The Eastern Bluebird is my favorite visitor to the yard. The male wears a stunning suit of feathers that catch the sunlight as he flits around the property. The sun will sometimes glint off those feathers and the color is almost electric! Just beautiful! Catching a glimpse of this winged wonder makes me smile.
A breeding pair chose to use our nesting box this year. I’m always amazed at how such a tiny creature can weave a nest with no hands.
I waited until the eggs were laid in the nest and then I started watching for them to hatch.
It was fun to see them hatch out with just tufts of what looked more like fur than feathers. There were five eggs but I believe only four actually hatched. This photo was taken on day one, April 13, 2022.
April 15, 2022 and you can see how transparent their skin is. I only see four in the nest.
April 17, 2022 and you can still see just the one egg that didn’t hatch. The other four are growing quickly.
This is April 18, 2022 and you can see tiny wings are growing fast. As the days zipped by, this nest was the site of a lot of feeding. My guess is this pair of parents were kept hopping to catch grasshoppers, crickets and other bugs.
The feathers started to fill in and they seemed to grow like a weed. It made me wonder if their diet had been sprinkled with vitamins. 🙂
April 21, 2022. From the first hatching to the time they were big enough to fly was only ten days. Can you believe it?! This photo shows lots of tiny feathers.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, maybe these pictures do a better job of capturing the marvelous journey from egg to young adult Bluebird.
They are ready to fly. This was taken April 22, 2022. The next day, they had flown away.
I now have an empty nest. I’ve seen the breeding pair of Bluebirds hanging around the back yard. Only time will tell if they raise another brood. They could be discussing the matter or they might be taking turns in the bird bath.
My grandmother would be very happy to know her old bird bath is being put to good use. The Bluebirds, Cardinals, Finches and Robins have all stopped by for a drink or a quick dip.
Enjoy the photos and until next time….I’ll be rambling on.
A beautiful tale of a wonderful experience. . . Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for leaving some positive feedback. Hugs to you!