This young Eastern Bluebird is from the second brood in my friend Steve Creek’s nest box in Arkansas this year. I took these bluebird photos two days ago.
Healthy young Eastern Bluebird – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 1000, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Some of you may remember that the male finished raising the first brood of chicks on his own after losing the female just two days before the chicks fledged. He worked hard at keeping those fledglings fed all by himself.
Then the male found a new female, and they laid eggs together. This young bluebird is from their union. By the time the second brood hatched, I had left Arkansas and was in Oklahoma. I didn’t get to see these chicks fledge, but I am seeing them learn to forage on their own and they have become self-reliant.
Young Eastern Bluebird foraging on its own – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 1000, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
This second brood of young Eastern Bluebirds seems a little more camera-shy than the first, or at least that is my perception. They have been a little harder for me to photograph.
The other news is that the male and female Eastern Bluebirds in Steve’s yard appear to be raising a third brood this year. See Steve’s post about that here.
The female is spending time in the box, and both the male and female are being especially defensive when Blue Jays and Red-bellied Woodpeckers come to Steve’s feeders. They repeatedly dive-bomb these two species near the nest box and feeders.
Will Steve get to photograph a third brood of young bluebirds from his deck this year? Will I get to see them? Will the heat of summer make it harder for the bluebirds to raise another brood?
Time will tell.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Eastern Bluebird photos plus facts and information about this species.
I love their speckles. Wow, a third brood, amazing to me!
A possible third brood? That is dedication. And a LOT of work.