Eastern Bluebird

As I sit here looking out at my feeders all covered with eager and hungry birds, I cannot help but notice how wintry things still look, with the anticipation of the spring.  Birds bring color and joy to my backyard and I want to do everything I can to encourage them to spend some time here.  So I would like to share with you some of the things I will be doing in the next couple of weeks to bring the red, the blue, the orange and even the green of the little Hummer to my backyard.

It is exciting that in the days ahead lots of birds who have gone elsewhere for the winter will soon be returning.  Oh, I can hardly wait for all the color and activity.  There will be brilliant Bluebirds, dazzling and acrobatic Hummingbirds, bright yellow Goldfinches, Orange Orioles & more. And, the good news is that you don’t have to keep the birds feeders filled to attract them.  We’re going to start with the Bluebird.

THE BLUEBIRD
I always gasp excitedly when I see a bluebird.  The sheer beauty of the male as he is reflected in the sun is a joy to behold.  The key to attracting Bluebirds to nest in your yard is having plenty of potential nesting locations, food and water.  Bluebirds do prefer more “open areas”, so if your yard is heavily wooded you’ll enjoy many other nesting birds – but probably not Bluebirds. 

You will need nesting boxes.  Our favorite is the Ultimate Nest Box mainly because of of the Plexiglas side for viewing and the overall durability and low maintenance  You will also need nesting materials.  This also provides a lot of fun while watching them pull it apart.  It can actually be entertaining.   The female Bluebird lays 4 to 5 light blue eggs that will take 13 to 15 days to hatch.  The male brings food to his mate and young during the first few days of feeding.  If you want to provide food to help and attract the Bluebirds the best thing you can offer is Mealworms  (YUMMM!)

Year round and especially in winter, a key to keeping Bluebirds around is to offer a supply of water.  Planting berry bushes like the American Bittersweet in the spring will also provide a food source for the Bluebirds next winter.    So what are you waiting for?  Get your houses up, meal worms and water out and just site back and watch for the brilliant blue to appear!

Next we will see what we need to attract the Goldfinch.