Eastern Bluebird Eggs (2)
First egg was likely 4/18/24.
First egg was likely 4/18/24.
Noticed yesterday on the cam that 3/4 of the bluebird eggs had holes poked in them. Bluebird female returned to sit on eggs overnight. Male bluebird removed the damaged eggs this morning, then later today captured video of a chickadee destroying the final egg.
Year over year this has been a productive bluebird box. This is a fist time I’ve observed this behavior.
House sparrows were attempting to takeover the nest this day. This male bluebird was not having it.
11/14/2023
Baby bluebirds sleeping but waiting for the next food delivery.
8/23/2023
I am posting them today because I thought I wouldn’t have time.
Blue feather found at Kleb Woods. Think either Eastern Bluebird or Blue Jay but leading towards Bluebird due to color. I’m not an expert on bluebirds but it looks nothing like a Blue Jay feather. https://ebird.org/checklist/S145097417
A bluebird gained control over a tree swallow nest and laid eggs, and here’s the nestlings at 7 days old.
Beautiful Tree Swallow Mom with her clutch.
Eastern Bluebird babies.
6/30/2023
Arrived just in time to see this newly hatched Eastern Bluebird. If you look closely at two of the other eggs, you’ll see the peck marks of the hatchlings trying to get out.
6/28/2023
Continued Nestwatch monitoring of nestbox. First view of chicks after previously observed 6 eggs.
Continued monitoring of nesting effort
Good practice for the chickadees once they get old!
Adult male feeding female in the nest with 5 eggs.
Is this a Western or Eastern Azure?
Thanks.
This is our Bluebird’s second brood in this nest box this year. We had at least four nestlings successfully fledge last brood and I hope we have the same luck this time!
6/1/2023
With this year’s first brood now feeding themselves, I noticed the adults were active at the nest box. I have not checked until today, and found 5 eggs in the nest! 2nd attempt underway.
I do not know the date of the first egg, so I am estimating it to have been 5/23/2023.
This nest is built very tall, and the contents are a bit hard to photograph.
Global Big Day Birds.
3-day-old Eastern Bluebird babies, still hugging an unhatched egg.
YouTube Channel
Sorry for the bad photos. None of them were the best.
Photo #1 – April 18, 2023
This is a Tufted Titmouse on our umbrella pole; Its nest is in there. Last year, we had Titmice raise a successful brood of 6 in there, and looks like they’re going to nest again! The thing about this specific Titmouse is that, if you look closely, it has a black mark underneath its left eye. While this could just be something that smudged its feathers, I believe it is a permanent birthmark-like mark. The female from last year (photo #5) had a mark like this beside her right eye, so I think this is one of her offspring that inherited the birthmark. What do you think?
Very excited — and surprised — to find 6 Bluebird eggs in the nest box today! Now this is what you call a Bluebird Eggstravaganza! This is far beyond my Eggspectations for this wonderful Bluebird pair!
4/4/23: 1 egg,
4/6/23: 3 eggs,
4/9/23: 5 eggs.
I went to check all of my nest boxes and when I got to my first one, a female Bluebird flew out of the box! I checked on the inside and found this nest, I’m hoping we’ll have some Bluebird babies this season!
The nest is made of twigs and dried grass, and is inside a nest box roughly 6 by 6 1/2 inches wide and long. The box is about 10 1/2 inches tall with an entrance hole about 1 1/2 inches. The box is facing Southwest.
This pair of Eastern Bluebirds have been busy building their nest. Today I checked and found the first egg.
I (like to) believe this is the same pair that raised 3 chicks in this next box last year. Two adult bluebirds have been on the property and feeders throughout the fall and winter. Sometimes, a few others joined them – including some immatures.
M & F pair of Eastern Bluebirds observed bringing nesting materials (grasses) to the same nest box used last year. Up to five bluebirds were present daily here throughout the winter, including 2 adults. Possibly the same individuals?
Bluebird sitting on sign describing bluebird monitoring project at Mint Springs Park.
Rare Bluebird visit to the feeders. There was 2 males & 1 female.
A selection of images of some of our backyard parents and their kids. The bluebirds had three clutches in a new house I built just for them after I noticed them interested in (but not buying) an older house I’d put up. The Tanagers were summer-long visitors to our feeders, which was a real treat, and the Broad-winged Hawk was one of three fledglings who seemed unafraid to use our birdbath during the summer heat.
From my window I see
So many lovelies
Looking back at me
Another picture of an Eastern Bluebird feeding one of its young. The nest box was located in my backyard. Three Bluebirds hatched and fledged. The dad was diligent in feeding his young!
Eastern Bluebird Nestling that was getting close to fledging. From Spring-Summer 2022. My first attempt at installing a bluebird nest box. Three bluebirds successfully hatched and fledged.
Eastern Bluebird feeding its nestling. Nest box was located in my backyard spring-summer 2022. My first attempt at building one, installing, and monitoring it! Three Bluebirds hatched and fledged.
I have had this Duck Box on the edge of the East Fork of the Eno River in my backyard for 7+/- years. This is the first year it served as a successful nest site for 2 species, Wood Ducks and Eastern Bluebirds. Red Shouldered Hawks on the other hand have always found the Duck Box a productive hunting perch.
This is in 2020,I am posting this on:10/7/2022.I was new to Nestwatch in 2022.
