[TN-Bird] Bluebird nestlings

From: "Carole Gobert" <cpgobert@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 11:49:40 -0400
I have bluebirds nesting in one of my 2 nest boxes; the other is empty.  
Saturday I noticed that the mother bluebird was feeding the babies alone 
with no help from the father who had been attentive to that point though I 
don't know if he was actually feeding the babies as I'm not sure when they 
hatched; the first one I actually heard in the nest box was about a week 
ago, so I think they're pretty young.  In any case, I was concerned whether 
the mother could feed her brood on her own so I've been putting out meal 
worms for her since Saturday.  Up until this morning the only birds who 
found the worms were the mother bluebird and a mockingbird.  They were 
pretty good about taking turns although, of course, the bluebird always 
yielded to the mocker who would then eat a few and fly off with a few, so 
I'm probably feeding a mockingbird family as well.

This morning an aggressive robin drove the bluebird from the worms and even 
pursued her for awhile.  I chased the robin from the worms and stood nearby 
while the bluebird made multiple trips to the worms and back to her nestbox. 
  She just ignored me though I was standing only 4-5 feet away.  I had put 
out a few worms on the other side of the yard also in case the mockingbird 
came but the robin and a red bellied woodpecker found them and took turns 
running each other off.

I've been driving home to put out worms at lunch time as well as in the 
morning and evening.

The last two days a male bluebird has been hanging around the female.  
Either a deadbeat father or new suitor (probably the latter).  He 
occasionally looks into the box but shows no inclination to assist in 
feeding the young.  The female ignores him.

Any suggestions as to anything further I can do would be appreciated.

Carole Gobert
Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee

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[TN-Bird] Bluebird nestlings

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