For the Love of Bluebirds

We had a successful Eastern Bluebird nest this year; five little ones fledged and entered the big, wide world.  We've been "bluebirding" for almost ten years now.  When we bought our first bluebird nest box I don't think we had even laid eyes on a bluebird near our house.  We figured if we put up a nest box they might just come; and they did.  This hobby is certainly rewarding, but also has its up's and down's.  More than once we've seen the result of a sparrow attack, momma bluebird and babies murdered senselessly.  We've found a Mrs. Bluebird dead on our driveway, apparently flying into our transparent basketball backboard.

But this year seems to have been a success for "our" bluebirds.  Well, I suppose they're not "ours", but they're on loan from the Lord and we care for them.  Unfortunately "our" Tree Swallows were not so lucky this year; it seems Mrs. Swallow succumbed and was unable to care for her young; all six perished just days before they would have fledged. :,-(

The restoration of the Eastern Bluebird is quite remarkable.  I never saw one until my mid-20's and now spot them regularly in the yard and around town.  In fact, as I write this I can see Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird perching on the bird feeder!  Their song is unique and easily identifiable (you can listen to many more bird songs and calls at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology).

We started using the Peterson style bluebird house, but have transitioned to the Gilbertson nest box.  The Gilbertson style is a bit easier to mount; the nest box is easy to detach for easy viewing of eggs and young chicks.  We now use the Peterson house as a sparrow trap and the Gilbertson boxes for bluebird and swallow nesting.  House Sparrows are a mortal enemy of bluebirds and can be legally euthanized.  If you want to attract bluebirds please do your best to research the best methods and how to rid sparrows.

On June 1st four of the five chicks had hatched.  The final chick hatched the next day.  I went down to them at night and whistled to get them to pose for a picture or two.  They are so precious at this stage; so utterly blind and helpless.

Three days later they were bigger, hairier, but still blind.  They would still react to my whistles, thinking I was bringing some goodies to eat.

On day 11 they had dramatically changed.  Their feathers are thick and slightly blue.  They no longer react to my whistles since they know I am not Mom.  They hunkered down in this picture, staying still "because Momma said never to talk to strangers."

Over the next couple days we kept an eye on their box, but didn't get too close.  You want to leave them alone once they are close to fledging since they could prematurely leave the box if you meddle in their plans.  So we had to say good-bye to the little chicks and hope for the best.  Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird were still close by, feeding their young with tasty morsels from the earth.

You might wonder what the glittery strips are on this picture.  This is called a "sparrow spoofer."  Any amount of wind makes the mylar glitter which, in theory, scares away the sparrows, thus lessening the chance of an attack.  The bluebirds are also scared at first, but are motivated to attend to their young and overcome their fear in about 15 minutes.  Experts recommend installing the spoofer after the first egg is laid.  When I installed it this year there was a sparrow close by; he seemed to be lurking for a chance to strike.  So it seems this gizmo did its job this time.

We don't know what next year will bring, but we're glad this year seems to have been a success.  We're thankful to be a part, ever so small, in their restoration...