Return of the Bluebirds

I was excited -- no, THRILLED -- when our bluebirds returned! Here are some of the photos I've taken this month. I don't know if they are the same family that was in our birdhouse before, because the female (Sialia) in this family seems a lot thinner and has a gray spot on her belly that the other didn't have. Both Silas and Sialia seem to act a bit different than the other two, but I'm keeping the same names. There are three jeveniles in this family -- I know because we often see the family of five together hunting bugs or keeping watch over the new clutch. The first egg was laid on May 16th, and, like the last family, this mama bird laid five eggs. I continued to take daily pictures, but when I checked the nest on May 25th, I was sad to see it empty. The nest was messed up a bit, and there were some broken shells on the ground beneath the birdhouse. I don't know if it was the same predator that got one of the last babes, but I am guessing the squirrel got to it. I'm bummed again, but I know this is the cycle of life and the way nature works. The bluebird family hasn't moved back into the house, but they are still in our yard often, so maybe they'll come back and nest again. Now, we get to figure out if we need to clean out the birdhouse again or leave it.

Last night I saw FIVE juveniles splashing in a puddle by the porch. Since I could only snap pictures through the dog-slobbered glass of the backdoor, the pictures ended up a bit fuzzier than I hoped. It was funny to see the bluebird kiddos yelling at each other just as much as my kiddos do.