Top Photo: Bluebird eggs.

Every nest box on our six box trail has a nest within. Four are eastern bluebird nests and two belong to Carolina chickadees. We have a total of 21 eggs spread out among the occupied nests, 16 bluebird eggs, and 5 chickadee eggs. All but one nest with eggs had an adult incubating at the time of the inspection.

We saw no activity at the nest at the Cow pasture, which contains 6 bluebird eggs. We may have just missed the female as she went out for a snack or other business. There was no sign of either parent. I didn’t note any disturbance to the nest or surrounding area.

There’s been no activity at the nest in the nest box at Explore the Wild. It was started by a bluebird but hasn’t been added to in at least two weeks.

The female came flying out of the box as we approached the nest and perched nearby to watch as we looked inside the Into the Mist nest box. She’d been sitting on 5 eggs when we disturbed her. I took my photos, we shut the access door, and left.

The parking deck east nest box had been started by bluebirds, abandoned, then taken over by chickadees. It seems to be a work in progress as it’s not yet complete. Two adult chickadees watched and complained as we peeked inside their home. No eggs yet.

The nest box on the opposite side of the parking deck, the west side, had 1 egg inside last week. It now has 5 eggs. Again, the female was apparently incubating when we walked up to the box. She flew out the access door as it was opened and watched from nearby.

Last week the nest at the Butterfly House held 3 eggs. There are now 5 chickadee eggs in this plush little nest. The female was sitting on the eggs as we approached and jetted out the door as it was opened.

We’re off to a good start. Though one nest may have been abandoned and may not be used at all (Explore the Wild), we have a total of 21 eggs with 5 being incubated by chickadees and 16 by bluebirds.

I’m looking forward to next week’s inspection!