Hi all, Again a long time passes since our last post. But we'd like to share a few current photos now to let everyone see our Family Blue as of today. :) Mr.B (Father) : Missy (Mother) : Together: The five fledglings of their 1st nest (2010-1) : The six fledglings of their 2nd nest (2010-2) : They have a 11 babies so far this season (exactly as they did at this time last year). And Missy is incubating 5 blue eggs in her 3rd nest as I type this. We couldn't have hoped for a better nesting season... Please wish us and them continued success. Kenn & Temple ps to kendra - Sorry I didn't answer before now... Missy and Mr.B have been here continuously (every day) since 2007. We know them by sight, sound, and behavior just as you would know kept indoor birds. We get to know and recognize the individual fledges over the course of the season as many of them stay until Fall and a few over-Winter here with their parents. But we don't usually name them until the last few finally depart in early Spring. Here is a link that might be useful: Bluebird Gallery

Caye61542, so so sorry that you lost your baby blues from those nasty HOSP's. Never never let them nest in your bird houses. Always put up a sparrow spooker after 1st egg has been laid by bluebirds or any others that may nest with you. If you're not familiar with spooker, there is plenty of info online. Most people make theirs, but I bought mine. Make sure you remove it after babies fledge, so HOSP's don't get accustomed to it. They are really effective, but not always. The other thing that's critical when you have a HOSP problem is to get a Van Ert Trap installed inside your bluebird house (can order online & very easy to install). You can only use this when no birds are nesting. It can be removed during this time. What happens is when the HOSP enters, it sets the trap off & covers up the hole. Then, you have to get a big bag (I have large laundry bag with drawstring so I can see the bird & make sure it was a HOSP that I caught) & put all the way around house & open door for HOSP to escape. They will come out quickly, so make sure they don't escape. It's key to monitor hourly when you use this trap because you could trap bluebirds or other native birds as well & don't want them to die in box. You will then need to dispose of HOSP & try to trap the mate as well. I know some people don't want to dispose of them, but how else are you going to keep them from killing your bluebirds? There are humane ways to do it. The Sialis site outlines the entire process for you & gives other tips on how to control HOSP's. It's a personal choice, but definitely invest in a sparrow spooker. People that have serious HOSP problems trap multiples in a repeating trap that they use a decoy & millet to get them trapped. I'd be getting rid of that nasty HOSP that killed your babies! Best of luck! Nicole

Oh Nina,that is so beautiful and I am sure Gary would love it as he loved you.You did a great job in the design.These bluebirds really get under our skin in so many ways.I think of you often,you are always up to something good.We all love you.....Jane

Thanks Ken, We love to take closeup photos of our birds, to see all their wondrous detail and character. And we're always happy to share them with others who enjoy them. As for how... I'm happy to share that too. We spend a lot of time outside with the birds. We provide them with clean water and foods they enjoy, and they reward our attention to them by spending a lot of time with us. We have over 50 species of songbirds here which consider our yard to be part of their habitat, and we see many everyday which we recognize as individuals. Lots of them have names. These "regulars" are quite accustomed to our presence, and even expect us (and our treats) to be there. So they land and perch very near to us, and are not spooked by our near-continuous shutter clicking. Many of our shots are taken without the teleconverter because the birds are only a few feet away. So we get a lot of practice. And we have very cooperative subjects which do in fact pose for us... most especially our Bluebirds. Which is to say, every natural pose and stance and posture of each bird is eventually captured. They are every one beautiful, or funny, or majestic, and all fantastic in pattern and detail... from every direction and in all kinds of light. We take hundreds of photos every day. We try to choose the best of these for our galleries, and share them widely online, because we hope others will enjoy seeing them as much as we do. :) Happy birding all, Kenn