Nestbox news: We are still mid-nesting season,
and activity is on the lower end because everybody feeds babies right now. The nestboxes have been the most exciting thing recently, so here is a little update on these. In the Bluebird box, all five eggs have hatched about a week ago, and the babies are looking good. Sadly, though, it seems like the male has gone MIA, I have not seen him in at least a day. I did see a male yesterday but he was sitting on the Chickadee box, and I am not sure if that is a different male or the old one. I also saw one youngster from the first brood but I doubt the female is going to recurit it for help because it never learned how to go underneath the wren guard. The female is working her tush off to feed these babies, and I am just happy that the weather is not scorching or too wet and that she is a good hunter. I have ordered some live mealworms to help her a bit if needed, and hope that all goes well or the male miraculously returns,
TheChickadee nest has been a source of constant joy, it is just so much fun to watch them do their thing. There was a little scare two days ago when suddenly a House Wren did go under the Wren guard and looked into the nest but at around 12-14 days, the babies should be too big already so the Wren can do no harm. They are starting to look and sound like Chickaddees, and the parents are some of the busiest bird parents I have watched. There is a constant stream of food coming in. Seven of the eight seem to have made it and even if there is a runt, it becomes less obvious by the day now. I have removed the Wren guard so the babies can start looking out and get ready for their big day.
Here are some of the most recent videos. I try to upload them to Youtube in a timely manner so I can embed them here, but most of the times it is quicker and easier to post videos on my social media channels.
Nestwatch update
Here is a view into both nestboxes, as of this morning. The Bluebird couple that has been coming over almost every day has finally decided to build and started yesterday. I think it is the same male as always but a different female. She seems to me more timid and nervous but looks like a good nestbuilder. The Chickadee nest is still being updated, and I still have no idea if there are actually eggs in there or not. The female spends every night in the box and adds fluff throughout the day. The male stops by every so often to bring her a snack.
Nestbox news: The spell is broken!
The Bluebirds must have seen my complaints, because yesterday, they finally started nesting season in the yard. It may have been that the grid I placed in there bothered her so much that she was hesitant (she did accept it last season though but maybe the first nest is different). I removed to see what would happen and added some pine needles, dried leaves and bark. Here you can see the male coming in to “clean up”, and then she comes in to start the nest with the first strategically placed twig. By the endof the day, she had built the nest you see in the second video. This feels like the fastest I have seen her build a first nest of the season.
I am so happy they finally started, as you know I was getting a bit nervous. Here’s to a happy and successful nesting season!
Nestbox news: Bird talk
The other day while playing around on TikTok, I found out that there is an auto-caption feature that looks through a video to detect speech. You can set it to whatever language you like and it will scan the video to see if it picks anything up. Now since a couple of days ago I saw it interpreting BB talk into a phrase, I am trying with every BB video I have to see what comes up. And this morning, there was a whole cute little dialogue going on. It is so cute. As somebody who is a professional subtitler, I find this highly interesting but also amusing. AI subtitling may have improved a lot recently, but if you are being serious about it, a human subtitler, interpreter and translator is the way to go.
Video: Early visit
The BBs were back early today and came visiting all throughout the day too. Here, the male goes in to inspect and the female peeks in. Having a cam in the box made me love them even more, it is so cool to listen to their conversations. As I said earlier this week, I added a suet cage to the floor. This has two reasons, one is that it will lift the nest a little bit, improving ventilation from below, and two it may help in case of a Blowfly larvae infestation. The larvae can fall down underneath the nest and if a nest change is needed, I can pull a nest a lot easier from this top-opening box and replace it. I added the pine needles and some dry wood pieces because they like to take things in and out before they start, and it give the box a bit more patina. It has been used for three broods but I am sure it still has a bit of a “new” feel to it.
And so it begins...
In the last couple of days, the Bluebirds have been back to check out the nestbox. I have taken out the "winter padding" of pine needles the other day and just left a tiny layer along with some dried wood crumbs. This is a larger than normal box (like a Gilbertson but with 6 instead of 4 inches in diameter, which helps the babies to get stronger for the first flight because there is more space for wing practice), so I like to help her a little bit to get it going for the first one. I do think nesting season has still some time to go, we are expecing colder temps again, but it was so lovely to see them do their thing. Last year, she started building on March 1. Nesting season is one of my favorites, and I am very excited for spring.
