Three bluebird eggs already!
Wow! Now how’d that happen? Eastern bluebirds only lay one egg a day, so either I missed an egg when I checked on Wednesday, or mama blue put one in there right after I left. I saw her yesterday morning coming out after a long time inside the nestbox, so I had figured that would be egg number one. Then we checked the box this morning, and she had just flown out…egg number two, I thought. So, what a neat surprise when our family saw three eggs in there today! Awesome, we’re bluebird “parents” again!
Some of you may be wondering how we get the egg pictures, since our camera obviously can’t fit all the way in the nestbox for a straight down angle. We actually use a mirror…very carefully slid inside as we open the box (that’s my wife holding it in the picture above). The only problem is that the camera wants to focus on the mirror itself instead of the image that it’s reflecting. I have to use manual focus, which isn’t the greatest and easiest feature to use on our little Canon Powershot. Today we got some good ones, but since we try to hurry and not upset the bluebirds too much, we do get some that are completely out of focus.
Meanwhile the parents wait nearby, watching us closely. We try to be fast, but once the nestlings arrive, the male bluebird has little patience for us. He swoops down and nips at us as we quickly peek in and take our pictures. Today he either stayed out of sight or wasn’t around. The female usually just stays close but never flies at us. I know we’ve built some level of trust from last season and a year of feeding them, but the message is definitely, “I’ve got my eye on you, Heiser. Be careful with those beauties!” Ahhh, bluebird season is here. Can’t wait to share it with you! Dave
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Comments
Wow, Dave. Great pictures!! Isn’t God’s work in our backyards fun??!! You will have to check out my blog to see our bluebird story. Let me know if you need the address.
Ashleigh
…and you want more snow..tsk tsk!!lol!! :)
I think you are just going for the OctoMom in the blue bird world, Dave, and I think you just might find yourself the parents of many a blu!! You better order more mealy worms..your “flock” will want fed everyday!! twice, or maybe three times!
Great pictures of those eggs.. I tried the ole mirror trick too but my pictures never turned out as well as those you posted!! Great job!
Keep us posted!!
Wow! That was indeed fast. The photographs are great. Fingers crossed for the ‘Heels tonight! Yeah, too bad about Dook, wasn’t it?
Lol at Tina’s comments about you being Octomom Dave! I do hope you have lots of bluebird babies and I expect all of them to be eating out of your hand by the end of the summer
P.S. I had the siskins & redpolls eating out of my hand this weekend – check out my photos. I am now issuing you a challenge on the bluebirds…. :-)
How exciting! I wonder how many more eggs will arrive? My sister once got SIX – the usual for me is five. You did a nice job with the pictures. So neat for your son to be a part of the bluebird activity!
TO ANYONE…I HAVE 2 BIRD NESTS DOWN INSIDE POSTS ON MY FENCE
WITH 3 EGGS IN EACH. THE EGGS ARE SMALL, BLUE, WITH BROWN
SPOTS. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT BIRDS THESE BELONG TO? SOMEONE
SAID MAYBE A HOUSE WREN.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.
Wow, This is my first year putting out boxes and we have 3 eggs in one of them already!! I am so—excited. Any advise is appreciated.
Oh Dave—that is just so wonderful. I can’t wait to see the babies!!!! I remember last year when I was watching ours. I wanted so desperately bad to see the fledglings leave the nest —but missed EVERY one of them (I think there were three)… SO far, not much sign of Bluebirds at our nestboxes. But–it’s still early here on the plateau.
Keep us posted…
Hugs to your family.
Betsy
Thanks so much to everyone! It will be fun to keep you updated. I know we had at least two more eggs laying sessions over the weekend, but I haven’t yet peeked inside the box again. I’m planning to do that tomorrow (Tuesday)and show you the pictures later in the day.
Kay, it’s hard to say for sure. Check out this link for some different egg pictures and identification tips. http://www.sialis.org/nests.htm
Robin, that’s awesome! Definitely check out the Sialis website…it’s full of amazing info on bluebirds. Here’s the link: http://www.sialis.org/index.html
Oh Dave…I’m so jealous! My Bluebirds do not seem to like the new home I put up for them. Although it is much safer they liked the unsafe house with the huge hole better…go figure. My Woodpecker house I put up a few years ago to attract my Red-headed Woodpeckers so far has attracted everything but…and right now has a squirrel living there.
