BirdCam

Facts

Color

Male dark blue with bright reddish chest
Female gray-blue with less colorful reddish chest

Nests

Woven grass, pine needles, straw, hair and sometimes feathers
Usually built by the female

Eggs per nest

4-6 light blue eggs
Usually the mother lays one egg a day for several days

Hatching

Incubation usually begins the day before or after the last egg is laid( this can vary)
- Waiting to incubate until the last egg is laid ensures that the eggs will hatch at about the same time
Freshly laid eggs are very cold tolerant and do not need to be kept warm until incubation begins
Chicks will hatch after about 2 weeks of incubation
To develop into a bird an egg needs to stay warm.
To ensure that eggs receive an equal warming, the mother birds often turns their eggs in their nest and also so that the yolk does not stick to one side of the egg

Chicks

remain in the nest for about 2-3 weeks
Speckled with touches of blue on their wings
Both parents feed the babies

Population

Population has decreased due to
- habitat loss
- Importation of the House Sparrow and European Starling
  - aggressive birds that will chase away Bluebirds from their homes
Population can be increased by providing Bluebird nesting boxes or starting a bluebird trail

Journal

Live webcam: Bluebird Birdcam Website

Background A Bluebird house is set up and equipped with a birdcam so that the nesting habits of the Bluebird can be observed. Students at Incarnate Word Academy are able to view first hand this nesting process on the SmartBoards in their classroom

Early May -A Bluebird begins to build nest over 3 week period in a Bluebird house located in Columbia Station.

May 13th - The Bluebird mother lays 1st egg in the morning

2 Eggs in the Nest (May 14)

May 14th Bluebird lays a 2nd eggs in the morning (May 14)

The mother bird is not spotted at the nest very often

May 15th Bluebird lays 3rd egg in the morning (May 15)

May 16th - The 4th egg is laid and this is the 1st night the mother bird sleeps on the nest at night, incubation may be beginning (see Hatching info on left)

The more colorful father bird is seen in nearby pine trees keeping watch

May 17th- To my surprise a 5th egg is laid ! The mother is in the nest much of the day and the father is nearby standing watch

Week of May 19th- The mother Bluebird has been incubating the eggs for much of the day. She only leaves the nest for short periods of time. She appears to turn the eggs so that she can equally warm all sides of the eggs.

May 23- To my astonishment when I looked at the webcam in the afternoon, the eggs were missing ! I looked by the birdhouse and noticed a broken blue eggshell and also one further away. I am not sure what happened to the eggs but I will consult the Mindy from the North Chagrin Reservation for her input.

May 27th- I have found out that the Bluebirds have many predators such as House Sparrows, raccoons, and snakes. Mindy, the Metroparks Naturalist suggested that I clean out the birdhouse and try attaching a predator guard to keep snakes and raccoons away. The House sparrows will be a bit tougher to keep away.

May 31st- A Bluebird has started to build another nest inside the birdhouse

June 7- The Bluebird has laid her first egg in the morning.

June 8th- The Bluebird has laid her 2nd egg in the morning. The male bluebird paid a visit to check out the eggs in the afternoon. He is very brightly colored and beautiful.

June 9th- The Bluebird has laid her third egg in the morning.

The mother Bluebird has been spending quite a bit of time on the nest, much more than with the first nest. She did not start incubating the nest until after the 5th egg was laid.

June 10th-The Bluebird has laid her 4th egg in the morning.

June 11th-The Bluebird has laid her 5th egg in the morning.

June 12-June 15- The female Bluebird is spending a great deal of time incubating the eggs and only leaves the nest for short periods of time.

June 23rd- The eggs have started to hatch! 3 of the 5 eggs have hatched today !

Mother bird is helping her chick out the egg

Baby birds sleeping comfortably

Mother Bluebird is keeping her babies warm.

June 24- 4 out of the 5 eggs have hatched and the mother is very good about bringing food to the chicks

evening-night: Mother bird is not present on the nest, that is very unusual !

June 25- I have not seen the mother at the nest since yesterday afternoon. I have talked to Mindy the Naturalist from the Metroparks and there is not anything that we can do to help the chicks since they are so young, they need the mother Bluebird to provide food and warmth