the box, not up in the tree. I got up this morning and Blue is STILL singing. Three days of singing? THAT has never happened before. The last egg was layed the morning of the 19th which is now 4 days ago.

Since it looks like Bonnet is gone I have a few questions. IF Blue is able to find a new mate this late in nesting season I'm wondering about a couple of things I should do just in case. Should I removed the two eggs and take down the sparrow spooker. Won't a new female be scared of it since maybe she hasn't seen one before and isn't compled to go in? Should I leave the unused nest there to save a new female nest building time? And the heat shield should be removed too? I had to build a new one this year since the last one was falling apart being in the summer sun for 2 years. Any advice is appreciated.

Also, I think something must have happened to Blue and Bonnet's 5 fledglings since Blue hasn't brought any of them to the feeder nor taken any mealworms off to the trees. He comes and eats some himself though.

I checked the nest again just to make sure before removing the spooker and heat shield but there are just 2 eggs still. So I removed the spooker and the shield but I left the eggs and the nest as is. I am very doubtful that Blue will find a new mate this late in the season. BUT JUST IN CASE you never know what can happen in the Bluebird world. I'll wait a week and then remove eggs and save the nest.

My present blues are working on the third clutch for my little backyard, not sure whether the female and male is the same pair, never the less had 6 for the first clutch, 5 eggs laid the second clutch, three hatched.
The third clutch didn't turn out to good, they hatched but had ant problems which I guess got to them. Took down wooden post and put up conduit pipe post. It took them a week or so before they got started again, the female has been laying on 4 eggs for about a half a week now. I'm in middle Tennessee.
Keith

Hi,

This is my first year hosting bluebirds and we are on our third nesting. The first was 4 eggs, but only 3 hatched. The second was 4 females. The third hatched 10 days ago - only one of 3 eggs. I think this will be it because it's horribly hot. I'm in the Atlanta, GA area.

tara

Mollysg Where are you in Eastern Michigan??? I am in Romeo/Washington and have only got 2 nests per year in 5 or 6 years. I thought I'd get 3 this year but something happened to Mom and then Dad abandoned five 15 day old babies for some Jezabel and I haven't seen them since!!
Cathy

Hi, Cathy, I live in Oakland County. First time being a blue bird landlord. I can't believe it either. Sorry to hear about mom and dad, keep your fingers crossed you never know they may be around and you can't see them. I know my are very good at playing hide and seek. Good Luck Carol

Got 3 nestings from my pair in W. MD. 5/5, 5/5, and a new nest of 4 eggs last checked this past Saturday. Hopefully, there will be 5 eggs in that nest as well. Frankly, I was shocked (holding my breath), with the success.

This was a total surprise to me as the surrounding area is very heavily wooded. My other nest much further east only had two broods, 5/3 and 4/3 (due to fledge early next week).

This is my first year closely monitoring my boxes. Never thought I could be so happy to sit at a window with my face glued to a pair of binoculars watching a bird stuff it's face with wiggling worms! It has a become a passion and I hope we can ALL make our skies a little bluer.

Keith, I had tiny ants in my nestbox, too. I smeared Tanglefoot all over the pole and put a cork in the pole opening at the top. Will keep checking the box until day 13.

Linda

Lisa,
I'm from NW Ohio and I seem to always have 3 nestings. Last year I had 4 but I think that was because my mama left her new fledglings to fend for themselves when her mate died the day of fledging and she found a new mate the next day. My babies are about 10 days old today.
Tammy

I had hoped my Hussy Mom would nest a 3rd time but there has been no sight of her, Joe Daddy or the babies. Papa Blue was at the bird bath yesterday, I never found his nest with his new female. His babies should be either ready to fledge or have just fledged. Papa has never had a 3rd nesting.

Hi again everybody,

2 weeks earlier in this thread I wrote:
"Our pair has fledged 8 in the first two nestings, and has five more 13day old chicks peeking almost constantly from the 3rd nest. We hope to see them fledge early this week."

Well I'm happy to report that these five 3rd-Nesters have all fledged successfully and are 12days out of the box now.
Here's a recent photo of one of them being fed on our deck rail:

You can see a series of photos showing fledglings from all 3 nestings here.

Kenn

I am in Southern Middle Tennessee. I have had three nestings for the last 2 years. I started out with two nest boxes and have expanded to twelve. Almost all boxes had two nestings, and more than half have had three. I wonder if I could squeeze out a fourth?

I posted earlier on this post(Jul 23). The update is they all hatched and are about 3 days old now. So if they make it all the way, this will make 3 batches for me. Again I'm in Middle Tennessee.
Keith

We are in Northwest Mississippi, near Memphis, and had three nestings. We enjoyed watching the fledglings leave the nest for the first nesting, but missed the "graduation day" for the subsequent two. We also observed young from previous nests helping with the last two nestings. We saw four at one time taking care of the nest.
The fledglings from the third nest left last week while we were away that day. I was worried about them because it was so hot here, but they survived.
happy girl

I'm in Maryland -- just north of Baltimore. Our third brood just fledged yesterday. Unfortunately, mama BB has not been seen for quite a while. The daddy is working very hard, all by himself (no help from the 8 juveniles from the two earlier broods) to keep the babies in worms! I wish I knew what happened to her.
Joan

I'm in Middle Tennessee(Pleasant View/Clarksville).
Third Broods are fairly commonplace under good conditions. Numbers are very good this year.
I have one pair of birds on their fourth brood. They are the same pair that laid the first egg this year.
Not so commonplace,to get four, but the weather and food (no mealies!), are in steady supply, so I'm hopeful.