I noticed the male bluebird getting more aggressive towards other birds over the course of a few days. There's a small bird feeder right behind the bird house in another yard that sparrows and other's visit. The male bluebird has been dive bombing the birds at the feeder trying to make them go away.
On Friday, April 14, when I was putting out more worms, I noticed the female was watching me from the birdhouse. When I got close, she of course flew away and I decided to check out the nest. I got my little point and shoot camera out and tried to get it into the bird house since it's above my head. I took a few pictures and discovered there are 3 little blue eggs in the nest.
I took a picture of the nest each morning when I put more worms in their feeder and I was happy to see 4 eggs then finally 5 eggs by April 17.
Unfortunately, on the morning of April 18, their were zero eggs in the nest. I found evidence of 3 eggs broken on the ground under the nest box. There was an aggressive house sparrow trying to get into the nest box, but the male kept running him off.
It's clear after reading about house sparrow aggression towards bluebirds (and others nests) that he was likely the egg killing culprit.
I have a second bluebird box in my basement and I decided to put it up in the back of the property with the hope that the bluebirds will go to that one instead. I also moved the worm feeder back there as well.
I've seen the male blue investigating the box and I've seen both male and female eating worms from the feeder. Hopefully, they'll hang around and make the second box I put up their next nest site.
On Friday, April 14, when I was putting out more worms, I noticed the female was watching me from the birdhouse. When I got close, she of course flew away and I decided to check out the nest. I got my little point and shoot camera out and tried to get it into the bird house since it's above my head. I took a few pictures and discovered there are 3 little blue eggs in the nest.
I took a picture of the nest each morning when I put more worms in their feeder and I was happy to see 4 eggs then finally 5 eggs by April 17.
Unfortunately, on the morning of April 18, their were zero eggs in the nest. I found evidence of 3 eggs broken on the ground under the nest box. There was an aggressive house sparrow trying to get into the nest box, but the male kept running him off.
It's clear after reading about house sparrow aggression towards bluebirds (and others nests) that he was likely the egg killing culprit.
I have a second bluebird box in my basement and I decided to put it up in the back of the property with the hope that the bluebirds will go to that one instead. I also moved the worm feeder back there as well.
I've seen the male blue investigating the box and I've seen both male and female eating worms from the feeder. Hopefully, they'll hang around and make the second box I put up their next nest site.
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