My little girl has laid an egg. How fussy are the Bluebirds. May I stick my nose in there without triggering a national alert? How many eggs over how many days does this little lady lay?
This is a first, for us although we have always had them, in the area. This year we have proper boxes, proper placement and they love it. There are two nesting couples, in this small general area. The other couple is using our water but nesting near by. They also liked our nesting materials, for some reason. Nothing special at all. The water may be the attraction.
BLUEBIRD QUESTIONS
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Guest
Docgipe - This is our first year to have a bluebird nest also. They are pretty tolerate of us checking their nest. She laid 3 eggs and over the course of about a week, she laid 6 eggs. Only 2 of 6 hatched. We do check on the little ones, but I try to make sure she is not in there. She normally feeds them all morning and goes away with dad all afternoon. I do check on them kinda late afternoon. We read in a bluebird book that you can check on the chicks until they are about 13-14 days. After that, you cannot, due to making them fledge early. It's been a lot of fun having the bluebirds nest this year. When these fledge, I am going to take out the old nesting and maybe we will get a second clutch.
Have fun w/your BBs.
Lanell
Have fun w/your BBs.
Lanell
Docgipe
Their very tolerant to nest checks. I've had mothers stay on the nest while opening and looking in. Keep track of the eggs and dates. Theres away to determine the hatching and fledging date just like Martins. I believe the number of days are different. I'm sure someone will tell you for sure.
Their very tolerant to nest checks. I've had mothers stay on the nest while opening and looking in. Keep track of the eggs and dates. Theres away to determine the hatching and fledging date just like Martins. I believe the number of days are different. I'm sure someone will tell you for sure.
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Guest
We have had many bluebirds over the years. We have a bluebird trail with about 25 houses. We have learned the following:
The bluebirds are very tolerant of nest checks. We check every other morning until the babies are beyond pin feathers, at which time we don't want to cause them to fledge prematurely. Nest checks are important (especially during second and third clutches) to inspect for blowfly larva. If blowflies are a problem or a nest becomes waterlogged we replace it.
Bluebirds can raise as many as three clutches in a season. The first nesting takes the most time and they build the most elaborate nest. In the first clutch they will normally lay between 4 to 6 (5 average) eggs. In the second clutch (often not in the same house) they will build a reasonable nest (we clean the nests out immediately after they fledge) and they will lay three to five eggs. The third time around they really throw a nest together in a hurry and lay three to four eggs.
It is interesting that the juvenals from the first clutch help feed the fledglings from later clutches. We feed meal worms from our deck and they come every morning and evening for meals.
We really appreciate our bluebirds and tree swallows since we have not yet been able to establish a martin colony.
Jeff Nelson
The bluebirds are very tolerant of nest checks. We check every other morning until the babies are beyond pin feathers, at which time we don't want to cause them to fledge prematurely. Nest checks are important (especially during second and third clutches) to inspect for blowfly larva. If blowflies are a problem or a nest becomes waterlogged we replace it.
Bluebirds can raise as many as three clutches in a season. The first nesting takes the most time and they build the most elaborate nest. In the first clutch they will normally lay between 4 to 6 (5 average) eggs. In the second clutch (often not in the same house) they will build a reasonable nest (we clean the nests out immediately after they fledge) and they will lay three to five eggs. The third time around they really throw a nest together in a hurry and lay three to four eggs.
It is interesting that the juvenals from the first clutch help feed the fledglings from later clutches. We feed meal worms from our deck and they come every morning and evening for meals.
We really appreciate our bluebirds and tree swallows since we have not yet been able to establish a martin colony.
Jeff Nelson
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Guest
Thank you all very much. More years ago than I like to admit I took an ornithology course, with Dr. Smeyth at Shippensburg University. It was a field course. To our elated surprise we had Roger Troy Peterson as a guest professor, for two days. My first absolute sighting, of a Bluebird, was, on that second day. The highlight, of the experience was Roger responding, to a call identification, was........."Catbird until proven otherwise". I used that answer, for one sound identification, on my field test. The professor let it slide, for the points that got me an A, on the test.
That was one college course that truly started a hobby that lasted a lifetime. I think I may be down to a "C" student, for the time being.
Now you folks challenge my almost retired, or just tired, education, to get up and keep going, in my senior years. I never thought I would get excited working with the birds at this point in time. We have and it is good. I hope, to be able, to do the whole bit with you all this summer, with or without the primary critters cooperating.
