I've enjoyed watching these precious Bluebird parents caring for their young the past couple weeks. They are back and forth countless times to and from the nest box all day long, every day. Both parents equally share the responsibility of bringing food to their nestlings and carrying away their waste. Bluebirds are among the first songbirds to produce offspring in early spring. I've noticed that Chickadees and Titmice also nest early in spring.
The nestlings will probably fledge within a couple more days. They're getting pretty cramped inside the nest box and I often see them crawling atop each other and trying to get a peek outside. They're so stinking cute!
This is pretty gross but it's all a part of the ways of nature- when the baby bird has to poop, it will turn its back to the parent and discharge a poop sac. The poop is contained within a white sac which helps to keep the nest clean and provides an easy way for the parent to carry waste away from the nest. This behavior, in turn, helps prevent the attraction of insects like ants and flies around the nest. It is nature's way of housecleaning.
More about them later.
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