Bluebird eggs!
April 18th, 2008 by Kip Draper - 727 views
10:42 AM! Just happened to be watching. She started hyperventilating and her body ballooned and contorted. I hear they lay one a day now. She should be on the nest much more too. Woohoo!
Egg #2 arrived around 10AM on the 19th
Egg #3 arrived on 4/20 at around 10:02AM
Egg #4 arrived on 4/21 at approximately 9:45AM now in color during daylight
Egg #5 arrived at around noon on the 22nd so much for my theory
(4/21) I’m guessing she’s done. Today was the first day she sat on the nest for extended periods. If my theory’s right, I’ve learned that she pretty much abandons the other eggs until the last one is laid, then she starts incubating. Makes sense: give them all a pretty even start.
Duck, she’s spotted the new color cam…
This cam is great when the lighting is good. The snapshot below is near sunset; it looks like there’s a spotlight in this dark, closed, nest box. However, it fades shortly thereafter and I have it programmed to switch to the night vision cam until the sun comes over the mountains, well after sunrise.
I was able to get sound and video recording working on it, so I’ll have some color videos w/ sound to view/download soon. It should get pretty noisy in there after they hatch.
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Egg number 5!!! She laid it just before noon 4/22/08.
Thank you Ron! She caught me by surprise on this one. I’m sitting here at the office thinking she was done w/ four. It’s a full house now!
What happened to the fifth egg?
Do you mean the one that looks like it has a little crack?
Reading this last night doesn’t help the worries:
http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm
http://www.sialis.org/videomoore.htm
Nonetheless, the cam saved the day for the Bluebird parents, their babies, and their nervous host-family.
What has happened to the color cam? Looks like we are only getting nightvision pics. Of course, that’s better than nothing, but the color pics are incredible.
Long story, short: the nest is around 190 feet from the house. The color cam is a USB device that requires a USB to CAT5 converter to cover that distance. The device claims to go 198 feet, but I can’t seem to squeeze that out of it. I’ll move the nest closer to the house for the next brood, but for now I’m stuck w/ where it is.
Sooo, I put up a camping tent closer to the nest and have the cam running off of a notebook in my new “IT/Observation Outpost”.
Well I had to go out of town and there was bad weather in the area so I decided to bring the notebook inside. The color image is dark on cloudy days anyway. I’m still trying to get it running from the house but will power up the outpost today if I fail.
Kip,
Thanks for the detailed explanation. I would have been satisfied with something like, “Hey, we’re doing the best we can with what we have to work with”. I, for one, appreciate what you are doing.
Here’s a YouTube video of the female doing her thing. It’s been about 10 days since she started incubating; I should have some chick video to view in a few days:
Link to YouTube video
Hi Kip!
Watching from our home in West Palm Beach, FL
My husband and I came across you last year and have been checking back ever since. We have a place in Bryson City, NC and would love to pick your brain about your set up. LOVE LOVE LOVE the blue bird cam!
We are addicted to your site and check it out daily as well as recommending it to our nature loving friends.
Thank You,
Sami and Joe
Okay Kip,
I’m getting anxious now. We’re looking at 14 days of incubation - should be about time!!
i’ll bet the bluebird is thinking the same thing! haha
Be glad to help out Sami and Joe. I’m a bit anxious myself Ron & BW. The eggs seem to be distorting in shape a bit, but maybe I’ve been watching too long!
Here they are getting in a few last-minute practice runs, not to mention a quick bite.
YouTube - Male & Female Eastern Bluebirds Feeding on Mealworms
Man, they sure can trash a restaurant!!! But he’s ever the gentleman, feeding her those tasty treats.
She seems very restless on the nest, moving around, messing with the eggs, etc. She’s getting ready.
Babies!!! Can’t wait to see them in the daylight.
Kay
ALRIGHT!!!! Congratulations everyone (especially Kip). I guess we’re all foster grandparents? I just wish they had hatched while I was watching. Now the fun starts. Feedin’ time at the zoo!!