Dad Bluebird Removes 2nd Cowbird Egg From Nest!!

Since the 2nd cowbird egg was laid, Dad has been seen pecking at it numerous times and we were pretty sure he had rendered it non-viable. Today, he decided to officially take out the trash and he removed the 2nd cowbird egg from the nest!
Apparently, bluebirds are not named as birds who can usually tell the difference between a cowbird egg and their eggs and will raise the cowbird chick as their own, but our bluebird dad has shown just how smart and intuitive he is! Not just once, but two times over! Aren’t animals awesome!
🦜 Timeline & Key Events:
5/29/23 - Previous nest cleaned out and new camera mounted!
6/08/23 - Bluebird mom starts building nest! 🪹
6/14/23 - Cowbird lays egg in bluebird nest and dad bluebird removes it: • Cowbird Egg Thrown Out...
6/15/23 - First bluebird egg laid! 🥚
• Bluebird Laying Her Fi...
6/16/23 - Second bluebird egg laid! 🥚 🥚
• Bluebird Lays Her Seco...
Cowbird lays 2nd egg in bluebird nest.
6/17/23 - Third bluebird egg laid! 🥚🥚🥚
• Bluebird Laying Her Th...
6/27/23 - Dad removes 2nd cowbird egg.
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🪺How it started:
We had a house finch family fully fledge in a spot on our house in May of 2022, and that’s when our nest watch obsession began! At the time, we did not have any cameras set up, but I would take photos with my phone on a selfie stick to monitor the growth of the babies! You can see a short video of this nest here: • Thorne's First NestWat...
In March of 2023, our house finches returned and we set up a camera to personally observe them. Mom laid 5 eggs, but unfortunately in the middle of the night, a snake infiltrated the nest and ate all 5 eggs. Since then, I’ve been doing research on how I can make a safer area for the nest area in case they decided to come back.
Thankfully, our house finches did decide to return! We documented their first brood all on this channel, so go check out all of those videos showing nest building, egg laying, incubation, hatching of the eggs and raising the brood!
Now, we are watching a bluebird nest, and we are so excited to have brand new residents to observe at our nest area!

[@Lisaloves6mill]

That is one smart bird!

[@shannonspage9360]

Robins have learned to do the same thing

[@ThornesNestWatch]

Birds are amazing!

[@rickyflair4516]

Amazing

[@ThornesNestWatch]

👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

[@user-vb8fd2iu5b]

Unfortunately for the unsuspecting birds they will find their eggs gone the next morning.

[@ThornesNestWatch]

We were lucky that that did not happen! After the cowbird tried the second time, we never saw her again and we had a healthy bluebird brood. 😉