Thank you so much. I will make sure she has the mealworms first thing in the a.m. Does the mother just sleep all night in the house with the babies?

Whatever you do, don't try to feed the babies yourself.

Parkernicole goes the extra mile and dusts her mealworms with calcium which I confess I haven't tried.

I won't, but I will do what I can to make it easier for mamma blue.

She sleeps in the house with the babies for the first 6-8 nights, until they can regulate their temperature on their own. On our 1st nesting, she stayed longer since it was cooler at night. I always go check on her before I go to bed & see her little face through the hole when she's with them. The other nights, she will sleep in a nearby tree. We're all happy to help you in any way we can! Good luck to you & Mama blue!

I do the calcium because I had 2 fledgers last year that couldn't fly, so the calcium helps their wings & bones develop faster since mealworms are calcium-depleting (have lots of protein, though).

Thank you so much for all of the help and information. I will give updates today on how we are doing with the mealworms.

Well, my Mama Blue is determined to do the work on her own for now. I have spent my whole day watching the mealworms and hoping that Mama would become interested in them. She visited the babies all day long, but she never showed interest in the mealworms. It is dreadfully hot here today (mid-90's with a heat index over 100). I couldn't keep the mealworms alive for more than an hour at a time. Unfortunately, Petco only had three small containers (50 worms each) in stock, and Petsmart had none! I ordered more worms online, but I need to ration these until the shipment gets here. I am waiting for the sun to drop, and I am going to put a few more live worms in the feeder. Maybe she will see them then. I have the small open feeder about 15 feet from the birdhouse. It is attached to a small fence that the bluebirds sometimes sit on. I hope that she finds them soon so that she can stop working so hard in this heat! One of her babies from the first brood was splashing in the birdbath today. I'm glad her babies are still around.

I am so happy it's going OK so far! Praying for your sweet little family!

I wonder why your mealworms die so fast in the heat. It's hot here too and they don't seem affected by it.

So far so good. Yeah, we are actually in a "heat wave" right now. Some of the mealworms literally "cooked" in the heat. They literally turned black like they were charred. I put more out once the sun went down. Hopefully they will survive longer. It's supposed to be 96 degrees here again tomorrow.

I think your mealworms may be too small? They like the ones that are about an 3/4 inch to 1 inch in length. I used to get the "small" ones from Petco or Petsmart for first few days after hatching & the parents overlooked them, so I stopped buying them. You don't want the super worms, but I think I buy "large" locally (medium or large, can't remember?). Do you have a Wild Birds Unlimited locally (or local bird store)? They should have the exact size.

When I first started feeding mealworms, I put a few on the fence post where they would sit to get them familiar. Once they discovered them there, I put them in close by feeder & that was that.

Can't imagine her not being interested in mealworms. Hope it all works out!

Nicole

The worms I got are about an inch in length. I just don't think she has spotted them yet. I am hoping that I don't have to attach the container to the birdhouse because I am so afraid of drawing sparrows. I guess I will give her some more time this morning to notice them. If she doesn't I will get more aggressive about where I place the worms.

I moved the worms closer to the house, and Mama Blue is feeding them to the babies! I am very excited!

Yay!!!! Praying it works out!!!

Yes!!! So glad it's working out! The 50 count at our local pet stores are the tiny ones. Very happy to hear!

I am still not totally sure how many babies are in there. I think 4. I have been putting 50 worms out in the a.m. and 50 out at dusk. The worms are not real thick. They run 3/4 - 1 inch in length. Is this the correct amount to feed? Mama would certainly take more. Every time she sees me in the yard, she watches me from the roof like she's waiting for more!

Oh yeah, I went to Petsmart today and got the calcium powder to treat the worms. I want those babies as healthy as possible since they will be fledging with one parent!

Yay! I am praying hard for those babies!!!

I think you could probably feed a little more- especially since you're adding the calcium powder & since the babies are getting bigger. I just put the worms in a ziploc along with a tiny amount of powder & gently shake up. Then, I sift the powder out with a strainer.

I'm still wondering if your worms are the right size? The length sounds right. They can get as wide as 1/4 inch (maybe a little smaller). Ask to see a bag of dry mealworms at the pet store. If they're around that size, then you're good to go. I looked at an old container of live mealworms from Petsmart/Petco & they were the large size. So glad she's accepting the help! You're being a good landlord!

Nicole

Yes you are going above and beyond!

How are the babies? Still praying for your mom and babies!!!

So far, so good. I am in awe of how hard this single Mama works for these babies. I added extra streamers to the sparrow spooker on Tuesday because of a pair of female sparrows that have been lurking around. I haven't seen any males. Mama blue is aware of their presence and has become very aggressive about the house. She used to just watch me when I approached the birdhouse, now she seems on edge. She hovers over me and chirps if I get too close to the house. I also have TONS of finches around, so it is often hard to tell them apart from the female sparrows. (any advice there?)

Thank you so much for your well wishes and prayers. The babies will be 16 days old next Tuesday, so I am hoping they fledge next week! Mama is still doing great with the worms and I just got a big order in the mail from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm in PA.

Susan

Such such great news!!!! Yay!

Even better news...the babies have fledged! I must have calculated wrong. I noticed Mama Blue taking the mealworms to a grove of pine trees 100 feet from the birdhouse. When I went up to check it out, she started chirping loudly and hovering over my head. I checked the birdhouse, and it is empty! The next is clean.