In answer to your question about where I find my Shrike’s…they seem to live and thrive near a dump where I take my garbage each week. Better than my backyard…huh? lol
What beautiful photos! I only just saw my first bluebird ever last year. We hope to make some nest boxes this year.
I’m looking forward to watching the bluebirds’ progress.
Well this is my first year to have bluebirds. I moved the box off of my tree and mounted it on a post in Feb. and had a bluebird couple the next week. I have been obsessed since. Feeding them millworms and bluebird banquet that I made. Yesterday I noticed 2 eggs in the box, that was April 1st. Does mama sit on the eggs? From my observations she doesn’t. How long does it take before they hatch?
Jim, she does sit on them but only after she’s finished laying all the eggs. Typically bluebirds will lay one a day, up to five or maybe even 6 eggs. Once she’s laid the last egg, she’ll sit on them regularly. It’ll take 12-15 days for them to hatch, once she starts sitting on them. Also, all the eggs will hatch just around the same time (within a day or two of each other). Have fun, and thanks for the comments!
I too am a bluebird “gramma” again! Just today I peeked in and we have 5 eggs! So exciting!!
Does anyone know about these cameras they put inside nesting boxes? Are they really expensive? Or something we can easily find and install? It would be so cool to watch them without disturbing them.
Debbie, welcome! I agree with you on the camera idea…that would be fun! I’m not sure on the costs or about the installation. We have a video baby monitor that I’m sure I could rig up….but we’re still using it now of course. :-)
Someone, somewhere sells them on the internet, I’d bet!
I am a first time bluebirder. I just built my first box and installed it in the yard on March 30, 2009. On April 5 I noticed the first sign of bluebirds taking a look. The next day they began building a nest. They seem very busy in the morning, but are nowhere around in the afternoon. This morning (April 9) both of them are working very hard on nest building.
Thanks for the site. I’ve been reading along and the info is invaluable. Looking forward to more. Joe
Dave,
I have a Bluebird nest on my porch,3 eggs,there were 4
the other day,one with a crack…it’s gone!
what’s up with that?…will these birds eat
Suet?…Mom is on the job…enjoy your blog.
Mike M….Kentucky
Mike M, thanks for the visit! Bluebirds will keep a very clean nest, so anything broken or unwanted will be quickly removed by one of the birds. Also, bluebirds will eat suet but only if it’s suet specific to them. Here’s a good link on bluebird suet recipes:
Dave: I’m not sure why saw 4 females fighting (appeared to be to death) two days ago. (April 14) I thought the mates were established during nest building. This fight lasted about 25 minutes and dwindled to 3 birds in the first ten. The last ten minutes I observed, there were only two females fighting. I was able to get within 25 feet of them as they seemed to be oblivious to my presence. Was I actually observing two females over the last two weeks building a nest? I thought it was a male and female, but after the fight I am not sure who was building the nest. Now today I have one egg in the box. I don’t see a male anywhere.
My daughter just found a blue bird egg on the ground in our back yard, I think maybe the wind has blown the nest out of the tree because I can’t find it anywhere. I’m not sure how long its been there but I told my daughter I would try to incubate the egg, how should I go about heat and other necessities to try and save it.
I put out my first bird house this year. I got action within a week. I went out yesterday and saw two eggs. Very fun.
what do u do if u found a nest that has fallen out of a tree and there are three eggs in it. what should i do?
Joe, sorry to be so slow in getting back to you…wow, that sounds like quite the fight! I’d say anything’s possible, but most likely it was just one female building the nest and then guarding her territory from the other intruders. Bluebirds are typically monogamous and cooperative breeding is rarely reported. Hope your male returns and that you have more eggs by now!
Kendra, again I’m probably too late to be of help but just for the record, the Sialis.org site says, “If you find an egg on the ground, it is unbroken and you know where the nest is and can safely reach it, you can try to gently place it back in the nest (eggs are very fragile.) If eggs are abandoned, it is not feasible to attempt to incubate them on your own. They must be maintained at an exact temperature, turned constantly, and young must be fed every 15-60 minutes with a specialized diet. If possible, the parents will re-start a nest elsewhere. Note: sometimes House Sparrows, House Wrens and other birds throw other birds’ eggs out of nestboxes.”
