Mealworm eating contest

This beautiful male bluebird has fathered 11 babies this year. He deserves a super sized helping.

Bluebird Dinner

Female Eastern Bluebird brings baby a spider for lunch.

Feeding the little ones

Bluebirds meet Red Bellied Woodpecker

I was taking photos of blue bird babies and their parents in my front yard when a red bellied woodpecker flew in. The baby blue bird was mesmerized by it.

Fly away Bluebird!

My Bluebird babies fledged 4 days apart. How lucky I was to see the female leave the nest the final time!

Baby bluebird peeking out

Feed Me Daddy

Daddy bluebird feeding baby at our backyard feeder.

Grandpa

This is a baby eastern bluebird waiting for it’s parents to bring food. It fledged a soon after this picture.

Mama I’m hungry!

Taken outside our kitchen window in our Locust Tree.

A ride, please!

This juvenile Eastern Bluebird had a sweet teasing expression and seemed to be appealing for someone to play and give it a ride in the wagon.

A Father’s Love

Daddy bluebird feeding one of his recently fledged young

Decorative Touch

A single feather placed next to the single egg, gave it a sweet decorative touch.

Bluebird chick caught napping

Our Nestwatch chapter helped a nearby professor in her bluebird banding project. This study included measuring and weighing the banded chicks. This particular chick dozed off while being weighed.

Eastern Bluebirds in Natural Cavity

I was lucky enough to discover this natural cavity with three nestlings while on vacation. I watched for several days as the male and female fed them. They all fledged successfully before I left.

Eastern Bluebird Juvenile Helping Feed Nestlings

This juvenile bluebird is from the first brood. He helped feed the second and third brood. They are on brood number four now so it will be interesting to see if he is allowed to help them too.

Eastern Bluebirds about to Fledge

I spotted this natural cavity with eastern bluebirds while on vacation. I was able to observe them for a few days. This photo was taken the day they fledged.

Eastern Bluebird Hatchling

Hatch day for this eastern bluebird. This female always has white eggs which occurs in about 4% of bluebirds. Take a peek inside this nestlings mouth and you will see insect antennae. I must have arrived for a nest check right after a feeding.

Bluebird Tag

Baby Bluebird chasing dad from post to post.

Patience Little One

Parent Bluebird working hard to feed the recently fledged Bluebird constantly begging for food.

Bluebird Daddy Feeding Babies

Bluebirds raise 3-4 broods each year in the house at the corner of our garden, and I was fortunate enough to catch this moment during feeding time.

bluebird with food for chicks

male bluebird bringing a slug to feed to chicks

Teamwork

Fledging makes me hungry!

Feeding time on fledging day.

Grumpy Baby Blue

Bluebird babies

Second set of bluebird babies of the summer

Hatching Eastern Bluebird

While monitoring nest boxes at a local elementary school, I was just in time to document this Eastern Bluebird hatching.I sent the pictures to the principal of the school and they were put on the school’s website. I kept taking pictures and updating the school on the progress of the nestlings.One teacher who emphasizes nature in her classroom studies, brought her class out to take turns looking in the box to see the nestlings. All of them fledged. It was a great experience for the kids and teachers.

cutest baby

This family of Eastern Bluebirds nested in my terra cotta birdhouse this spring. I never expected bluebirds to choose it and I am thrilled they did! They were a mated pair and another female that I assume is from a clutch from last year. They all three took turns feeding and watching over the nestlings until they fledged a week later.

Eyewitness

I took this shot of the male Eastern Bluebird coming into the terra cotta birdhouse I have in my backyard here in Fort Walton Beach, FL, for a feeding. A family of three, the mated pair and one female, I’m guessing from the previous year all took turns feeding and watching over the nest.

Feeding Time

This family of Eastern Bluebirds took up residence this spring in my terra cotta birdhouse. They consisted of a mated pair and one older female nestling. The three took turns on watch and feeding times until all three nestlings fledged.

Eastern Bluebirds waking up From Roosting

I never saw in my life all of the baby bluebirds together. This is the first clutch. Also all 5 are there too. Normally after fledging one disappears.

Nest Construction

Feeding Time

There’s One in Every Clutch

Mother Bluebird patiently waiting (over a period of at least ten minutes) for the last baby to fledge

The Last Supper

Mother bluebird feeding this fledgling one last meal but encouraging it to leave the nest.

and the winner is…

Four to six clutches a year…the first to hatch is always a thrill no matter how many times it happens.

Parents Stand Guard as the Fledgling Emerges

Parent standing guard as fledgling emerges

Dad

Baby Blue

Mom Bluebird

Baby Bluebird

Baby bluebird checking out what’s out there beyond the nest box.

Dinner Time

This bluebird nest box is in my front yard. I get several nests in this box each summer season. I sit on my porch for hours each day watching them.

Bluebird on a mission

Watched a pair of Bluebirds hurrying to create a nest in our neighbor’s box… trying to defend their turf from the House Sparrows. But, alas, the Sparrows always seem to win the fight.

Berrylicious!

Eastern Bluebird feeding on Winterberry branches.

Bluebird with nesting material

After the first clutch fledged, the male took mostly care of the babies while the female started building another nest. Here she carries some needles.

Bluebird babies in the evening sun

Two of the resident Bluebird babies enjoy the evening sun. I am infatuated with their colours.

Bluebird baby with Dad

This is my second year as a Bluebird landlord, and after a failed first nesting attempt (due to the cold and a missing male), a new pair settled in my yard and raised four babies. They are now all over the place and hilarious to watch. The female is sitting on four new eggs.

Bluebird Masterpiece

Eastern Bluebird nest perfection! I’ve never seen a nest this beautiful in person. And then there were 5 white eggs, which I have also never seen. I’m just in love with this nest!

Bluebird Babies Before Dawn

Every morning this Spring, our Bluebird babies were out at dawn, searching for breakfast, most often sitting on the same limb of the same oak tree. One morning I couldn’t resist making this photo, backlit from the sunrise. The Bluebirds were so cute and so serious!

Bluebird Baby Checking Out An Old House

When our Bluebird babies were old enough to do some exploring, they found an old Bluebird house and checked it out. A House Wren family had moved into the house, and Mrs. Wren wasn’t very happy about having the Bluebird babies on her house! The Bluebird babies probably didn’t realize that one or the other of their parents was born in this house!

Bluebird Babies at Odds

Early every morning this Spring, our Bluebird family–Dad, Mom and three babies–would gather on top of an old arbor to look for breakfast across the lawn. The parents were usually looking for breakfast, while the babies played, tested their wings, and generally waited to be fed! One morning I saw the three babies sitting close together, and two of them were disagreeing about something!

Eastern Bluebird showing off her gathering skills

This female Eastern Bluebird and her mate built a nest over about ten days. The male tried to supervise, but was very little help. Every time the female came with nesting materials she appeared to be waiting for the male to either notice what she was adding or seek his approval. I have a hilarious video of them “arguing” over what should be included and what shouldn’t!