PS: I dug about the attic and even found my signed Peterson field book peeked today. My little BB lady is busy as a bee but not laying eggs yet. The way she is acting my guess is any day now.
That was one college course that truly started a hobby that lasted a lifetime. I think I may be down to a "C" student, for the time being.
Now you folks challenge my almost retired, or just tired, education, to get up and keep going, in my senior years. I never thought I would get excited working with the birds at this point in time. We have and it is good. I hope, to be able, to do the whole bit with you all this summer, with or without the primary critters cooperating.
PS: I dug about the attic and even found my signed Peterson field book peeked today. My little BB lady is busy as a bee but not laying eggs yet. The way she is acting my guess is any day now.
Last edited by Guest on Mon Apr 10, 2006 8:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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CurtWelling
- Posts: 185
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Versailles, KY
Remember the spacing on your BB houses. You put my BB houses out in pairs, about 20-21 feet apart. That way, you will usually get a BB pair in one house and a tree swallow pair in the other. The pairs should be at least 300 feet apart because a BB will protect a 150 foot radius from other bluebirds.
I've been using this spacing on my farm for 4 years now. I'm absolutely swamped with tree swallows which were scarce before I moved here and the bluebirds have doubled or tripled.
The only birds that have decreased are the S&S and unfortunately the barn swallows moved on when I remodeled the old house.
I've been using this spacing on my farm for 4 years now. I'm absolutely swamped with tree swallows which were scarce before I moved here and the bluebirds have doubled or tripled.
The only birds that have decreased are the S&S and unfortunately the barn swallows moved on when I remodeled the old house.
Curt Welling
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Guest
Curt..........I am seeing exactly what you describe except no Tree Swallows yet. I'm not sure we have them. Oh my I must be lucky because I only have space for two boxes about fifty feet apart. My male is doing his duty watch. I have competing boxes near by but my awareness, of position, entrance orientation and box desires along with luck have encouraged the first investigating couple, to use our box.
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Guest
Greetings!
Mama BB will lay one egg a day, usually in the morning, and then will proceed to incubate. Eastern bluebird eggs will hatch in 13 days, and babies will fledge in 16-19 days. I put out a few mealworms in the morning and evening so Mama BB won't have to leave her eggs too long.
Mama BB will lay one egg a day, usually in the morning, and then will proceed to incubate. Eastern bluebird eggs will hatch in 13 days, and babies will fledge in 16-19 days. I put out a few mealworms in the morning and evening so Mama BB won't have to leave her eggs too long.
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Guest
We have a number of BB nests with eggs on our bluebird trail here is southwest Michigan as of yesterday. I think our BB's get off to an early start since a good number of them over-winter here on our property. We feed them meal worms year-round and they have good sheltering wooded areas with lots of fruiting trees and shrubs to provide sustenance through Michigan winters.
We have a mile of trails on our property that we walk every day. This time of year we have to start our walks in the dark in order to enjoy the walk and still get ready for work on time. Even in the dark the bluebirds are singing from all points of the compass. Their distinctive call stands out from all of the other birds.
Our bluebirds were the inspiration for tee shirts and cotton totes we designed with a bluebird on them that say 'When I am blue teach me to wear it like the bluebird'. You just can't listen to the BB's singing and be down at the same time! The thought was that selling the shirts would cover the cost of meal worms. Keeping bluebirds in meal worms year round is not cheap the way they go through them!
Jeff Nelson
We have a mile of trails on our property that we walk every day. This time of year we have to start our walks in the dark in order to enjoy the walk and still get ready for work on time. Even in the dark the bluebirds are singing from all points of the compass. Their distinctive call stands out from all of the other birds.
Our bluebirds were the inspiration for tee shirts and cotton totes we designed with a bluebird on them that say 'When I am blue teach me to wear it like the bluebird'. You just can't listen to the BB's singing and be down at the same time! The thought was that selling the shirts would cover the cost of meal worms. Keeping bluebirds in meal worms year round is not cheap the way they go through them!
Jeff Nelson
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Guest
OOPS!!! I had recorded one egg two days ago. Today there were two. So now I have either two or three eggs. There is some fluff in the nest that looks like shredded white polyester material. One or two of those eggs could have been hidden yesterday. I did not go poking about. So all is well with the ma ma BB. She is hanging close in the AM. When the temperature got up to seventy today with full sun on the house she chased about the property with her man watching all goings on to, fare the well.
I have a mechanics inspection mirror on my wish list.
I have a mechanics inspection mirror on my wish list.