Gary, congrats on the quick results! You will so enjoy the next few weeks!
Megan, you can try putting the nest back into the tree if you can reach it and find a stable spot, but the eggs are almost certainly already a loss. There’s no telling how long the nest was on the ground before you found it, and the eggs must be constantly maintained. Sorry.
I just stumbled on your blog and enjoy it. I became a Bluebird parent last year for the first time. 3 in the first nest, 4 in the second, and now this year a whopping 5! I am so excited. I love watching these beauties. Thank you for the comment on the mirror. I am definitely going to use that trick.
My children found a bluebird egg in our yard yesterday. Not really what to do with it but I assume nature should be left to run it’s course. I feel somewhat guilty because many birds are increasingly endangered. Also, it would be very educational for my children if there were perhaps a way we could see it through to a release. Problem is I have no idea where to start.
Advice or comments are welcomed ~ 3wiggles@cox.net
Troy, thanks for writing in…there’s probably not much that can be done sadly. See the comment I wrote to Kendra just a few spaces above on April 30. Sorry.
Wonderful pictures, thank you for sharing them. I have a question if you have time to email a response it would be great. This is my first year with bluebird houses, we have 2. One has turned into a sparrow condo but everyone needs a place to live I guess. My bluebird babies just flew the coupe today, how long do I wait to clean out the nest so they can start again? Some have stated that I do not need to clean it until after the season is over , which I am not sure when that is either. We live northwest of Atlanta Georgia. Thank you for your expertise……
Hi, Susan! Clean it out right away. Your bluebirds will be much more likely to start another brood with a clean nest, plus you will avoid problems with ants. Definitely get rid of it quickly, and flush the box out with plenty of water. Then let it air dry before closing it up again. Click here for more info:
http://dheiser.myncblogs.com/2009/05/15/how-do-you-get-rid-of-ants-in-a-bluebird-nest/
Also, watch out for the house sparrows! They will kill bluebird nestlings! Here’s a link:
http://mybirdtales.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-heart-is-broken.html
We finally attracked bluebirds to our bluebird box. We have watched them for weeks. Today, my husband and I opened the box on the side and inside were baby bluebirds! It looked like four or five of them. However, there were small black ants crawling around. I tried to knock them out of the box but made the matter worse. What do I do, I am so upset at myself. Can I take the babies out and try to get them out of the nest or what? Please help!
Donna, use some Terro ant poison. See my post from last week about battling ants…should help!
http://dheiser.myncblogs.com/2009/05/15/how-do-you-get-rid-of-ants-in-a-bluebird-nest/
hey dave! we’ve had a bluebird box for years and today i just discovered a nest with an egg in it. will there be more eggs? i have yet to see any birds go in or out of the box. also, how and what do you feed bluebirds? they are so beautiful i want to keep them around.
Joann, hi! Hard to say about the egg you have… Since you haven’t seen any birds going in and out, it could just be an old egg from a previous nest. Alternatively, since bluebirds lay one egg a day usually and don’t sit on them until all four or five eggs are laid, this could just be the first of more to come! Could even be an egg and nest from another bird…house wren, house sparrow. Sorry!
Feed your bluebirds mealworms, and they will love you!!! You can get them online or at a local bird store. They’re expensive, though, so you’ll want to supplement with other food…ours eat sunflower chips and peanut halves from a plate feeder we have up. Hope this helps!
Dave, thanks for taking the time to write and answer my questions. After looking again, I noticed there are 2 eggs in the nest. There could have been 2 the first time I looked and I didn’t see the other one. I’m going to check again today. I did see the pair of bluebirds yesterday on my neighbors roof. I’m certainly hoping it’s their nest. I do have 4 dogs who are outside on occasion, but the dogs have been here for years…..and when the nest was built! So, I really don’t think they’d be a deterrent. Also, my husband cleaned the bird box a few weeks back, so I do know the nest is a new one.
Well, keep your fingers crossed for me! I’ll be doing the same! Thanks for your help….and I LOVE your blog! You have the most beautiful pictures.
