Amy's happiness II

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A follow-up to last week's bluebird post:

Amy Barton writes, "I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful articles you wrote about my bluebirds. The female laid her second clutch of eggs a couple days ago. Both she and her mate have been getting a steady diet of meal worms. I bought another 1000 a week ago after they both sat on the roof of their house and kept staring at me while I worked outside. I always call to them at mealtime and they have learned that when I say 'bluebirds, here's your worms, come and get them! It's time to eat.' Thanks again for all your advice and remembrance of my Grandmother's love of bluebirds."

And then a second e-mail from Amy a few days later:

"Well I am certain the eggs are laid. The female stays in the box most of the time. I feed about 16 meal worms twice a day and they always share them. One will land on the container first (sometimes the female, sometimes the male) and eat a few worms while its mate waits patiently on top of the box. Then they will switch positions and the other bird gets to eat worms also. When the female begins to gather worms in her beak and take them to her nest, then the eggs have hatched. For now, they eat worms one at a time.

Sometimes the male seems to get a particularly wiggly worm and he flies over to the driveway and repositions it on the cement before eating. 'Guess he doesn't want to risk having to look for it in grass should he drop it!"

Thanks, Amy.

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