Today’s nest check at my home colony revealed 55 nests but none active. An active nest is one with at least one egg laid.
My Home colony consists of eight poles with a total of 151 cavities.
Nest building began about five days ago. Material is being gathered from the garden below the trendsetter house, several landscape beds and a cornfield to the southeast about 400 yards away. Pine needles are also being taken from the platform above the solitary gourd seen in the photo.
Second year birds have begun arriving but most nesting activity is from older after second year (ASY) birds. Another nest check will be done in Five to seven days. I suspect there will be several with eggs at that time.
eggs will be laid one per day until all are laid. Typically Four to five eggs are laid but as few as two and as many as seven is not unusual.
Once all eggs are laid it is 16 days to hatch then 26-32 days before young leave the nest.