Sometimes the parents are able to keep the babies together, sometimes not. Once they start experimenting with flight on their own they can get spread out a little, but are still in the same area for the most part. In my experience, the babies start visiting the mealworm feeder about 2 to 3 weeks after fledging. At first they just sit on top of or inside the feeder and beg to be fed. It takes a while before they figure out that they're actually standing on their dinner! Kathy

Hi Liljanjan, I have no experience with Mountain Bluebirds, but that is a very interesting story. I think a crow could make a meal out of bluebird babies but not sure about fledglings. So you are saying by hanging up a crow near the box that deterred them? I would like to invite you to share your story and join the bluebird nut cafe and we will provide you with all you need to know about these birds. It is way more active and you will get fast answers to your questions. Hope to see you there. -Tyler http://bluebirdnutcafe.yuku.com/

Thanks Lisa, I like the thought of the little birds hanging out with their cousins from the barn nest who are their seniors by approx. a week. I imagine the single parent bird did have his wings full trying to round up his whole brood each night, and probably the first two nights were enough to ensure their safety. He or she is probably in need of a rest at this point. I hope the severe rainstorms did not endanger the swallows. If by "baby" you mean my cat, I did as always and kept her in during the hazardous fledging period, but she's in and out now. She's not having much luck hunting though; only a few rodents turning up on the porch. I think the rain this past week has halted/slowed the activities of all life forms.

My phoebes had skipped a year of nesting in their usual place (above the porch light fixture near my office door). My mirror set-up had scared them away. I should have realized that birds do not "like" mirrors -- but I didn't think about it at the time. I did see a bird pecking all day at the mirror, looking behind it, then pecking angrily at it when seeing the "intruder" again. That bird came back the next day to peck at the mirror again. I felt sorry for him wasting his time. But, I didn't think about the phoebes reaction being the same. So, they never nested there last year. I removed the mirror, but they still did not return to nest there this spring. Instead, they nested on another side of the house -- under our raised deck (same as last year). But, after the 1st brood was fledged -- THEY MOVED BACK TO THEIR OLD NESTING SPOT! So, the phoebes apparently got fed up with the disturbances created by our toy poodle (who is let out onto our raised deck several times a day.) The poodle would be walking directly over their nest, and possibly pissing over their nest. The nest building started May 25, 2021 and completed on the 30th or 31st. The mother was sitting on the nest on May 31, and there were 2 eggs in the nest. So, the first egg was likely delivered on May 30. By June 3, there were 5 eggs. All the eggs hatched on June 17 -- so, exactly 2 weeks after the last egg was laid. Interesting that all eggs hatched on the same day, even though each egg was laid a day apart. When I peeked, all the shells were gone. So, even tho I didn't see it, I assume that the parents removed all the egg shells. I also see the parents flying away with baby-bird poop. The poop looks like worms, and the parents carry it away from the nest. They either drop it or eat it (it is undigested food). Today is June 23, and the parents are often very busy bringing food. The bay birds are still too small to see without using a mirror over the nest. Here is a link to a very interesting article from 1937, detailing the observations of nesting habits of phoebes as studied over a 3-yr period. A few interesting details: Female does all the nest building. Incubation starts at varying times - sometimes after 3rd egg, sometimes after 4th, sometimes after 5th. The male apparently does none of the incubation. After fledging, the young birds remain close to the nest, getting farther way as the days pass. Both parents still feed the young after they fledge -- feeding them for periods of up to 18 days. Reliance on the parents gradually decreases. The parents may eventually show harsh treatment of the young to get them to go out on their own. Interesting. https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v059n03/p0410-p0417.pdf