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katiedidcottage

80 mph winds damaged nest box, nest & eggs - birds okay

14 years ago

Does anyone have any experience with this type or a similar type of situation? I have checked on the Sialas website and searched the internet and have found nothing similar.

Yesterday afternoon we had a very bad but very fast "thunderstorm" with at least 80 mph winds. We had a couple of trees snapped and general damage to our yard and a lot of damage and trees down all over our area. The nest box on the front of my yard was okay, but the side one was twisted on the pole and faced upside down - there was a definite downdraft that occurred at this place because of damage to plants nearby. I straightened up the birdhouse and looked inside and there were only 2 of the 4 eggs inside. One of these 2 eggs had a small 1/4" indentation but did not look like the membrane was damaged. Later on, the damaged egg was removed by the bluebirds. I didn't see any eggs around on the ground at that time, but later on when we moved and straightened up some of the pine straw we use for mulch, I found one intact egg with sticky egg all on its shell and another broken and empty shell. I immediately put the damaged egg back into the nest very gently but it had been several hours since it had been knocked out by the blowing wind. These bluebirds seem to have taken back to their nesting care, but I have my doubts that either of the eggs will ever hatch because of being bounced around so much. By the way, the 1st egg was laid on June 12 and the last egg was laid on June 15, so it hasn't been long for incubation. I'm estimating incubation started on June 15.

Please let me know if you have heard of eggs being bounced around and still being viable.

Comments (3)

  • 14 years ago

    I have not seen the bluebirds back at the nest again today. I believe it has been abandoned, and I don't blame them for that. I will leave the eggs in the nest until I see if they come back till past time for the eggs to hatch.

  • 14 years ago

    Awwww..so sorry to hear of this. That storm came through my yard too, and took one of my Bradford Pears down. It landed across my driveway, and luckily did not hit the house or our basketball goal. Gosh, it came through really fast. If you are not seeing them back at the house at all, then they have abandoned the nest. You don't need to wait the 2 weeks to remove the nest. Give it a few days, and when you are sure that they have abandoned, go ahead and remove the nest. Maybe they will build there again. There is still plenty of time.~~Angie

  • 14 years ago

    Thank you, Angie. It makes me so sad. :(

    There is a lot of activity and excitement at the other nest and it will be 13 days from hatching by Wednesday of this week so I expect them to fledge by Saturday. It is such a happy time for the baby bluebirds coming into the world.

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