Bluebird Pair Tidies Last Year’s Nest
St. Patrick’s Day 2010 arrived and brought with it a mug of good luck.
While two weeks ago I had 18 inches of snowfall and an icy luge track in my backyard, and just yesterday I wrote about my anticipation of nesting bluebirds, today a bluebird pair has laid claim to our birdbox.
I suspect its the same pair that nested here last year. Below is a photo essay chronicling their return and their efforts to tidy up the box for a new season. Sorry they are a bit grainy. I kept at a good distance so as to not disturb them.
Male Eastern Bluebird lands, considers the benefits of checking the interior of the box...
I can't resist showing you his fancy blue duds.
Male prepares for entry.
He flutters and flies in.
But at some point he loses his bearings, and does this little number.
The male gets in eventually. The female arrives and oversees his work.
How cute is this? This image shouts "WE CLAIM THIS BOX!" And though I know my House Sparrow problem is not over, I'm encouraged by their ownership.
"Honey, is there any room in there for me?"
"Oh, it's JUST like I remember it!"
She examines the dimensions and probably calculates how much new nesting material it requires.
"I wonder if Home Depot is open yet?"
I can't resist a close-up of her plumage.
The male hands her some old nesting material...
...she flips her head over one shoulder, then flies to the nearest perch. Ain't she a beaut?
The male joins her on the perch and they muss around with the grass. Though I approach slowly with my long, black lens, they don't seem to mind. I think they know we're good neighbors.
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I am a writer and digital communications consultant based in Rochester, New York. My passion and speciality is the promotion of worldwide birding travel, which I fulfill through independent travel writing, destination sales with Nikon's Birding Adventures TV, and via the development of digital communication materials for destinations and tourism partners. Contact me anytime.Comments (2)
Links to this Post
- Nestbox Update: | Birds, Words, & Websites | March 28, 2010
Laura! I’m so thrilled to see your sweet couple is back! Brings back such great memories of us sitting, watching, waiting for the chicks to fledge last summer. Sure hope for another successful season! cheers!