Today mostly swallows were seen. These two came to the box slot at the top. I like those boxes as I can even get an iPhone in the slot to see inside:
A couple of videos show fledglings begging. The job is to get the nestlings out so the parents feed the ones still inside. There are two inside and two outside.
OK, now, to summarize the activity still going on. It was more than I expected and all kinds of things to report so I will separate birds by species:
SWALLOWS
About half the swallows had fledged, half the boxes had some activity. If I see a bird inside and go to the box, it flied out if it is the parent. This one at the hole stayed in so they were actually two grown young. Eventually a parent showed up, on the outside. The one on top is a fledged bird, did not get fed in the 20 minutes I watched.
There were a number of boxes checked by this method but I did open one or two.
BLUEBIRDS
These birds always leave me more mysteries. The box that had four young leave a week ago has now five new eggs. I saw both parents and even cowbirds outside, but the cowbirds cannot get in to lay eggs. Cowbirds are in the first photo:
The parents:
On the North side the renesting (probably, there was a failed attempt in May 100-200 feet away) had three eggs last week in Box 16. Now there were two, the one has some grass on it but is whole.
Both parents were around and one flew out of the box. I checked the box next door that had swallows earlier. Now it is filled with house wren sticks... and soon a nest on top. I suspect the house wren broke one egg of the bluebird clutch.
On a happier note the four in Box 3 are ready to go any day now:
HOUSE SPARROWS
Any unclaimed boxes near a building will be claimed by house sparrows. I found two, and in the other I poked around to see two speckled eggs at least. They use the feathers the swallows leave so it is hard to count eggs.
I never evict any birds.
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