Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs from previous season.

We now have four active nests, all bluebirds. Two of our six nest boxes remain empty, one typically used by chickadees is vacant and the other perhaps due to disturbances by humans.

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The nest box at the Cow Pasture has a new and complete bluebird nest inside. No eggs yet.

Over the years, the Explore the Wild nest box which has been a reliable location for Carolina chickadees to build nests. It is still empty.

I’ve been seeing bluebirds in the area of the Into the Mist nest box for the past week, both male and female, often sitting on top on the box. I expected to see a nest inside at this week’s inspection of the box. My expectations were met. There is now a completed bluebird nest inside, sans eggs.

Last week there were 5 eggs in the nest box on the east side of the parking deck. Today, there was a female incubating the eggs. She flushed as we opened the box. I was too late with the camera to get a photo of her as she departed.

The Parking Deck West nest box was open as we walked up to it today. This is the second time the nest box has been tampered with this season, perhaps due to its close proximity to the Picnic Dome where hundreds of kids have lunch each day. Curiosity? I’ll have to keep a closer eye on this box in the future. There was no nest inside the box.

The Butterfly House has a new and complete bluebird nest inside, but no eggs.

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So, four out of six nest boxes now have a bluebird nest under their roofs. One of the nests has five eggs which are being incubated. The others still await eggs. One nest box has been tampered with and one has yet to be occupied.

Things are getting interesting!