Here are two pictures of the two hatchlings on August 4, 2011–the DAY of hatching.  These were due to hatch on July 31st.   Perhaps the female delayed incubation a few days during our high heat here.  Who wants to sit on eggs in a hot nestbox?   It may have taken longer and she indubated in early mornings and cooler evenings and stayed off the eggs during the afternoons.  Theory on my part.  I will be getting some styrofoam for next year to put on roofs of nestboxes in direct sun during our high-heat periods to help the birds stay cooler–a quick fix many bluebirders do.  I have to do some reasearch on how this is done.  I will be back on my trail in a day or two to check on these little tykes again.  This is my first ever clutch of white eggs…an event that happens to about 4-5 percent of laying females.   There is a pigment in the oviduct of the females that colors the eggs blue as they pass through.  Perhaps this pigment is missing in this female.  The eggs are just as fertile.   That means the bluebirds that did a brood in this box prior to this one was a DIFFERENT female, as her eggs were blue.  All birds in the thrush family generally lay blue eggs.  A photo of the eggs are further down this website.  Just cursor down to find it.   Info on white eggs are on the Sialis site in an easy-to-read pop-out:  http://www.sialis.org/whiteeggs.htm

"Hey, bro, while we wait for our other sibling to get outta this shell, let's do the Wiggle-Wiggle dance!"

I quickly took these pictures and left them alone. I know the female was close by watching. Already these guys, fresh out of their shells, weak....are HUNGRY. They started to gape while I was there. I am hoping egg #3 hatched OK.