I would like to invite you to join the bluebird nut cafe forum. It is much more active than this site and we have many veteran bluebirders that can give quick answers. Check us out! http://bluebirdnutcafe.yuku.com/

That happened to me for the last nesting of the season last year. My female built her second nest, layed two eggs and was never seen again. I left the eggs for 2 weeks but no change. The male would come several times a day checking on the nest and I could hear him singing all day. I finally removed nest and eggs and the male quit checking the box. I could hear him off in the distance singing and singing for a new mate but it was way too late in the nesting season. After several weeks I dind't hear him any more. Renee

Judy, I would observe the box for a couple hours at a time and make sure you know if anyone is showing up. Also, you can place an obstruction like a blade of grass in the hole, and if it's gone you may have activity. Make sure the wind can't also remove it. It's hard to say exactly what happened to the mother. Hawks, owls, pesticides, car accidents, etc. All possibilities. Unless you find a body, you might never know. I've had several parents go disappearing and I know the sad feeling and thought about what may have happened. I've lost several female bluebirds, and just this year, my first couple male bluebirds. It's a tough world they endure. If they're truly abandoned, try to find the number of a local wildlife rehabber and give them a call. You should look into this BEFORE an emergency occurs. Its good that you're feeding, but don't force feed them! ~Tim~ Here is a link that might be useful: Bluebird Widows, Widowers and Orphans

We moved into our house in March, and I was so excited to find that the previous owners had a bluebird box up and that we had a bluebird pair checking it out. Im honestly not a bird person but I am partial to bluebirds because they remind me of my mom. For 2 months I saw the bluebirds every day and there was a nest inside. One morning I woke up to find the front of the box on the ground. There were no eggs and no sign of any struggle and the nest was mostly in tact. We closed the box and secured it and within a couple of days the bluebirds were back and clearly working on their nest. The male was scaring off the other birds and I saw the mama bird peeking her head out from time to time. I thought all was well. Then about 2 weeks ago it seemed like they weren't coming around as much. The male was nowhere in sight so I went to check on the box and when I went near the hole, the mama bird flew out and startled me. That was the last I have seen of my bluebirds. About a week later, my husband opened the box to check on it and found the nest with an egg underneath. We closed it back up and waited but still saw no sign of the bluebirds. A few days ago, he took a closer peek, digging around a bit with a stick, and this time he found 4 eggs. We think they were probably all there the first time but he didn't dig so he only saw the one. All the eggs were under the nest, not on top like I'd expect. Still, we were hopeful that the mama was just being sneaky about when she came around, so we closed the box back up. Then yesterday I noticed something hanging out of the box so my husband checked again. 2 of the eggs were in pieces (the thing I saw poking out was a bit of shell) and 2 remained in tact. We took an egg in the dark with the flashlight and it looked empty so we cleaned out the nest in hopes that they will come back and start fresh. I'm so upset that this happened. Is it possible that by peeking in that one day I scared the mama enough to abandon her eggs?? I feel awful that I might be the reason for them leaving, and am looking for advice on how to get them to come back, and what to do differently so that we have more success next time. I so miss seeing them every day.