Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs.

Nearing the end of the season (in the past we’ve gone as far as August with the final fledge of the season), we have one, maybe two, active nests, bluebirds all, I think (see below).

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The nest boxes at Cow Pasture, ETW, and Sailboat Pond, are all empty. No nests of any kind.

A strange occurrence at Into the Mist has me wondering.

Inside the nest box at Into the Mist were three very large, I can only assume, bluebird eggs. They are normally quite a bit more blue in color. Perhaps the bird’s shell gland couldn’t keep up with the demand for protoporphyrin and biliverdin as the oversized eggs squeezed out of the bird.

One of two things has happened, there is a bluebird with a very sore cloaca, or a very large member of the species, as yet unseen, is flying about the museum property. I can just imagine this large bird with its oviduct pressed up against the nest box’s hole as it dropped three eggs into the space. The bird will never be able to incubate. It can’t fit into the nest box to do so.

I’m also confused about the use of wood shavings for the nest, not a bluebird thing. Perhaps this is some rogue barnyard escapee, after all.

We’ll see.

The PKE nest box is empty.

Five day old nestlings greeted me as I opened the nest box at the PKW. If all goes well they should fledge after next week’s inspection, so don’t disturb the nestlings. It may force an early fledge.

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It’s slow a wind down of the nesting season though there’s still time for a second brood. Strange goings on in at least one nest box. And five fresh nestlings are ready for the challenge, like it or not.

See you next week.

Ranger Greg