Hi again Dave! I was too excited to wait to write again! I just checked the birdhouse and there is a third egg in it. Apparently, the birds are coming and going quite slyly. But that’s ok with me! I’m just glad they’re here! I’ll keep you posted as to the progress!! Thanks!
Bird house our son built few years ago he wanted to put on a tree in our yard just out our front patio door. Notice blue birds in and out few weeks back then nothing. But few day ago saw a blue bird in it. Today check with a flashlight and have 5 eggs. not very blue in color but a chalky very faint blue. I read 13-14 days to hatch? I am in Wisconsin. Any thoughts? Our 9 yr old is really excited.
Joann, congratulations! You are bluebird grandparents now for sure! Our couple also likes to perch on our neighbor’s roof. :-)
Denise, the five faint blue eggs are indeed a telltale sign for bluebirds, and 13 to 14 days is accurate, sometimes as few as 12. Our son has really enjoyed the experience each time as well…you guys will love it!
Not knowing your what your bird house looks like and where it is in the tree, I would caution you to be alert for predators. Snakes can enter a nest or birdhouse that’s not protected by some sort of a baffle (even on a tree). Raccoons can also be a problem, and bluebird houses not on a post out in the open are vulnerable to attacks from competing house wrens. They can destroy eggs and/or nestlings. I wouldn’t move anything at this point, and you may be completely okay…just be on guard!
HI DAVE, SINCE I’VE WRITTEN LAST, I NOW HAVE 5 EGGS IN OUR NEST! THERE MAY BE ANOTHER TODAY, BUT I HAVEN’T CHECKED. I’M THINKING I’LL LEAVE THE MOMMA TO DO HER THING NOW. I’M GLAD I NOW KNOW ABOUT HOW MANY DAYS TILL THEY HATCH. I’M WAITING ANXIOUSLY! I’LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THE PROGRESS.
THANKS AGAIN, JOANN
AND WOULDN’T YA KNOW…….WHEN I PEEKED IN THE BOX, SURE ENOUGH THE MOMMA WAS SITTING ON HER EGGS. ( OR MAYBE THE DADDY)…CAN’T BE SURE.
Loving your blog. Lots of useful info. My husband and I have put up our second bluebird house. The first one was taken over by sparrows. So, we now have the sparrow-resistant one and the day after putting it up, a male and female began building a nest. Now, we have 4 beautiful blue eggs. Now what? I know if we see an egg fall out, we put it back in the house, but what if, after they hatch, one falls out, do the same? And how long, after they hatch, do they fly away. I know I have so many questions. But we have gotten this far, I want to do all the right things. Anything we can do to be sure they will survive after leaving the nest? We have pine trees nearby, so I am hoping they will find them. And, how many times will the bluebirds lay eggs a year?
Thank you again for your help, Carol
I have another question. If I put out a tray of mealworms, will other birds also eat them? I am trying to keep the sparrows away, but I want to be sure the bluebirds have sufficient food and water. Suggestion?
DustinsMom (Carol), thank you! I’ve never had any problems with eggs falling out (or nestlings), so I wouldn’t be worried about that. Eastern bluebird eggs typically hatch between 12 and 14 days from when the last egg was laid, and the birds usually fledge (fly away) 18 to 20 days after hatching. It really can be anywhere from 14-22 days or even longer, but all of ours have fledged around day 19 or 20.
About the mealworms, yes, other birds will love them too…chickadees and Carolina wrens especially! Put them out in small quantities only when your bluebirds are around for sure…that’s my advice anyway!
Put a bluebird house up for the first time and have 5 eggs that I know of. Will the male and female bring the babies to the feeder? Do they normally feed at a certain time of day? Thanks for all your info.
Liz in Ky, hello and congratulations! Yes, once the bluebirds hatch and then fly out 2-3 weeks later, the parents will bring them to your feeder…but first, they’ll completely disappear for 7-10 days as they teach the new babes high up in the treetops. Some people call it “Bluebirding 101.” Once this school is over, the family should return. While they’re gone, clean out the old nest and they may repeat the whole process again this season!
I have had 45 babie bluebirds on my property in the last 5 years. Right now I have 4 eggs in one of my boxes. What confuses me though, is that the eggs are white (rather than blue). Is this a common thing? I’ve certainly never seen it.
