The Eastern Bluebirds are due to become new parents this week, sometime between Tues and Fri or so, give or take, 12 to 14 days incubation. That began on April 9 or 10, so it won’t be long now! I’m amazed at how fast this month has gone.

The Starlings haven’t been bothering the nest box, but the worst part of it all happens, generally, near the end of incubation, or after hatching, before fledging occurs. We had babies disappear once. That’s enough to show how delicate a balance there is in nature. Baby birds disappearing before they could have possibly fledged is heartbreaking. So diligence in watching the nest is important, but can’t cover every instance of possible danger.

I checked the nest a few days ago, when Mrs. Bluebird left the box for some food or a “rest” from sitting for a few moments. All five eggs looked nice and were warm and cozy in the nice nest Mama Bluebird built. (The nest in the pictures below squishes shorter when incubation starts, due to the weight of the whole situation, so it looks more compact now.)

As soon as I have confirmation on hatching, any, I’ll be sure to report it here!