Mariton: Eggs and Babies

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

Five Bluebird babies

This week we have Bluebird babies and Chickadee eggs.  The nest above shows 5 Bluebird chicks.  Their heads are as big as their bodies at this point of development, so I’ve learned over the years to look for beak tips when I monitor.  If a baby is on the bottom of the pile it is difficult to determine where it starts and where it ends, but usually a beak pokes out from the mass.  I expected to find babies last week when I monitored, so they must have hatched shortly after my visit.  The other nest had two chicks and two eggs.  I don’t expect those eggs to hatch now, as those chicks look like they are a week old also.

Chickadee nest

This Chickadee nest has 6 eggs, but it is impossible to see them at this point.  The hair on top of the moss nest insulates and hides them.  I count by touch, gently feeling through the layer of hair.  When the female starts incubating, she will pull the hair away.  Another nest box holds a Chickadee nest with four eggs.