Rick, wow! I defer to you…you sound way more experienced at this than me! :-)
I did look around and found that bluebirds do sometimes lay eggs that are all white (was news to me also). Check out this website for more info and some really good pictures:
I still have five eggs in the nest but I rarely see the parents around. We do have dogs in the yard (they’re in and out) and we spend time outside as well. Would this keep the birds away? I was sure they would be use to us, or not feel threatened, or they wouldn’t have decided to nest here? I certainly hope they didn’t abandon their eggs? What do you think?
Joann, by my count your eggs are on day ten, so they should hatch in the next two to four days. I wouldn’t be concerned until you get past that window. The bluebirds may just be more discreet than you realize, or with the heat, the eggs may not need as much sitting time. I would bet that the female is in there sometimes without you even realizing…don’t give up yet! :-)
Joann, we have had the same question. 4 eggs on June 4, only 3 now. Occasionally when I bring meal worms, someone flies out of the nest box, but often mom and dad aren’t in there. If 12-14 days is right, we should know soon. It has been cold here in Minnesota, so I don’t think they will hatch without some heat.
I used dry roasted mealworms this year. Robins aren’t interested in them — because the don’t wiggle? — but bluebirds still like them.
I now have five eggs in the box, and the fifth egg is spotted, not pale blue like the others. Should I remove it?
Alice, cowbirds will often lay eggs in other nests, so maybe this will solve your mystery (if your spotted egg looks like the one in this picture). Check it out, and please let me know!
http://sialis.org/cowbirds.htm
Here’s another page for different egg identification:
If it is a cowbird egg, it is protected by law and unlawful to remove. Learn more here:
Dave,
We had 5 eggs on June 7. Checked the house today and the nest is half gone and no birds around. What could have happened? We enjoyed them so much and now they are gone.
Liz in Ky, very sorry to hear this…sounds like it may have been a house wren. Here’s a link with info on what they can do and on discouraging them.
If you think it might have been something else, check this page with more ideas…
Dave,
Just found your blog tonight and have enjoyed reading the posts. My husband and I are new at being bluebird grandparents and I can’t seem to find an answer to one question that is bugging me. On June 6th we discovered we had 4 eggs in the nesting box. We didn’t check again until June 11th and found two baby birds! We are so excited! We checked again on June 13th and 15th and still just the two babies. What I’m wondering is….why haven’t the other two eggs hatched? We’ve been taking pictures each time we check. We plan to put up at least one more nesting box in our yard and hope to have other bluebirds come visit. We also enjoy watching all the other backyard birds that come visit our feeders. My husband is a woodworker and has been building bluebird nesting boxes and bird feeders for some relatives and friends who also enjoy bird watching. Thanks for any info you have to offer. Lisa
Lisa, hi! We have had eggs that didn’t hatch before also. At this point they won’t, so it’s advisable to quickly reach in and carefully get them out. Otherwise, if one breaks, you can quickly get problems with ants. Hard to say what caused them to fail, but here’s a link with some possibilities… Thanks for asking!
I am so excited! I went outside at 6:30am to give our bluebirds some meal worms. There are 4 eggs in the box. I had my mirrow and to my AMAZEMENT, I watched one of the little eggs hatch. What a thrill.
Thanks for site. I’ll be back.
Dotty
Dave,
The cowbird egg disappeared from the nest about 10 days after I wrote you on June 16. The eggs hatched and the babies have now fledged. When I cleaned out the box, I found no evidence of the egg having been buried. Maybe my smart bluebirds teamed together and got it out of the nest. How in the world could they do that??
Is it possible that we may have a third nesting in this box this year?
Thanks for all your observations and information!
Alice
Alice, they may have done just that! Possibly they pecked it apart and removed it that way…
You definitely could get another nesting this year. We have our female sitting on four eggs right now. This is our third go round! :-)
I don’t know much about blue birds other than that they are beautiful. We inherited a blue bird house that the last owners had. After noticing a 3rd round of babies, I became curious. Is that normal. It’s July 24th and seems an unlikely time for raising babies.
Cynthia, yes three nestings during the spring and summer seasons is common for bluebirds. They can even go as late as August depending on where you live. Glad you are enjoying them!
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Awesome stuff Dave! I missed Blue Bird season with you last year, so I look forward to this year!
Craig Glenn