My bluebirds have been building a nest since early - mid week last week and look about finished, here in N.E. Ohio The latest weather I just saw, after 3 straight 80 degree days, says we are gonna be in the 40's by the end of the weekend! BAD!!! Cherry, Dogwood, and Magnolias have ALL broke out into bloom! Other trees are pushing out leaves. The trees are WEEKS ahead of normal. Really hope my blues don't get a cold spell. Like tobygirl, I also lost a nest of blues to a sudden cold snap. One evening they were very poorly tending to the young. It was around 70 then. The next day, 50! 4-5 nestlings starved to death. I pulled the plug on the attempt after observing them laying in the nest stiffly, with no ability to chirp and couldn't raise their heads. When there were winds and cold rain. ~Tim~

I don't know if this will help or not, but I think sometimes they just change their mind and find another box more to their liking. I had BCCH wait for the TRES to leave their box and start jamming nesting material in. Every time the TRES came back they would kick them out, but the BCCH just kept at it for about a week before finally giving up and moving to another box. The BCCH have no chance against the Blues, so I wouldn't worry about it. They will probably just move back to their original box once they figure out they can't have the Blue's box.

Hi Gail, I very much enjoyed reading the story about the Bluebirds and your trail. Spring is SO sweet (especially after a winter like we've had this year) and having such lovely birds to share your life makes it all the sweeter! I don't have any nestboxes (my lot is open woodland and kind of brushy), but for 3 winters now the Bluebirds have come to eat the home-made suet mixture on the suet log. Except during the harshest weather, I have daily visits from these beautiful, friendly birds. They have become accustomed to my presence to the point where I can sometimes stand about 10 feet away from the feeders and watch them, talk to them, or snap a few pictures. They cheer me up during the winter. Once the weather warms up and there are plenty of insects, I don't see them on the feeders any more. Only occasionally, grabbing an insect in the garden, or on a bird bath.

Great shots Kenn! I am still wondering if our Blues here in our yard will nest again. It is kinda late for here in WI but they only had one nesting as they were way behind the other Blues in the area. They maybe had a failed first nesting elsewhere. It has been a week today since they fledged, I have noticed Dad keeping an eye on the nestbox, a wren was checking it out and he chased it away. I haven't seen the babies come into the backyard yet though, they are keeping them in the woodsy area yet. One of our Blues at the park is on their second nesting, the four eggs just hatched day before yesterday. The other pair down there I "think" chose not to do a second nesting, either that or they found a natural cavity as I see them enough down there but they haven't started another nest in any of the empty nestboxes. Donna