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August 16 - Empty nest! Many thanks and
congratulations to Caldwell County Elementary School for hosting four different nest box
cams this season! We look forward to doing it again next year! |
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August 16 - Just one of the five
nestlings remain in the nest. Shortly after this image, it also fledges. |
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August 16 - FLEDGING DAY! After three
days of being off line, we begin transmitting images with fledging already in progress.
Earlier today, the first two nestlings left the nest. |
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Aug 14 - We are experiencing technical
difficulties and hope to be back online soon. |
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August 13 - The vibrant feathers
emerging on the nestling's tail suggests that it is a male. |
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August 12 - A feeding exchange in
progress as one of the parents drops a food item into the nestling's gaping mouth. |
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August 11 - Although both males and
females feed the young, it has been over a week since the last time we saw the male. |
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August 8 - The five nestlings demand
constant feeding now, as they approach the period of greatest weight gain. |
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August 7 - At just over a week old, the
young birds are able to thermoregulate their own body temperatures, thereby decreasing the
risk of mortality due to excessive heat. |
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August 5 - Five brightly colored mouths
announce their hunger to the returning female. |
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August 4 -The female waits, as one of
the nestlings excretes a fecal pellet. |
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August 3 - Like most songbirds,
bluebirds are born altricial—nearly naked, blind, and helpless. |
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August 2 - Until the nestlings are
about a week old and can control their own body temperatures, the female will spend time
brooding them and keeping them either warm or shaded. |
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August 1 - At the close of the day, we
get a rare glimpse of both parents inside the box, in a seemingly congratulatory meeting. |
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July 31 - Over the course of the
evening the remaining two eggs hatched. Let the feeding begin! |
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July 30 - The first crack
of the third egg is visible (bottom image) and moments later, the third hatchling emerges.
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July 30 - A nice sequence
(from bottom to top) spanning four minutes showing the second hatchling emerging from its
shell. |
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July 30 - Surprise! After 12 short days
of incubation, the first hatchling emerges from its shell! |
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July 28 - The female may be vocalizing
to the male or simply panting in the heat. |
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July 27 - Ideal development of eggs
requires that they are maintained between 96 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Females can sense
when eggs are outside this range. |
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July 26 - The camera was down for a few
days, but it is now up and running again. We can see that there are still five eggs in the
nest. |
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July 25 - During incubation it is
common for the male bluebird to deliver food to the female through the entrance hole. |
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July 20 - There are still five
eggs in the nest, so we can now safely assume that the final clutch size is 5. The eggs
should hatch around the 31st of July. |
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July 18 - It looks like we
underestimated our bluebird - at around 10:30AM she laid her fifth egg! |
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July 17 - Just after 8AM, the fourth
and likely, final egg is laid. Archives show the female incubating for most of the day,
therefore we can estimate the hatch date to be on or about July 30th. |
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July 17 - The female in the process of
laying the fourth egg. |
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July 16 - Song birds typically will lay
one egg a day until the clutch is complete; on day 3 of laying, there are now three eggs. |
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July 15 - The second egg is laid. |
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July 14 - The first egg is laid just
after 8 AM this morning. |
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July 11 - One of the parents enters the
nest box with a mouthful -f fresh nesting material. |
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July 10 - The female is seen eating
inside the box. We expect to see another first egg laid in the next few days. |
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July 9 - The male is seen cleaning
house and removing old fecal material. If they begin to nest, this would be the third
nesting attempt on the school grounds, and the second bluebird nesting attempt in this
box. |
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July 7 - The male appears to be
relining the nest cup with fresh nesting material—a sign of possible nesting. |
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July 4 - Just two days after the five
young fledged, the male is seen back inside the box. |
