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Expert: Bluebird Bob Walshaw - 7/15/2008


Question
long story short....i had a pair make a 2nd nest this season. babies were about 10 days old, when suddenly i didn't see the mom or dad feed all day. talked to a rehabber after 24 hours i took the nest out of the box and brought it to her. mom and dad have not reappeared. do they usually abandon nests? or do you think something happened to one of them? will one parent continue to raise the young? and is it too late for them to have another brood?

Answer
Hi Jane. This happens on a fairly regular basis, and often we don't know why. Usually it is because a predator got one of the pair, especially the female. Sometimes the male will feed the young but he may have been driven off by a killer house sparrow. They have a lot of predators and they get the slow and the not so smart which keeps the species strong - nature's plan, the survival of the fittest. We are lucky that it is that way, as one pair can raise 15 or more young in a season, and if they all survived we would be up to our hips in Bluebirds. On my 6 mile 100 box line many pairs are on their third family. Depending on where you live there still may be time for another family. Send your mailing address to walshaw1@cox.net and I will send you a free 20 page Bluebird book that will give you a lot of information. Especially see page 19 regarding your one Bluebird house.

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Bluebird Bob Walshaw

Expertise

I can answer almost any question on Eastern Bluebirds and small cavity nesters such as Chickadees, Titmice, Wrens, etc. Also general questions on other songbirds. No pet bird questions please.

Experience

I have had a 100+ nestbox trail for more than 20 years, I do a lot of writing, public speaking and educational work in this field. My hands-on Bluebird talks include more than 1000 people each year.

Organizations
Oklahoma Bluebird Society, North American Bluebird Society, National Audubon Society, Oklahoma Audubon Society, Oklahoma Fur Bearers Alliance

Publications
Bluebird Magazine, Oklahoma Today, Fur-Fish-Game, Birds & Blooms, Nature Society News,Back Woodsman Magazine, Tulsa World, Broken Arrow ledger, Teaching Tolerance magazine,Trappers World, OK Hole Story, Birders World

Education/Credentials
Degree in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA, Graduate of the Home Study Course in Bird Biology from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Oklahoma Master Naturalist. I am also a pofessional speaker and writer.

Awards and Honors
Chosen as a public speaker for the North American Bluebird Society, Bluebird trail accepted as part of the Transcontinental Bluebird Trail, Chosen as a panel speaker at the 2006 NABS Convention.

Past/Present Clients
Many

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