Bluebirds in the House

Those of you that know me well know

I

LOVE

birds.

For some reason we don't have many bluebirds.

We see them everywhere,
down the road,

around the bend,

on the fence posts,

but rarely on our property.

Years ago I went to our local backyard bird store to inquire about how to attract them.

They were very helpful and I purchased what they suggested.

A bluebird house

on a pole

with a feeding tray just beneath the house

and a baffle on the pole to keep the house safe from predators.

Bluebirds use pine needles to build their nests, which is what we use in our flower beds, so there are plenty around for them to gather.  We also have several bird houses hanging from trees here and there for other birds to nest in.

Placing the bluebird house where they said, in the direction they said, and using the food they suggested, the first year we had one brood nest in the house and I was so excited!

Then nothing.

For several years...no bluebirds.

As instructed, when another bird began building a nest in the bluebird house I would remove it.

Time and time again, I would have to remove a sparrow, chickadee, or wrens nest.

However,
when there are eggs in the nest I don't have the heart to discard them so that bird wins the house!

After Christmas I began thinking about springtime and bluebirds, hoping we will have some this year.

So I got busy.

We now have two houses for them to nest in,

a special feeder made specifically for bluebirds,

and I stocked up on mealworms, bluebird nuggets and shelled sunflower seeds for them to eat.

The middle of January I began putting out the food,
mornings initially and for the past week or so both morning and afternoon.

Chickadees, tufted titmouse, Carolina wrens, and cardinals have been enjoying the food

and
then
finally

the bluebirds came!

I make a little whistle noise as I'm placing the food in the feeders

and

today

I hadn't walked but a few feet away after placing in the food

when

FOUR

bluebirds

came flying in to eat!

All of these shots are taken about 40 feet away from the feeder.
I wish I could have zoomed in closer.

This is the new bluebird feeder.
The sides are made of plexiglass for viewing the birds.
Each end is wood and has a hole cut out for the birds to fly in, eat a little, and fly back out.
The top raises for the food to be placed inside.
There is a baffle on the pole to keep the squirrels out of the feeder.





The blue dish just beneath this bluebird house is also a feeding dish.





The bluebirds fly in for a mealworm, nugget or shelled sunflower seed
and
then
they
fly back to perch on a nearby tree.





They aren't nesting yet but you can see the pine needles just beneath the house.

And he takes off in flight for a bite to eat.





Landing on the feeding dish he looks as though he can't decide what to choose,
a mealworm, sunflower seed or nugget?





A tufted titmouse flies in.






He chooses a nugget.






Here's a Carolina wren.

We had a little snow and ice recently

and across the way on the well house the ice is melting.

The bluebirds have been drinking water from the melting ice.

She is tilting her head to the side so her tounge can drink in the water.

Then she leans her head back,
leaving her beak open just a little to swallow the water.

They are beautiful birds!

 I hope you've enjoyed the bluebirds!
Are you a bird lover too?


Hope you will join us each week for AMAZE ME MONDAY!

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