Carol DM
The last entry in my Bluebird Blog 2018 (Part 2) was about the four eggs laid. You can read it here if you missed it. How Many Eggs?
I go out each day to check on the eggs making sure there are no predators. There have been four eggs for about 10 days now. After day 12, I have to stop monitoring as they will hatch around day 14.
Yesterday I went out to do my daily check. I gasped when I opened the box. Only two eggs remained. I looked around on the ground. And there were two eggs pierced and broken. It broke my heart. House sparrows do this. They will pierce the eggs with their beaks, sometimes kill the bluebirds, and they build a nest on top of them. Thankfully the bluebirds have survived. They continue checking the eggs and I hope the female is incubating them. They could easily abandon the nest due to this disruption. Hoping the eggs will hatch in a few days, if the female continues incubation. Keeping fingers crossed the remaining two will survive. This is all part of the process but it never gets easier when this happens.
All Photos ©CarolDM2018
House sparrows will reward your kindness by killing your bluebirds ~Bob Orthwein
I am not going to let him see this today!
Good idea, it was a sad day.
These eggs belong to which birds ?
These are bluebird eggs, like the title and the story talks about.
I get the distinct feeling that you like bluebirds Carol. Can’t think why! LOL!
Maggie, Sorry so late, but these are my Bluebirds of Happiness.
There is a cycle in life that we are all bound to follow. Sorry about this Carol.
Yep this is all part of it but it still hurts along the way.
I think, having looked at this post again, I understand why you miss them this year!
Now you remember how special they are. They always bring a presence of Dustin.
I remember now, sometimes, reading 10-20 blogs a day details slip away with time. But, now I remember!
I am reading these out of order. I am so sorry. At least they were able to have one family this year.
Yes and I still see those babies flying around the yard. I am blessed to have those.
Oh, no! We know this sort of thing happens, but it is always sad.
Yes and now the other two eggs are gone.
Yikes, I was wondering what would happen to them. Nowhere is safe.
Not when there are sparrows around.
The bluebirds have to be vigilant 24/7 but the sparrows only need one moment to undo all that effort. Truly, it is easier to destroy than to create. Vishnu is underrated and underappreciated…
Indeed you are exactly right. They can get in and out of the nest without being seen and do so much damage. Today they have destroyed the last two eggs.
At least you’ve seen to it that they will have no profit from their labors
Indeed I have and I will continue even when seeing them without bluebirds, the sparrows are not safe in my yard.
You let them live, which is more kindness than they deserve
Sorry to hear about this….that’s awful and sad that they do that. Hoping the other 2 survive!
Thanks, the other two did not survive.
I’m sorry to hear they didn’t survive.
Fighting for survival. It’s sad.
Yes it is and they deal with it every single day. I do what I can and that is all I can do.
It’s sad. That’s normal in the animal world. Fighting for survival. He’s the strongest.
Yes it is part of it but still is heart wrenching to see.
Of course I understand.
I promised you a post on Gladiolus..
Today I posted it just for you.
Thank you for sharing this sad news. Glad they survived
I hope the last two will survive, the female has not been here today.
So sad … why do you think if you intervene?
I mean like chasing off sparrows if you see them loitering around?
Will it disrupt the natural cycle?
I am constantly chasing sparrows as are the bluebirds but ever now and then the will get in the box and destroy them. It depends on the bluebirds what the next step will be. Hopefully they will continue with the two eggs left. Sparrows are just a natural predator for the bluebird. It is actually legal to kill them. I do not but I do everything I can to keep them away.