Video: A blue delight
It was cold this morning, with frost on the roofs and lawns but there was a lovely bit of sunshine for a little while. While I was still in bed, I checked the camera apps on my phone to see if anything exciting had happened during the night or morning, and I saw that the BBs had come over. The video is a little pixelly but it was early, we are still living in this gloomiest of Januaries and there was quite some commotion too. I have not seen the Bluebirds as much as in previous winters, so this was extra nice. I am glad they come to check on “their” box briefly on the regular, this will give them an advantage in the spring.
Video: Siblings
Yesterday, the Bluebird family returned, and this time the youngsters checked out both nestboxes. They seemed particularly interested in the twoholer, coming several times to explore. I thought it was neat to see them using the two holes so effortlessly. And of course it was hilarious to watch the little sibling rivalries going on. They very much reminded me of me and my sisters. They are not nesting right now, they are kind of scouting the area and also practise for spring.
Nestbox news: Sitting tight
Gayle and Mr. Business are doing a great job raising their four babies from the third brood. It is always interesting to see what they bring them, and this time around I see lots of larger maggots, spiders and flying insects. This little scene happened a day ago. He is always eager to feed the babies, and while he gives her part of the loot here, he also still goes in. They have a little interaction, and then a warning call can be heard from outside. They hunker down and sat it out (took a couple of minutes), and when another call is audible, they both leave. The babies are 8 and 7 days old today, and I removed the Wren guard. I am sure Gayle will appreciate it, she loves to peek out. Everything looks good so far. I am so happy.
Nestbox news: Everybody is thriving
The temperatures are very lovely at the moment, not too hot, not too cool. The garden is visibly regaining juice and strength, and the Bluebird babies are thriving. I was so happy to see that the fourth egg hatched yesterday in the morning too. I hope with only four, the runt will quickly catch up. Also, believe it or not, I am still fascinated and enamoured watching this whole process even if it is the third time this season. Bluebirds are just so charming and entertaining. Here it looks like Gayle does not really like Mr. Business to come in and feed the babies. But at the same time, she is also quickly following him when he leaves. He does get his alone time with te babies too, though.
Nestbox news: Welcome, brood 3!
I suspected that hatching would happen soon when I saw some marks on the eggs late yesterday. And this morning at around 6, the babies started hatching. This is brood 3 for Gayle and Mr. Business. The babies from the second clutch are also still around and I wonder if maybe this time they will help raising the babies. The Wren guard is still in place even if I have not heard a Wren in forever. We had awful heat here in the last couple of days but today, it broke, and I actually ave the windows open. Here’s to a smooth rest of August.
Update August 10 - this morning, the last baby hatched as well.
hatching Eastern Bluebirds in nestbox
Nestbox news: Four for three!
Gayle has continued to lay eggs in the last couple of days. Today, she did not, which means that the third clutch of the season will have four eggs. She will now start to incubate. Mr. Business brings her the occasional snack and the babies from the last brood are also still hanging around. I am leaving the Wren guard up for good luck even if I have not heard or seen a Wren since we brought the babies to the rehabber. (The rehabber told me today they are doing great.) Maybe once it is removed, the second clutch will help feeding the last set of babies to get them strong faster. I like how the nest looks this time around, a very elegant paler grass nest.
Nestbox news: Hatch day for the House Wrens
The Wren babies are hatching today. So far, four out of the six eggs have hatched, and one bird has removed the top shell that was sitting on one of the unhatched eggs, so that one can safely hatch as well. Interestingly enough the female has not eaten the shells like I usually see with the Bluebirds. The nice side effect is that the male seems to be more busy feeding the kidlets now than obsessing over the Bluebird box or finding another girlfriend (not a single visit at the BB house today!).
It is so cute how the Wrens make their little noises when they bring food. I hope they stay that busy. (The BBs still train the babies survival but they have been coming back more in the last two days, so hopefully they will be more present for a third brood soon.)
Nestbox news: Good things need time
Four of the five Bluebird babies of the second brood have fledged over the last couple of days. The runt is still in the box, but hopefully, he will leave today, too. He has grown a lot, practises the wings and is taken care of by the parents. Here is a little clip of the middle three leaving. They all did late in the day, including the first one, and I did not manage to take photos of their first flight. The box is stained with mulberry, a poop sac left a smear on the lens and there are blowfly larvae in the nest too. I cannot wait to clean the box.
I spent a lot of time waiting for the fledge, and spent an entire day away from the computer, which was actually nice. There are new pictures coming but I need a bit of time to go through them.
