I am a bit concerned because of the temperature. It was over 100 degrees yesterday, will be again today and is predicted to be again tomorrow. After that the heat is expected to abate just a little but it will still be in the high 90s. Is it possible the heat could damage the eggs, perhaps causing them to start developing before Mama is ready to brood? Could it perhaps even "cook" them? It is a concern, but, frankly, I don't know what I could do to alleviate the situation at this point. I'll just have to trust to Mama Bluebird and Mother Nature to know best how to take care of this new generation.
From a website I found (sialis.org/heat), it looks like if the box gets afternoon shade, they should be fine - mom just won't sit on them as much. But if the box is thin wood and gets full sun, it may be iffy...
ReplyDeleteThe box faces east and would get some afternoon shade from the utility pole to which it is attached. When it is so hot though, it's hard to see how that little bit of shade will help very much. The box is approved by the Bluebird Society and the wood is fairly thick so that will give some protection. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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