Thanks!!!
Bluebird Question HELP!!!
So I have had a BB pair building a nest for the last week (and it looks done). I have been watching them a lot and I noticed that I only see the male come to the house without the female. Is she just eating a lot and trying to get nice and fat for when she lays eggs or something. I only saw her ONCE yesterday. Now I don't watch it 24/7 but I do watch it a lot and have not see the female a lot. I didn't see her today at all. Is she just getting ready to lay eggs by eating all day or is something fishy going on. I have had BB's for 3 years now and never saw this behavior before.
Thanks!!!
Thanks!!!
16 Years Old
Not a ideal location but still going to try!!!
Not a ideal location but still going to try!!!
-
Courtney-NC
- Posts: 592
- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:28 pm
- Location: Holly Springs, NC
- Martin Colony History: 2009-2015-Helped to manage Raleigh site, 36 cavities
2016- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 1 pair at home site.
2017- 34 pairs at Raleigh site, 3 pairs + extra SYs at home site
2018- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 5 pairs + extra SYs at home site
2019 - 32 pairs at Raleigh site, 7 pairs at home site, 2 pairs at new Holly Springs park site
Zach, I am not a bluebird expert but I will tell you what I have noticed with my blues here. In the beginning of the season, I don't see much of the pair unless I am up early in the morning when they are nest-building, which they only seem to do early in the morning, and then they spend the rest of the day off feeding somewhere. They don't hang around much before egg-laying, either. When they do lay, the female comes early in the morning, lays her egg, and then leaves. I don't see her much at all until her clutch is complete and she starts incubating the eggs, and then she will poke her head out of the box when I walk by. If you check the box and see there is an egg in there, and then the next day another egg, then I'd say your female is doing just fine and is just not hanging around much until she is ready to start incubation.
-Courtney
-------------------
NC Purple Martin Society (PMCA affiliate)
http://www.ncpurplemartin.org
-------------------
NC Purple Martin Society (PMCA affiliate)
http://www.ncpurplemartin.org
I am a failure with the BBs this year. Have 2 smaller BB gourds out and a little box house. Tree Swallows are dominating the too small box and I think the BBs are nesting in one of the gourds which is secured to a telephone pole in front of my porch.
Mowing my grass runway yesterday I moved a edge marker cone that the deer had nibbled away the top, making a 2" hole. There were 2 dead BBs in there. They get in and can't get out. Last mow I found a very beautiful bird with blue wing feathers that had black edges. That is the second year I have found a dead bird like that in an eaten away cone. They are way too nice not to have proper housing for them (no idea what it was)
Must do things better....
Mowing my grass runway yesterday I moved a edge marker cone that the deer had nibbled away the top, making a 2" hole. There were 2 dead BBs in there. They get in and can't get out. Last mow I found a very beautiful bird with blue wing feathers that had black edges. That is the second year I have found a dead bird like that in an eaten away cone. They are way too nice not to have proper housing for them (no idea what it was)
Must do things better....
2014 8 gourds, 3 pairs nested. Ended w/ 24 total
2015 24 gourds, 22 nests. Lotsa birds!
2016 24 gourds and good activity.
2017 32 SREH gourds. Great activity.
2018 40 SREH gourds. Good finish despite big storm damage. No more dangling gourds.
2019 56+ SREH gourds, all on 3/8 rods. Birds did very well.
2020 56 SREH gourds.
2015 24 gourds, 22 nests. Lotsa birds!
2016 24 gourds and good activity.
2017 32 SREH gourds. Great activity.
2018 40 SREH gourds. Good finish despite big storm damage. No more dangling gourds.
2019 56+ SREH gourds, all on 3/8 rods. Birds did very well.
2020 56 SREH gourds.