Two mommas with babies in same tree?

[TubeDriver]

We have two mommas, two nests (nest box lower and drey 10' higher) and either 6-7 babies in the SAME tree!

We have had two pregnant/nursing mommas that visit multiple times per day. I assumed the drey above the nestbox was old or was a back up?

Last week we saw 3 babies outside their nest for the first time. But this morning, my tree was swarming with little Sept babies exploring outside their nests, I clearly counted 6 and thought there might be 7 total!

3 of the babies are a little bigger (7-8weeks old from the nestbox) while some look a little smaller (7 weeks old from the drey?).

Never seen anything like this. The two mommas do NOT like each other and chase and attack each other often. Will the babies be safe in this situation?

[SammysMom]

The oak tree right across from my house often holds 2 to 3 families. It is an enormous tree and they seem to coexist quite nicely...:w00t

[missPixy]

We have a beautiful White Cedar that provides nest area to 2 families of babies.

The tree's branches are such that the smaller ones extend from the trunk and then create a dense "cage" impenetrable to hawks and other gangsta tweets.

I love at dinner time when the babies are all playing on the different levels of the cedar! Fills my heart with happiness.:serene

[Spanky]

I had a similar situation is the past, there is comment of it in Sandy's thread (startig post #8) about Sandy and Ms. Tyson who each had babies in nest boxes circa fall 2014 that were about 150 feet apart. They were relentless about protecting the entire area from outsiders once the babies started wandering from the boxes. Once the babies started going further from the boxes, they were just as mean to one another and each other's babies as well. One of Sandy's brute of a boy, Sydney, actually seemed to start purposefully antagonizing Ms Tyson into the late fall and winter months. (I think he fathered her Spring babies. :rotfl)

It was an uneasy truce to say the least but no one got seriously injured.

This year I have 3 mom's in three different nest boxes that are only about 50 feet apart. The babies are just starting to come out of the box of 1, not even on the trees yet, but 2 of the mom's are being viciously territorial with one another. I have set up an additional feeding station nearer to the one (Ear Dear) so that she need not encroach the other's territorial to get to a feeding station. That has helped some. The two seem to sit atop or on the next box "porches" and glare at one another.. they are both releases, but the "other mom" has blended into the population and I know with certainty "who" she is other than to know she is one of my releases.

But the same tree?!?! I would think one will eventually relocate, and that is what am expecting of my two rivals as well and might actually explain why Ear Dear had moved (or had?) her babies to the Release Cage earlier in the season?

[TubeDriver]

Good to know everyone! It is really cool to look up and see a tree just covered with little babies running around their branch highways, just exploring. It is an oak and we have had a huge acorn crop this year. So plenty of food! It is actually not safe to stand under the trees because the acorns fall with such force that they will sometimes split open! I sometimes wonder if a squirrel threw one down at me when they hit close by! :tap:grin2

[Sottinger]

I’m pretty sure one has a nest in the attic of my shop. We saw an adult up there as one of the drop ceiling panels is missing. That was a month or so back and now we’re hearing baby chirps. I hope she leads them outside and they don’t start coming into the shop to explore. 🙈

[JLM27]

My tree had two sets of babies last spring. One litter was several months older than the other, but everyone seemed to get along OK. Except one little girl who growled at everyone, even old uncle Mikey who drubbed her head for it.