Bluebirds- Season Two

"The bluebird carries the sky on his back" - Henry David Thoreau

My sentiments exactly as I watch a pair of bluebirds zip past me. The pair I just observed are the parents of the 5 powder blue eggs in my nestbox. Last season (my first) I had 5 eggs in this box,but only two hatched and fledged. Not sure exactly when these were laid, but soon I will hopefully have 5 brand new fuzzy nestlings to add to the bluebird population.

The parents stayed close by feeding on captured insects, each one taking turns returning to the box to check on the eggs. Their nests are made up entirely of the hay that grows in the nearby hayfields and is shaped so that a cup is formed to cradle the eggs.
The box I set up over on my neighbor’s property contained 4 nestlings , so it looks like his bluebirds got a jump on mine. Last season there were 5 eggs laid here and three hatched and fledged. Each time I made the slightest noise their mouths went agape thinking the parents had returned with food.