A friend asked me if I had seen any Bluebirds at my window bird feeder. I asked if she meant Blue Jay?
“No, silly... an Eastern Bluebird,” she replied. So I Googled it.
Wow! They are beautiful birds! I had to know how I could meet one. She advised me to buy freeze-dried mealworms to put in my window bird feeder. “Dried Mealworms?!” I thought, having originally believed that birds only liked seed. But I decided to give it a try to attract a Bluebird.
I bought a bag of freeze-dried mealworms (on Amazon for about $20 for a two lb bag), carefully filled my window bird feeder, and waited for them to come… But at first nobody came. Then finally a few Carolina Wrens found it. However, week after week passed without any sight of a Bluebird at my window bird feeder. I thought perhaps Bluebirds were just a myth! Then one day (about 2 months later) they discovered me! There were 10 of them!
They were amazingly beautiful and elegant, especially the bright blue males with tan chests. They devoured all of my mealworms in just a few hours! Hungry little buggers! They were fairly aggressive with each other as they feasted on the worms, as if those were the last mealworms in the world.
But each day they returned, and they began to relax after a while, eventually determining there would be enough mealworms for all to partake. They would peacefully wait in line on my nearby light strand, or on the head of my metal Great Blue Heron decoration, awaiting their turn at the feeder. I was hooked!
I bought a wooden Bluebird house and placed it in my backyard. I placed a listing on “Air-Bird-N-Bee” stating: “New studio birdhouse available for immediate move-in. It is small, but has a nice backyard view and food and water sources nearby. Payment terms are flexible and negotiable.”
With the female thoroughly checking out the new house while the male watched patiently nearby (does this routine sound familiar to anyone?), the Bluebird pair soon found the lodging suitable and began to set up their new digs!
It was fascinating to see the pair flying back and forth with beaks full of nest building materials like small twigs, grass, and even my dog’s hair! (His name is Kodi; I brush him daily and leave his hair in small piles nearby for birds to use. He is a Golden Huskie mix and sheds a lot!)
I learned Bluebirds are territorial! They would attempt to chase away other birds in the area that they felt would threaten their new nest and fledglings. Other birds would cautiously approach my window feeders with their heads on a swivel, wondering when a bluebird would swoop down on them. I even witnessed an entertaining event when a squirrel came to my pole feeder. The bluebirds would take turns dive-bombing the furry intruder for about 20 minutes until the squirrel finally retreated to a less confrontational yard nearby.
The smaller birds seemed to get used to the new arrangement… they would fly away briefly and then return a few minutes later to resume feeding… with one eye wary of any blue blur that might approach them.
Three baby bluebird triplets soon noisily awaited frantic parents returning to the nest with beaks full of worms or perhaps a masterfully captured dragonfly which the babies would snatch and quickly devour before screaming for more. The dragonflies often resembled mustaches when held in the male Bluebird’s mouth!
I was blessed to see them fledge and take their first flying lessons! And what a coincidence... they love mealworms from my window bird feeder too!
Look at the triplet teenagers eating by themselves on my ClearView feeder! There’s nothing like the experience of watching new friends blossom into healthy, active, beautiful birds!
Here’s the latest picture of the triplets with the male posing with a snack sandwiched by his sisters. I’m happy they decided to winter in my backyard in Cary, NC.
I’m looking forward to seeing more beautiful Bluebirds brighten my windows for years to come!