Five eggs in the Bluebird nest!
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!
2nd Brood Attempt
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.
Bluebird nestlings and a Titmice birthmarks
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?
Bluebird EGGSTRAVAGANZA!
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!
New Bluebird nest!
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.
Carolina Chickadee with Babies
In this entertaining GIF, Mama arrives and feeds her 3-day old babies.
Recorded with a Blink Mini camera.
Carolina Chickadee with eggs! 🪺
This cute Carolina Chickadee has 6 eggs and a ~4” tall nest, which is huge for the size of the chickadee. Her mate comes occasionally and feeds Mama. These images were captured with a Blink Mini, mounted inside the nest box.
Carolina Chickadees checking out my new nestbox
A male chickadee flew over to the fence near my nestbox, he then when inside, came out, and called to his female. She flew over and went inside. We just put the nestbox up 2 days ago.
Bluebird Hatchlings
All 5 bluebirds have hatched! I’ve seen adults stop in to feed very frequently!
Bird at the park.
Birds at the park. We saw Cattle Egrets, a Great Blue Heron, Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, domestic Muscovies, a Great Egret, a Common Night Hawk, Purple Martins, Black and Turkey Vultures, a Cara Cara, and more!
Eastern Bluebirds: eyes open; feathering up
The three nest mates are coming right along. This will probably be the last time I open the box until they fledge.
Eastern Bluebird Hatchlings
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.
Carolina Chickadee Nest 2022
The Carolina Chickadee nest is located in this viewing, nest box that we put up in our backyard. Both pictures taken on April 24, 2022
Eastern Bluebird Nest Building Underway
Nest building started Sunday, 4/10/22.
Nuthatch in a Bluebird House
Nuthatch feeding young in a bluebird house.
Crowd of baby bluebirds
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.
Watch Eastern Bluebird Egg Hatching!
This is the second brood this year for a young breeding pair of Eastern Bluebirds.
Eastern Bluebird Hatchling
In this clutch of 6, the first Eastern Bluebird egg hatched at 6:50 am. This is the second brood for this young breeding pair, who was also born in this same nest box last Spring. What a great way to start Memorial Day weekend!
Six Bluebird Eggs!
This is the second brood this year for this young nesting pair. This sixth egg came as a complete surprise, as the parents were born in this same nest box only last year, so they are relatively young. Their last brood produced five fledglings, so I have my fingers crossed that we will have six more to add to my backyard family!
Window to the World
Baby Bluebird gets a few moments of encouragement from Papa Blue, minutes before he takes his first flight into the world.
Baby Bluebird Fledges the Nest! First Flight!
Excitement on my Windowsill—Ansel attacking his reflection, a male Northern Cardinal eating, and a Carolina Wren entering my nest box for the first time!
Ansel flew to my window AGAIN and attacked his reflection. FOR 30 MINUTES. AND HE’S STILL HERE!!!
He won’t stop even through I drew highlighter on the outside of my window to break up his reflection. This time I’m even more sure it’s territorial aggression because another Tufted Titmouse flew up and he didn’t attack it. I’m guessing she’s Ansel’s mate. While I was videoing, a male Northern Cardinal came to eat and a Carolina Wren entered my nest box! This is the first time a bird has entered that nest box.
Ansel still will not leave though. What will make him stop attacking his reflection in my window sill!?
First Bird I’ve Seen in my Nest Box!!!
4/8/2021, 11:30 AM — A Carolina Wren entered my window nest box!!!
I put it out in March, and birds are finally stating to check it out!!!
Today is the first time I’ve seen one enter it, but a Carolina Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse have inspected it before.
Territorial Aggression?
4/7/2021— This Tufted Titmouse woke me up at 8:00 AM to loud chirping and banging outside my window.
Recently, I put out a nest box on my window sill. In case my presence would deter birds from nesting in it, I applied 1-way window-film. Unfortunately, it blocks sunshine from entering my room and it’s reflective on the outside.
I believe this Titmouse was attacking his reflection, thinking it was a rival bird. (I decided to name him “Ansel,” which means “protecter.”)
I drew highlighter on the window to get him to stop, but he hasn’t come back yet so I’m not sure whether it worked or not.
I do have a bird feeder on my windowsill as well, but, since Tufted Titmouse nesting season is beginning, I figured it was probably more likely he was attacking things to protect his nesting territory or claim a new one.
Will birds attack anywhere on their territory or only near their nest? Does he want my new birdhouse?
