We currently have two Blue Bird nests on the property. There are 4 eggs in one nest and 3 in the other. I think 4 is their limit, as we’ve never seen a nest with more than 4 eggs. They seem to be able to lay one egg per day, so I expect their will be another one today.
I had forgotten how long it takes for the eggs to hatch, so I pulled out my trusty Blue Bird book. It says egg laying is 5-7 days, nest building is 1-6 days, incubation is 12-14 days, brooding is 6 days.
I’m not really sure the difference between incubation and brooding, but I think brooding is when the eggs are sat on 24/7.
Here is a picture of “Junior” from last year. He was the only egg that hatched from the 4 that were laid. He survived and fledged. He was only one day old here.
Amazing, isn’t it?
Here he is eleven days later. Notice the 3 unhatched eggs?
He is almost ready to fledge.
3 comments:
Man you are brave..the last time I stuck a camera up to a bluebird nest..I got attacked by the mama..which drew attention from the Mockingbirds..who had to jump in with their scolding and chasing..never again..lol
I will leave it up to you..just be warned..tee hee
Cindy
Cindy...I'll have to tell Al your story..he's the one that opens the box first :) He always "knocks" first to make sure Mom or Dad aren't in the box, but sometimes he surprises one of them, but they just fly away. We try to make sure they aren't in the nest first and then you can't look in the boxes after the babies are a certain age because it may cause them to fledge early. According to the Blue Bird people, you should check the boxes daily and make sure nothing is causing any problems for the baby...like mites or ants..
Will have to watch out for the Mockers too, I guess..although they aren't as tough as they think they are!
Karen, what a difference a day makes in Junior's appearance! Awesome pics!
Connie
Post a Comment