Congrats to Connie and Newblue! We had our first egg on Easter Sunday last year... (March). And our Missy has just a few bits of grass formed in a thin circle on the floor of our nestbox, but her serious nestbuilding could begin soon I think. It seems early but perhaps we get an early Spring? Best luck to all, Kenn Here is a link that might be useful: Latest Bluebird photos

Renee: I really wonder if she will nest more than three times, regardless of how early she starts. In 2005 we had an early Spring here in Virginia and my first brood hatched out on March 3rd. I was so excited, thinking she might nest four times. When the third brood fledged in late June I really thought there was a chance. I cleaned out the nest box hopefully but she showed no interest at all. She had fledged 13 new bluebirds and she was DONE! I have heard that it has happened on rare occasion, but I have never talked to anyone who actually witnessed it. Anyone here ever see it first hand? Dave

I have 30 bluebird box's on a powerline rightaway that runs threw the center of the state. The birds are safe from everything but snakes. I use mesh sold at the hardware stores and i trap 90% of my snakes that way. Some get around it but its rare and some are found alive. On farms i place bluebird traps on barns that keeps them busy with those box's then when i show up i place van ert traps in the box and simple way to control sparrows, Most of my Martin colony's are in the town of Barrington one in Rehoboth MA and one in Smithfield RI I have my hands full. The local newspaper here did a story on my Martin work last year. And i have never had a newspaper do a story on bluebirds. I have tried. I will be a trail manager till i die. Ray

I guess the story is not over...as I said, little TUTI left at 1:55pm. At about 4:10pm, I heard a rustle in the birdless box (I left the nest there for now). The HOWR FRANTICALLY started to de-construct the nest. Grabbing nest material--fur, straw, grass, leaves--out of the hole! It was in a frenzy!!! It would grab something and almost throw itself at the hole to get the material out! If it went to grab a chunk of fur too big to take out, it pulled and pulled at it till it broke it down to a size that would go out the hole. Fast and furious. I did catch this frenzy on tape so I'll be putting that online in the next few days. I closed off the box for today. I need some rest. I can't imagine how such a little bird can do what I saw it do: peck eggs and throw them out, peck chicks and throw them out, attack almost-fledged chicks, and de-construct a HUGE TUTI nest! Blessings, Linda...