I am eternally grateful for all of your help and support! I would never have known what to do to help this poor widowed bluebird. I am so thrilled that the babies are off and running.

Thanks again!

Susan

Yes, Susan! So glad to hear the great news! As long as she's taking the mealworms up into the trees, all should be well. Hope you get to see the babies back at feeder with Mana in a couple of weeks! That's always a joy to see! As far as you know, are they all able to fly? Congrats to you & your female!

Nicole

As far as I know, they can fly. I haven't seen any babies hopping around and the Mama is taking the worms up there. I really hope that I get to see the babies at some point. There is one baby from the first brood that I occasionally see splashing in the bird bath. It's been in the high 90's here all week, so he really likes the bird bath.

Those babies love their bird baths! Let us know if you see them again. Sure hope so!!

I will let you know. I certainly hope they stick around! I haven't seen Mama or the babies since Friday. The worms I put out yesterday a.m. and p.m. went untouched. They just died in the sun. I guess I will wait until I see her before I put more worms out.

That's how it's been for me since they fledged at my house. Very few worms gone and very rare sightings. I'm always worrying!

I haven't seen any sign of the babies or Mama now for a few days. A poster on a different forum said that this was not uncommon, and that I should see her back in a week or so. I hope he is right. I miss having them here. I also worry because we have corn fields on three sides of our property--that means lots of crows. I just hope the crows haven't hurt the babies.

The hardest part for me is when they leave. I miss them terribly!

Are crows aggressive? Sorry to be ignorant!

So sorry your blues aren't around right now, you two. I really hope they come back soon. Lisa, when do yours usually leave for the season? Wonder where they go? I know you must really miss them!

Don't know statistics, but smaller birds/babies can be lost to Crows. I worry when I see too many around. They're all out there just looking to survive. Feel bad for all of them!

Nicole, I never see them after fledge. This is the first year I ever have. I don't know how much further south they can go!

Seems like you would have been them year round! Hope they'll be coming to see you for at least a little longer...

I invested in a metal birdhouse pole and squirrel baffle. My husband is going to help me get it into the ground this evening. :) I still haven't seen any bluebirds since they fledged. Fingers crossed.

I sure hope you see some!!! I have so many extra mealworms I give up on the bluebirds and left them where mama brown thrasher could find them. She is roosting in a very open nest in a very low bushy tree. Just about 8 feet off the ground. Too high to see what she's got in there but the poor things have no protection against rain, snakes, or anything :(

Susan- so glad you got the pole & the baffle!Hope you get to see your blues again soon with fledgers!

Lisa- praying those Thrashers will nest successfully & that you will also see your blues again really soon!

I there is such a void without them! I miss them!

I know you do! Just don't understand why they don't stick around??

It's weird. They are the first harbinger of spring every February, have two broods, and disappear? We have plenty of bugs here!

They've come back every spring for years though, so they like something!

I haven't spotted any bluebirds in my yard since they fledged. I did erect the new birdhouse on the pole with the baffle. It is much farther from the house than it used to be. It's such a shame that house sparrows have to be such a threat. I really enjoyed having the house right off of my deck. I have a feeling my new house is going to remain empty until next spring. (unless the barn swallows move in). I have never had bluebirds around my house in the winter (Pennsylvania). I feed cardinals, woodpeckers and blue jays in my front yard during the winter with sunflower seeds. I see a lot of black-capped chickadees and sparrows as well.

So glad they always come back, Lisa. I know how much you enjoy them!

Hey Susan- I had to change the location of a box I had right off my porch, which was great for me, but not for them. They now nest in my front yard with all the bells & whistles (pole, baffle, sparrow spooker, heat shield). Can you see the new location from a window?

Yes, I can see the house from my window. It looks very isolated, but I guess that's the way it should be. Hopefully they will be back. I had ordered a bunch of meal worms before the babies took off, and now I have nobody to feed them to. I definitely don't want to be trying to keep meal worms alive all winter.

You and I are in the same boat with the mealworm surplus! I keep hoping they come back for some but the chickadees seem to be getting all of them!

Hi again. Still no sign of bluebirds. :( I do have a question... When I moved my bluebird house to a pole with baffle, I decided to buy a whole new birdhouse because the one I had on my fence had a metal roof. It's a decorative birdhouse, and my bluebird couple moved right in, but I had read that the metal can get too hot for the birds. Anyway, the new birdhouse that I bought and put up is larger with a 5-6 inch base. The hole in the front is the same size as my old birdhouse. I hope that my new birdhouse isn't too big to attract bluebirds. What do you think?

Hi Susan- Are you talking about the floor dimensions? They range according to what style of box you have (from 4" x 4" up to 5.5" I think). My other house is also decorative with a tin roof (smaller floor). That roof can definitely cause the heat to soar. My bluebirds used it before I got a proper bluebird box. Now, they definitely prefer the bluebird box. I'm going out of town for a couple of days, but would be happy to measure for you next week. In the meantime, ask on the other forum. There is a guy named Fred on there that is a total expert on bluebird box dimensions. Earlier in the season, there was a post about this that you may find helpful there. Is your hole diameter 1.5"? As you've read, there's not a lot of nesting going on right now.

Nicole