After the tragic loss of one of the fledglings from the first brood, and the uncertainty about the fate of three of the others, I wondered how the remainder of the nesting season would unfold. I couldn’t help but wonder if the fledglings had made it and were okay. My questions were answered in mid-May.
Between May 14 and 17, I occasionally saw the male around my back yard. Sometimes he would be atop the nest box, but always alone. The next day, the female joined him in checking out the nest box. Then they began behaving in a way they never had before.
The male and the female inspect the nest box in mid-May in anticipation of their second brood of the season.
Although I had continuously offered dried mealworms in a tray on my deck railing previously, the bluebirds had never eaten them during the previous two years. Also, the birdbath on my deck had never before been used by the bluebirds. Today all that changed — they were voraciously consuming dried mealworms and enjoying vigorous baths. They would eat, bathe, sun and just hang out together. They genuinely looked like they were enjoying their leisure time as a couple.
And then my spirits were lifted beyond belief. As if to ease my concerns about the first brood, all four chicks from that brood flew in to join their parents on my deck! The were safe, healthy and beautiful!
Juveniles from the first brood want mom to feed them dried mealworms.
The juveniles would frolic in the birdbath, and they would stay by the mealworm trays urging their parents to feed them. Both the male and female fed the juveniles for the next few days, but then began ignoring their pleas so they would feed themselves, which they quickly began doing.
The happy scene resembled a bluebird country club as the parents and the juveniles enjoyed the food buffet and swimming pool.
The juveniles enjoyed the pool at the Bluebird Country Club.
Amid all this family fun, the female began building her nest and it was completed in about five days. The first egg of the second brood was laid on May 25; three eggs followed, bringing this clutch to a total of four.
The next two weeks were my most enjoyable ever as a bluebird enthusiast. Watching the entire family interact every day was an absolute treat.
I checked the nest box daily and all eggs were intact with no problems noted. Then on June 11 the first egg hatched.
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This is the 12th column in a series.
Next in the series: “The Second Brood of 2021: Dad Ends Up Going It Alone”
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