Can anyone tell me if it is common for bluebirds to leave their eggs for a while possibly days and then return. I recently set up a bluebird house and noticed that I have not seen the bb pair in a week or so. I checked the box and to my surprize there were five eggs in the nest. Iam not sure how long they were there but I have seen no sign of the pair yet. Any advise would be appreciated as Iam a newbie to this hobby and forum.
Baker, I can think of two possibilities. One is that they have not started incubating yet. Bluebirds can lay up to 7 eggs. Once the eggs are in the nest, the incubation does not need to start right away. Also, the mother may leave the eggs for longer periods if it is hot out. Another possibility is that you have a wasp nest in the box. They will abandon nests where wasps have set up shop. Check on the roof for a wasp nest. To avoid this, always rub paraffin wax or soap on the roof of the house. Or you can rub a thin coat of vaseline on the roof and about 1/2 inch down on the sides. You should be sure to wipe this out well with a paper towel leaving a very thin coating. Ideally this should be done in the early spring before the nesting season, but you could still do it now.
