Bluebirds of May

We have been getting entertained by the bluebirds.  How, you may ask?  Well, a couple of Christmas' ago I got HWNSNBP a birdcam for the bluebird box and he finally got the extra cord so that he could hook it up.  The original camera only comes with 100' of cord and we needed about 100 more feet to maneuver around the obstacles and run it down the hill and into the house to be hooked up to an old tv that we had.

The blues spent very much time visiting the empty house and checking it for it's sturdiness and durability.  They would go in and tap the bottom with their beaks and then chirp back and forth as if in conversation assuring each other that it was a safe place - and the bottom was not going to fall out.

Trust me, the picture is a bit more clearer than what you see here.  I had to try all the cameras I have and quite a few setting before I found one that would get a half decent photo.  We don't see the rolling waves on the tv screen but the cameras pick it up.  

Then the nest building began.  They sure were busy putting straw in and ....... taking it out again.  This went on for days.  She would rearrange and rearrange and nestle in and then fly out and away.  

This was beginning to become worrisome and then Saturday, when we got back from our errands, lo and behold, there was an egg.  So yesterday I camped out right around the time that I think she laid the egg the day before and waited.  And I waited.  And I waited (zentangling in between).  

 This is a short video below.  When she raises her head and opens her mouth it's because he is bringing her a tasty treat.  The camera is a mike also but my video camera didn't seem to pick up the sound.  But we can tell when they land on the box and enter it because of the sound they make.

And seemingly unaffected - she laid yet another egg and I couldn't even tell it had happened until she flew away.

Today there are three eggs!  There can be up to five so we'll have to wait and see if she's done.  Then she should start incubating the eggs so they will all hatch about the same time.  We are expecting rain for the next three days so it will be cool and damp.  Mr. Blue will be responsible for feeding her and maybe taking a turn at the incubating.  

I wish we could figure out how to stream the feed so I could watch them from school or share it with you out there, but this will have to do for now.  I am excited to see the eggs hatch, and the babies being fed, and how they sleep at night (it's an infrared camera), and how they practice jumping in the box.  All of it!  I hope we don't miss too much of it while at work.  I'll try to share pictures as we go along, but as you can see, the quality isn't that great.