Bluebirds bringing goodies for the chicks

[Allen Sparks]

I set up a nest box in my backyard which was quickly taken over by a pair of Eastern Bluebirds. They are currently raising their second brood. It is interesting to see the different kinds of insects and spiders they bring back to the young. In this series which I took this morning, the female is shown first with a grub and then the male with a spider. The last photo is a juvenile from the first brood bringing back some kind of fly. I had read that juveniles will sometimes help feed subsequent broods but this is the first time I have witnessed this behavior myself.