House Wrens KILL
Tree Swallow nest
House Wren De
UNKNOWN NESTWATCH DATA
This is a clay pot birdhouse on someone’s deck at the Kentucky Castle. It looks out onto a pasture with goats. I saw a Tree Swallow enter it 3 times. This is not the first time I’ve seen a Tree Swallow nest on/near someone’s house. Our friends made a small birdhouse without a back and placed it on their windowsill. They posted pictures of the Tree Swallow in it with eggs on Facebook.
Pick Up Sticks
A House Wren constructs a nest in a Gilbertson-style nest box in my backyard.
Breakfast is Ready
Papa Bluebird brings an insect breakfast to Mama, who is inside the nest box incubating 5 eggs.
Eastern Bluebird Eggs
I was happy to see 5 eggs this evening in the nest box. Another egg or two would certainly be welcome! 🙂
Eastern Bluebird Eggs
This evening when I monitored the nest box, I was pleasantly surprised to see two eggs! I put this nest box up last summer, hoping it would be used this year. It was fun to watch the female collect dried grass from my yard and carry it to the box to construct the nest. I look forward to watching my backyard Bluebird family grow this Spring and Summer!
Carolina Chickadee alongside her five eggs posing for the camera.
First Bluebird Brood of the year
Adult left and I had the chance to get a picture of the eggs.
Eastern Screech Owl Nest with 2 owlets
I had the amazing view of watching 2 eastern screech owlets from my backyard. I had watched the parents feeding the babies and next thing I knew they had fledged to the big tree in my yard.
What a thrill.
This photo is early the second morning where both owls were on the same branch.
House Wren Nest.
Guarding the house
All of the nest boxes at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve appear to be “rented” with adult Tree Swallows valiantly defending their real estate.
Eastern Bluebirds interested in a nest box
Great Crested Flycatcher Nest
Nest observation
Eastern Bluebird Nest with babies
Chickadee on next
As I approached the box, the male flew out, but mama stayed put. I think she was actually sleeping when I snapped the shot. I later noticed a spider on the side of the box, who I thought was an unwelcomed visitor. A friend shared that it will manage the insects in the box, so is actually a beneficial guest. There are 6 eggs in the nest, which I first spotted about 2 weeks ago.
Tree Swallow Nest 2017 Nest 3
This is the 3rd Tree Swallow nest in my yard! They chose a strange location for the nest though. It is right by some trees.
2017 Chickadee Nest Box
Pictures from observations of our nest box.
Eastern Bluebird
House wren eggs
An egg a day for the past seven days in our bird house!
House wren eggs
House wren eggs laid 5/11.
Black-capped Chickadees
This was taken in 2012, the first year I had BC chickadees use one of my bluebird boxes. All five babies successfully fledged and I had the joy of watching their parents teach them the ins and outs of bird feeders, bugs and other treats in our yard.
Female Bluebird with Nesting Material
Baby Bluebirds
Bluebird chicks
5 Bluebird chicks.
Carolina Chickadee Nest Box
A pair of Carolina Chickadees claimed the nest box I mounted on a laundry pole within 12 hours. It took them 5 days to begin building their nest. 15 days to complete their nest.
Carolina Chickadee Hatchlings
Carolina Chickadee hatchlings. Hatched yesterday, 5/15. Mother incubated for at least 14 days. Count 5 heads and it looks like 1 more. There were 6 eggs.
Nest box house wrenx
We have very persistent house wrens in our nest box. This box has been used by house sparrows a couple of years ago, last year we put a metal washer on the hole, so the house sparrows couldn’t make the hole bigger; this year a house wren staked claim to the box, and fought off a house sparrow earlier in the season. He has finally attracted a female; and there must be eggs in the box. They are very interesting birds, very pretty song. They should have plenty of insects to feed on with all the rain we’ve had; the mosquitoes will be all over here in a couple more days; It’s amazing how they can get sticks into the nest box which are larger than they are and turn them around so they fit through the hole. Over the past 5 years we have gradually added natural plants to our yard (replacing grass) and it’s amazing how many more birds, butterflies and dragonflies we now get. It just takes a little bit.
Mr and Mrs Blue Bird
This is my first Blue Bird nest from April/May 2014 I never looked in the box because I didn’t know we could …they had a happy nest though and have returned and have laid their 4th egg
Carolina Chickadee Nest Building
I set this nest box up 4 days ago. The Carolina Chickadees inspected the box the same day and began to build this nest which takes up about half of the box volume. All of this work done in 4 days by two little birds. Hoping for great nesting success this year same as last year. Maybe these birds came from this nest box last year.