The chicks are growing incredibly fast! You can see that their wing feathers have started to come in. 

Mom has removed the eggs that didn’t hatch from the nest. She broke them and carried them out in pieces. When I get some time, I’ll try to edit the videos to show her hauling them out. 

We had a nice warm day today, Mrs. Bluebird spent a lot of her time out of the box. Both parents were around the yard most of the day, alternating who brought food back to the box. 

Update – I managed to get a video to upload this evening, here’s today’s check in on the bluebirds

Our bluebird chicks are getting big enough to look like birds now. Their feathers are just starting to come in, the chicks are turning blue. Mom and dad continue to haul food in for them. 

Look how big our chicks are getting! They’ve probably tripled in size since Friday. 

Another day with the parents delivering food to the box for the chicks. We’ve got a warm (for Vermont in the spring) afternoon. Mom has been spending more time out hunting. 

Both parents were busy hunting for the chicks today. Mrs. Bluebird alternates between hunting and sitting in the box. We got some live mealworms today, hopefully that will help them out. 

Here’s several minutes of the bluebird chicks in the nest. Towards the end, Mrs. B returns to feed one of the chicks and settle back in the box. 

Saturday morning finds two eggs that still haven’t hatched. Mom is sitting on them and the two chicks, venturing out occasionally to get food for them. Dad has made a couple trips in with food for the chicks. 

We’re looking inside a nesting box with the bluebirds in West Newbury, Vermont. The camera is permanently mounted in the box and we can watch without disturbing the birds. 

A couple good looks at chicks one and two.

We’re looking inside a nesting box with the bluebirds in West Newbury, Vermont. The camera is permanently mounted in the box and we can watch without disturbing the birds. 

We’ve got a chick! The first chick hatched shortly before dawn this morning. As of 1030, it looks like a second chick has broken its shell, hard to tell, I haven’t had a clear view yet, mom is still sitting on the nest. 

Here’s mom bluebird bringing in the first meal. Sorry about the video glitch as mom leaves, the camera has trouble adjusting to the rapidly changing levels of light. 

We’re looking inside a nesting box with the bluebirds in West Newbury, Vermont. The camera is permanently mounted in the box and we can watch without disturbing the birds. 

Mr. Bluebird seems to be getting impatient. He usually shows up around the yard a few times a day. He’ll call to Mrs., she sometimes answers. Today, he stuck around the yard, often perching on the box or the roof just above the box. I saw him go to the door several times to see what was up. And, every time I was around to see Mrs. leave the box, Mr. would perch by the door. All this, and still no chicks. We’re about midway through the period we can expect them to hatch. They should hatch before Monday. 

Here’s Mrs. Bluebird tending her eggs this afternoon:

We’re looking inside a nesting box with the bluebirds in West Newbury, Vermont. The camera is permanently mounted in the box and we can watch without disturbing the birds.