All five bluebirds have fledged, the Hummingbirds have popped up in the yard, and all three robin eggs have hatched.
A juvenile bluebird has been assisting mom and dad with feeding the brood. There are four hatchlings in the nest.
All 5 bluebirds have hatched! I’ve seen adults stop in to feed very frequently!
Today the first two (I promise there’s another hatchling under the bird with it’s mouth open haha) bluebirds have hatched!
While photographing Eastern Bluebirds bringing insects to their nestlings in a tree hole, I “caught” a juvenile also bringing insects to its (presumed) siblings!! What a surprise!! The juvenile entered the tree hole four times with insects over the course of about an hour-and-a-half while the parents also fed the nestlings. The male bluebird had to wait his turn while the juvenile was in the tree hole.
When I approached the box, I saw the mama feeding her young. Bluebird young are fed exclusively plant and berry matter. After she left, I checked the box and was able to watch the (confused) babies eat their meals!
The three nest mates are coming right along. This will probably be the last time I open the box until they fledge.
The male of my Bluebird pair is very protective of his nest box.
Eastern Bluebird – five eggs laid, 4 hungry young on May 7, 2022. At least 3 sleeping nestlings on May 13. Not sure if the fourth is still there and is just hard to see. Time will tell!!!
Eastern Bluebird hatchlings – one egg left. I see a small puncture / crush on the last egg. Not sure if it is starting to hatch (to the best of my knowledge, that’s usually a morning thing), or if it was accidentally punctured.
Time will tell. Won’t check again for at least 3 days from now.
Nest building started Sunday, 4/10/22.
This little bluebird fledgling just left the nest and is looking around, taking it all in, and looking for mom and dad!
Bluebird family (siblings and parents) all pitch in to feed the nestlings
Mama Eastern Bluebird bringing food to the hungry nestlings.
Waiting patiently as their brothers and sisters hog the mealworm dish.
We have several nestboxes that we monitor and maintain on our property. Each year, they are full of babies…some having 2 to 4 broods with us.
A female Eastern Bluebird leaves the nest box after a quick morning meal delivery.
Bluebird in the yard!
This is a photo of one of the batches of Eastern bluebirds that successfully fledged from one of our bluebird nesting boxes. We provide live meal-worms in a special feeder. The parent birds quickly (usually) find the feeder and make good use of it. Their frequent flights to and from the feeder back to the nest box provide beautiful flashes of color as they struggle to keep up with the ever-hungry chicks.We are convinced that at least a few of these chicks have hung around, knowing that there is a good supply of food both natural and feeder-based.
The enjoyment from observing and learning Bluebird families is rewarding…
My first birdhouse build project. I wanted to build a real working birdhouse versus decorative. I researched the bird species with the need, and found Cornell Labs Nestwatch. This is now the first of 2 bluebird houses on either ends of our property.
This picture was taken in the spring of 2021. A pair of bluebirds successfully raised these five youngsters.
The Old Trolley Line Trail, Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Our first year putting in a bluebird nest box in our backyard was a huge success. We saw 3 different broods born, fledged 13.
bluebird in spring doing its job
Eastern Bluebird eggs in a dark nest box.
Newly hatched Eastern Bluebird
This year I have seen more Eastern Bluebirds in my backyard. I counted a number of four one day. These birds are such a delight to see. Their blue feathers are so beautiful, makes you want to get a glimpse or try not miss an opportunity to capture a shot of. I was thrilled after I put a nest box up they started becoming regulars. Though they never used the new box, they however nested in my martin apartment I have up, which was different but a wonderful experience none the less.
Fledgling Eastern Bluebird is bringing a mealworm to the nest box to feed the nestlings while the adult male is also feeding the nestlings.
This is our first year with a bluebird house. We are in a suburban setting with no Tree Swallows to compete with bluebirds. A pair of Eastern Bluebirds has been nesting each spring at the home across the street so we added the bird house and put a cup feeders with meal worms. After the pair’s first brood fledged, the adults selected our birdhouse for the second brood. Sometime around July 21, I repeatedly saw what I believe is juvenile male perching near to adult, and both visiting nest box as seen it first image. I am sure female was in the box. (There are four chicks.) On August 19, I observed the juvenile male enter box with grasshopper (?) and minute later exit. Note in second image that the wings have male blue but shoulders are still dark. Isn’t this clearly a juvie? Today is 8/20. I observed three drab birds on the next box at the same time. Granted, one could be adult female but at least two are juveniles. I frequently see two of these drab birds at morning feeding frenzy with one entering box, and a second waiting. Are helpers all that rare and we are just lucky?
Babies first flight! Fledging from the box.
Feeding time just prior to fledge
I have observed a juvenile bluebird assisting with family duty during this breeding cycle. In the photo depicted, I captured the juvenile removing a poop sac. I had additional photographs of the juvenile feeding the babies.
This Bluebird Juvenile from first brood is helping mom and dad feed this second brood. This is the second day I’ve seen this Juvenile carrying food to nest to feed.
Eastern Bluebirds fledge successfully.
These 2 fledged 3 weeks ago. Momma’s fate is unknown as she vanished after laying 2 eggs of a 3rd brood, the nest box found open. I suspect a predator got her. This makes watching these parenting moments all the more touching. I’m thankful for the 2 successful broods this year.
Bluebird fledglings ready to go
This is the second brood this year for a young breeding pair of Eastern Bluebirds.