Bluebird thread Number 5

Okay, tomorrow's the expected due date, right?

Oh thats right! Thanks for the reminder!

I'm keeping this forum open all day tomorrow at work, Dave. Can't wait!

Well, let's hope.

You can never be absolutely certain with the first brood of the season. Two years ago the first one didn't hatch. It was awfully cold that spring. I let her sit for about 21 days and then removed the eggs (and the nest). I could have removed them before that, but you just keep hoping and waiting one more day. I hear she would have sit on them for a month or more before she would have abandoned the nest.

She built a new nest 2 days later and that brood was successful.

I'll be checking throughout the day tomorrow and keep you posted.

Dave

rats… I was gone all day and thought maybe when I got back I'd have some good news that we had some "3rd Cousin" baby blue birds.

Sorry to dissappoint you but when I last checked,about 3:00 pm, still no hatchlings. It was rather raw and raining pretty hard just before dark and I couldn't bring myself to chase her out so I could look again. Maybe it's a good thing they weren't hatched today. Probably a lot easier for her to keep the eggs warm tonight than the little birds.

I did look several times during the day and interestingly, each time after I did, the male flew down and went in to check the interior before the female went back in.

Here is a shot of the eggs. There is an interesting color flaw on the egg nearest the camera that I had not seen previously. She keeps turning them and it was probably out of sight on the underside when I looked previously.

Dave

Looks like a bit of white something (maybe nest material, perhaps tissue paper) stuck to the egg

Resin

Their such a beautiful blue. :-)

It's not very often that you get to look at a nest close up. What an amazing piece of architecture. With no blueprints or hands even.

Pretty cool that BLUE birds lay BLUE eggs. Okay, I'll keep pacing!!!

Actually, the nest, and particularly the cup portion, was even neater before she began laying eggs (and I began pulling down the front edge so I could get a more unobstructed picture).

As to the possible color flaw, when I looked just now I found she had rolled the eggs again, so that the part of that egg is no longer visable to me. I do see that there is an apparent color flaw on a different egg. I still believe these are color flaws and not tissue or some other foreign substance. Bluebirds are particularly neat and I have never seen such foreign materials carried into a nest.

We may never know for certain because if they hatch today, as I believe they will, Mama will probably eat the egg shells. Should they not hatch, which is certainly possible, I will examine and protograph them with a better camera and post the results here.

And Mrs Ed, I am pacing too. Incidentally, you may not know but some bluebirds lay white eggs. Quite rare but it is a genetic trait, apparently passed down through certain females. But the birds that hatch from white eggs are identical in appareance to the ones hatched from blue eggs.

Dave

They EAT the shells? Why? Interesting fact about the white shells too.

It helps replenish their loss of calcium. It also gets rid of nest clutter, which BBs apparently deplore. I have never found broken egg shells in a nest and have only once seen a female fly out of the nestbox with a piece of a blue egg shell. And I did manage to photograph that incident.

The birds apparently sense that the time is near. Papa has been inside the nestbox frequently, sometimes while the female was also in there.

Dave

oh booyyyyy.

Oh this is getting exciting!!

Welllllllllll? Is it time to pass out the cigars yet??

Got my first sight of bluebirds today, in my backyard - they've finally made it to MN!

No cigars yet. No fingernails left either. I'll check again before dark. If something doesn't happen tonight or tomorrow, I'll really start to worry. Glad you are finally seeing BBs up there, Lou

Spring will get there, eventually. Even in Minnesota.

Dave

Geeeeez.....I feel for you Dave!! It can be so nerve-wracking being a bluebird landlord........these MN fingers are CROSSED for you & your birds.

I must say, though, that seeing the first flash of that brilliant blue in the spring is a feeling like no other.... makes the stress worth it.

I wondered why no shells were left last year after the birds had fledged! Thanks for the schooling Dave.

Glad to know bbs have arrived in MN lou. That means Western NY is not far behind.

I just can't wait to see them lou! I'm finding it very difficult to work with one eye out the window.

I know what you mean OP! I had to check the backyard every 5 minutes today - can't get a whole lot done - but today they just stopped by in the morning & I haven't seen them since (the usual MO for this time of year) - I'm running out for mealworms tomorrow tho - MN weather is soooooo iffy this time of year & I can't have those birds going hungry. ; )

meanwhile, waiting for Dave's babies....arrrggghhhh.......

Well, while we wait, let's see some of that blue you all are watching for.

And another. Just a little wing waving

One more...

Oh my gosh I alsmost screamed when I saw there was a new post in your thread Dave!
Beautiful pics!

I'm tempted to post an old picture of the birds in the nest. It would be too cruel.

Last one. And it's one of Mama, during one of her breaks.

Oh that would be cruel Dave! ;-)

If these eggs don't work out then maybe just to tide us over till the next ones. :-)

Beautiful Dave!!

Do they still wing wave after she starts sitting on the nest?

Yes, they both do. It's kinda like a greeting, almost every time when he first sees her. She does it less than he does though.

Dave

Ok, I checked first thing this morning, and we have our first. I had to use the flash since it is so dark in there otherwise.

Here's another try. I'll switch cameras now and try to get a better shot.

Woohoo!!! Here we go!! Congratulations Dave!!!

YAYYYYYYYY phwew!!! *deep breaths*

Whippee!! Can't wait to see the others...what a cutie pie!

Thanks for the info on the female wing wave...I had not witnesses it until yesterday!

I would like to get some shots of a baby, just as it cuts its way out of the shell, but one would probably need a nest cam to get those. Mama is willing to leave the nest, but not for long. You can see how exposed the little one is. This shot is with the first camera also. I can't seem to get those close up shots with any of my newer stuff.

Wonderful shots Dave. Very sweet!

And then there were two

Another shot. I'm switching back and forth with several cameras here, just trying to get something decent.

Putting their heads together.