Update: The runt took a glorious first flight this morning, the box is cleaned and maintained (I added a little mesh on the bottom to keep the nest slighly above the ground so blowfly larvae have it harder) and I rehung it in hopes for a third brood.
Nestbox news: The wreturn of the little terror
I have’t posted an update in a bit, so today is a good day. The babies are now 11 / 12 days old. Their eyes are open and their feathers are coming in, They grow by the minute thanks to Gayle and Mr. Business feeding them pretty much constantly. I was surprised to see them even feeding them mulberries but I was glad to see it too because the weather has been very hot and the mulberries I guess provide lots of moisture. When the last baby was 7 days old, I took the Wren guard off the box. It is recommended to take it off between day 5 and 10 after hatching. Then, the babies are big and heavy enough so that the Wren does not pose a threat anymore. Well, and yesterday, the Wren returned to check out the box. I edited the video a bit to make it shorter, but the Wren pretty much got in, tried to poke the babies and on the second try actually tried to yank one out. Thankfully, the baby was big enough so there was no way the Wren could finish the deed. The Wren in the other box has laid egg 2 by now. I hope that somehow between the Bluebirds fledging and Gayle starting nest 3, the Wren brood will keep them so busy that they don’t venture out again to check for nests. I will of course attach the Wren guard again too and hope it does it’s magic a second time.
Nestbox news: Day 4
A happy Father’s Day to all dads and father figures out there, including my own, a happy Juneteenth to everybody, and some nestbox news. The babies are now 4 days old. The weather has cooled down to lovely temperatures, the parents are finding lots of food in our garden, and things look great. I will keep the Wren guard up until day 7, just to be on the safe side. I am so happy this works.
Nestbox news: We have a hatchling!
Today was my calculated hatch day for Gayle and Mr. Business' brood 2, but the she was off the nest a lot due to extremely hot and humid weather, so I wasn't sure. But two hours ago, the first baby hatched. Welcome, little one, I hope your siblings follow. 💙
The House Wren also made it through the day with her three eggs. She got some extra shade by a William & Cate wedding day umbrella I got in London when they got married.
Nestbox news: Ready for round two.
The babies have fledged on May 14, and in the last few days, the parents have started to bring them back to the yard to introduce them to the feeder and amenities. At the same time, Gayle has started to build another nest. During the time after fledging, a Bluebird box is pretty much left unattended and thus, vulnerable to other birds claiming it. A House Wren that is nesting in the area has discovered it and explored. And two nights ago, went in and started tossing the newly started BB nest. All night I was trying to think about what I could do. Then in the morning, I watched this scene going down. First thing in the morning, the Wren came back, but this time, Mr. Business saw it and took care of business. Gayle continued to build afterwards, and the Wren has not returned. As soon as she lays her first egg, I will install a Wren guard, which is basically a visor for the box that disguises the entrance hole from view. Theoretically, only the BBs know it is there. Since the Wren was already in, I have no idea if this will work, so I have to hope for the best. But the whole family is around, including three babies (that I saw so far) who stay close by the box and will hopefully defend it.
Nestbox news: They're getting so big!
I have been slacking a bit with the videos, so today there's more than one. This is from two days ago, and I thought it was funny to see Gayle sitting with the babies for a bit. They are in the tufty stage here, with feathers growing all over the place. At times it looked like mommy was plucking some of the tufts away but I am not sure if that is actually the case. Of course, once Mr. Business arrives, it's all mayhem again.
This is also from May 9. Here you can see the babies preening and stretching. They look so cool with the different colors and textures happening. The new feathers are encased in sheaths, almost like in a straw, and when the babies nibble that off, "feather dust" is in the air.
Now this is from last night. In the last two days, the babies have started wing practise. In order to be able to make the first flight, they need to be strong enough to not just drop. And this is where this larger nestbox hopefully proves its worth. With more space in the box, the babies have more space to practise. It won't be much longer now until fledging. These guys look awesome.
Nestbox news: Grumpy old grandpas
The Bluebird babies are 10 days old now. They have become vocal, their eyes are open, feathers are starting to emerge. We have gone from "shrimp" stage to "grumpy old gramps" stage. Gayle and Mr. Business continue to be very attentive. Gayle is still spending the night in the box but now that the babies are getting bigger, it is not as comfy for her anymore. First video is from day 7, then day 10.
