Strange Behavior or Common

[PMS in Virginia]

Thank the Lord! One pair back this year after missing 3 years (snakes). Perfected snake guard this year by placing bird netting on top of the 8" sewer pipe around the telescoping pole.

Question/comments: About one week ago watched as 5 fledgings left the gourd
Since then I have seen 5 birds in the air at one time
Now see only 3 birds flying around during the day. Reckon hawks got the
others?
During the day see constant activity in and out of the gourd as if feeding???
At dusk I see roosting activity
I did not do any nest checks at all this year
Now, rather than go to the trouble of removing netting and lowering the
gourd arrangement......Can someone offer comments etc. as to what may be
happening.

[PMS in Virginia]

Could not stand the suspense any longer and lowered the gourds ......just as I wondered there are 4 or 5 babies with feathers....guessing half grown. Now, how did this happen. I watched 5 fledge from that same gourd about a week ago. I have heard of strange things but would like to hear of some other theories.

[pmlover]

maybe you had babies in two gourds. Since you havn't done any next checks you may of missed it. JUst guessing

[-=DKC=-]

Could not stand the suspense any longer and lowered the gourds ......just as I wondered there are 4 or 5 babies with feathers....guessing half grown. Now, how did this happen. I watched 5 fledge from that same gourd about a week ago. I have heard of strange things but would like to hear of some other theories.

I've had babies fledge and then return to the nest for a couple of days and then "re-fledge". Ha ha! I always figured being out in the big wide world made them think maybe the nest was a nice place after all.

I've also had lots of fledglings return to the nest to rest for a while and then go back out again.

Now if you think these babies can't fly yet then the only other explanation I can think of is maybe some of the nestlings were more developed than others and fledged before those still in the nest.

That's one reason I do frequent nest checks. I love seeing the babies but I also like to know what's going on inside those gourds.

EDIT: And what pmlover said.

[PMS in Virginia]

I have been watching the gourd arrangement very careful. All along there was one male and two females. There was definitely only one gourd involved even though there were 4 on this one rod. The feeding process started several weeks ago and I guessed at the timing for fleging to allow witness to the event last week.
Doing the next check today revealed 4 babies about half grown.....not near old enough to be flying themselves.

My only conclusion .....two nesting in the same gourd. One brood about 2 or 3 weeks ahead of the other. It seems as though I remember reading of this sort of thing a few years back.

[-=DKC=-]

I have been watching the gourd arrangement very careful. All along there was one male and two females. There was definitely only one gourd involved even though there were 4 on this one rod. The feeding process started several weeks ago and I guessed at the timing for fleging to allow witness to the event last week.
Doing the next check today revealed 4 babies about half grown.....not near old enough to be flying themselves.

My only conclusion .....two nesting in the same gourd. One brood about 2 or 3 weeks ahead of the other. It seems as though I remember reading of this sort of thing a few years back.

That's very interesting. I've read about males having more than one mate but this is a new one.