BLUEBIRD BOX MYSTERY

 In my last post I mentioned about our backyard bluebirds and their four blue eggs. Everything was going great! The male and female working together; female sitting on the tiny blue eggs and male bringing the occasional mealy worm. Then one morning while in the yard, I noticed extra nesting material hanging out of the wooden bird box. OH NO! Bravely I opened the box to find a mess!!! Egg yolk was splattered on the lid and inside there was a bluebird nest sitting on top of the first nest! Out of the 4 eggs: Two eggs were in the very bottom corners. One egg was cracked and one egg had completely disappeared!!!??? What happened??? What should I do? After several days we decided to remove second nest and to remove the remaining eggs. I cracked one (it was just an ordinary egg...no sign of a baby). Now the remaining bluebirds (were they new birds??? did they take over the nest???) are busy building. It was disappointing to find out the eggs were probably not fertile. We have had only one or two successful from eggs to fledglings. Between death by house sparrow (babies and adults) and removal of baby birds by house wrens and hot, hot weather, we have not been very lucky with bluebirds!!

The yellow American Goldfinch have their bright yellow feathers now and have been seen in the bushes and trees. Birds love to sit in the young Red Maple Trees. I count 3 sparrows and 1 goldfinch.

Radishes are starting to come up...can't wait to take a bite.

Today is mowing day for me, while R cleans out the boat...getting it ready to put up for sale. Just a couple of things left on getting the house ready to sell. Stressful around here! It is nice to just go outside and gently swing while watching the calming beauty of nature!!!

Juliet