The bluebirds have been around the boxes for a while. They have been around the area perhaps all winter, but now the boxes interest them. I checked a few boxes the bluebirds have been around and none had a grass nest.
A number of boxes were the object of tree swallow interest, and these did have grass nests, but not complete. One had a bit of feathers. It may be that the one nest was on top of an old nest, but there was only maybe only one such box. I cleaned nearly all last fall. In any case, with warm weather and swallows catching insects, there will be nests in early May.
I moved one box on the South side, as it had been buried in mare's tail and sumac bushes. Also some tall Indian grass there. It was a good location a few years, and I could not move it while it was being used by bluebirds for two clutches. The boxes are both now at least visible from the path:
I managed to haul a shovel for the post hole on a bike.
There are still young bluebirds around. The parents may feed them or they may get around on their own. The feathers are sort of messed up in the nest on the chest and belly. Once out for a few days, they often have this scaly look:
The breast may be stripy or scaly looking and the bill is a thrush bill, pointy.
Indigo buntings have a strong blunt bill. The young have a more uneven mix of blue and brown. An adult in the tree and the more dark looking one on a wire. The female is brown.
UPDATE: 27 Fledged (all season), no birds left in nests (8.11.) Bluebirds
This will be the last post this season, other than I may give a link to submit counts if you have boxes yourself. Or google Bluebirds across Nebraska.
The three that were in Box 8 on the south side have left:
On the North side four birds reamain in the last box (17) on August 6. I will add a note below when they have left. I've put little white numbers on the birds. One is in the middle covered by the other three.
One parent was found nearby on the golf course side:
8.11 UPDATE: All 4 left that nest
WRENS
On the South side (where I have no need to check till September clean up) some wrens still nest. This box has at least four, probably more.
The only box left with bluebirds had four nestlings rather sleepy. I could get some slight movement at 9AM but they obviously have not opened their eyes yet. Next time they should be active.
South Side
I have not had problems with chicks on hot days so far, but here we had one box not doing well. The more grown nestlings were all doing fine. Box 4 had two left in the box and two in the tree. I saw three birds in the tree (after I took the video) so at least the parents are still around.
This one in the tree is likely a sibling of the above two:
Bit of video of the same
The next box, Box 8, had four young nestlings as it did last week, but not very active at all. I can see at least three. One of them is dead in this picture, a recent event. The other two were moving just slightly.
The wrens next door had fledged, some 5-7 of them in Box 7.
Box 11 that had the "blob" hatching on July 9
All four fledged successfully and there is just an empty nest left:
