April 24, 2004
The Bluebird Nest Has Eggs!
Well, it's been a very exciting day here at Tate Rd. Paul mowed the grass for the first time this season. We had been putting it off because we don't have anywhere to store the mower. It was in our neighbor's barn over the winter. Our garage is still in the process of being built and we disposed of the plastic tarp that we used last year (a very inelegant solution, but the only viable option we had). But our grass was approaching the unmanageable and we feared that if we postponed the mowing any longer our Toro just wouldn't be able to manage. And fortunately, our neighbor is providing room and board for as long as we need.
While Paul was busy walking the Toro across the near-acre that we have to mow, I was busy digging in the dirt. Our goal is to get the tall grasses transplanted to the back of the house to provide a backdrop to the wildflowers and herbs that I want to plant there. My mom gave me a pre-seeded wildflower mat that I plan to use back there. But first, I needed to dig up area and remove the grass and weeds. Boy, is that a lot of work!!
From my vantage point, I was able to keep an eye on the bluebird house. Because Bob, our neighbor, was also mowing his grass, the birds weren't around. I figured that it would be a perfect time to monitor the nest. Yesterday when I checked it out, I was disappointed to see an empty nest. Today, however, I was thrilled to discover two blue eggs. I started jumping around, Paul came over and we jumped around together awhile. It made me feel so good that I chased away those House Sparrows while they were building their nest (I kept removing their efforts).
I went back to digging and I uncovered quite a few grubs. I put them in a shallow dish near the nest for the "birds of blue" as I like to call them.
Bluebirds lay their eggs once a day and they can lay as many as 6. Once all eggs are laid, incubation begins and lasts 13-14 days. Once the chicks hatch, they remain in the nest another 17-18 days. A bluebird pair to can have 3 broods per mating season. I think that the best our pair could do is to have 2 since they are getting a relatively late start.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. There are many dangers the lie between now and a healthy brood of bluebirds able to care for themselves. Racoons are predators who will eat the eggs. Other birds are also predators known for removing eggs and hatchlings in order to seize control of a nest for their use. Careful monitoring helps as does providing a supplemental food source (mealworms). I intend to provide both. I've been a responsible bluebird house owner thus far, I don't plan on slacking off now :)
Posted by Elizabeth at April 24, 2004 04:40 PM