white breasted nuthatch

[dfchaser]

I was moving some wood around today and found a nest. Thought it was a mouse nest so i picked it up and looked inside to see if i needed to find a new place to put it. Instead of baby mice i found 2 little eggs. I looked them up and believe them to be white breasted nuthatch. I put the nest back the best i could. Do you think mom will come back to the nest? If not, do you think it would be worth it to hatch them myself?

 

[shay20]

usally wild animals can smell human if they had touched there nest and usally they will not go back to it they usally abandan the nest. just like a cat if someone they dont know touch there new born baby.

But I also have the heart to be afraid to move it thinking the mother will come back, but in all reality that what happens. If they smell somethink funny they will not go back to it. to them we are funny.

 

[dfchaser]

That is what i had figured. hum, now what do i do?

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
The whole "human scent" thing is a complete myth. I've done this with rabbits and the mother still takes care of the babies after I had touched them. Unless for some reason the mother thinks that her babies have been killed or the nest has been ravaged, then she will no longer go back to it in fear of being discovered again.

I would leave the nest some place near where you found it and wait to see if the mother comes back. If not, let nature take its course.

 

[shay20]

i dont think it would hurt much if you tryed to incubate them. or just watching that area and see if you any sighns of her going back, id say by later today if you see no sighns then bring them in.

 

[country freedom]

Leave the nest alone. That is only a myth you've heard. Wild animals will still take care of whats theirs, I know, I've taken (helped) care of a few wild birds along with their parents.

 

[Saveadane]

I don't mean to incite anyone with this but here goes.
Most birds (big exception is carrion-eating raptors) have an underdeveloped sense of smell, so handling the eggs is not going to deter the mother. It is a myth that birds will not return to nests that have been touched by humans, most likely originating from some mother trying to keep her little boy from bringing home bird eggs. However, if they are kept cool for too long because someone is standing around scaring off the parents, then the embryos could die. Best to put them back if they are still warm and wait for the parents to return. If the eggs have gone cold, she will abandon the nest and probably have the energy to set another one.
Besides, I have no idea what the hatching temp or humidity would be for such tiny things if you brought them inside!

 

[dfchaser]

I pulled the whole nest out trying to keep it in tact, i did not touch the eggs, just peeked in at them. I put it back in around the same spot hoping that she would come back. I hope that she does, i would feel bad for disturbing her nest.

 

[Autumn T]

I had starlings nest in my carport last summer. One of the babies died up in there and the smell was horrendous! The babies were screaming nonstop, mama was not coming near it, the TX heat was not helping.

A neighbor came over and we took the carport (side area) apart and out dropped a dead chick and 2 screaming live ones.

We threw away the dead one and picked up the live ones (gloved hands cause they were nasty)

Stuck the babies up to end hole the mom was using and they ran back to the nest.
As soon as the smell of the dead one was gone momma was back and feeding them.

All that to say she should come back!

 

[shay20]

hey maybe im wong, i know that when my nephew took down a bird nest full of babys i put it back and the mother never came back to it. I hope you have better luck than i did.