How to Monitor Nest monitoring should only be done during calm, mild and dry weather conditions to reduce the chance of chilling the nestlings or eggs. Open the nest box careful not to disturb the eggs or let the nestlings jump out. Songbirds have a poor sense of smell and will not abandon the nest due to your handling the nest, eggs, or nestlings. If nestlings are in the box, look for signs of blowfly parasitism. If larvae are attached to the nestlings, they are easily removed by hand.
Bluebirds are quite tolerant of human presence but be prepared for some dive-bombing.
Complete the monitoring as quickly as possible to minimize disturbance. When handling the nestlings or removing them from the nest, they should be placed in something that will protect them from the sun or wind while preventing their escape. Always check to make sure the box door is closed and records your observations. A tidy nest is built with fine grasses or pine needles with a fairly deep cup. Adults remove fecal sacs and nests remain clean right though until fledging.