In the early years of growing up in the countryside of Lycoming County, it was a tradition to watch for the early arrival of robins — signaling the soon to occur arrival of spring. It usually meant that the winter weather and snowfalls were about to be replaced with warmer temperatures, daffodils, and green grass. For me, the arrival of the robins is not as anticipated as the arrival of bluebirds.
As they begin to leave their winter hangouts and appear more often outside the kitchen window perched on the garden fencing or on the top branches of nearby blueberry bushes, I wonder what can be done to keep them around so we can enjoy seeing them more often. It may surprise some, but bluebirds actually do not migrate south for the winter months; instead, they move deeper into nearby forests to spend the colder months. They reappear in early spring once the temperatures have warmed up.
The Eastern Bluebird inhabits our area and is a member of the Thrushes Family Turdidae, which includes the Woods Thrush and the American Robin, and has the scientific name Sialia sialis. Blue on its head, back, tail, and wings, it has a rust-red colored breast and likes open country with scattered trees, orchards, and farmland, where it dines on insects, worms, and berries.
They are always welcomed by gardeners, as their diet is largely made up of insects caught on the ground, such as caterpillars, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, and spiders. In the winter, while they hide in the deeper woods, they feed on large amounts of fruit, such as blueberries, black cherry, dogwood berries, and honeysuckle. They often perch on wires or fence posts overlooking open fields. They will flutter to the ground to grab an insect or sometimes will catch their prey in midair. The boxes and tree cavities where bluebirds nest are in great demand by the birds that require holes for nesting, and the male bluebirds will attack other species if they are considered a threat. The male bluebird attracts a female by carrying nesting material into and out of the nest. Once the female enters the nest, the pair establishes a bond that often remains for several seasons.
Thereafter, the female does all the nest building and may use the same nest to hatch and rear multiple broods. She will lay between 2-7 eggs and may produce up to 3 broods throughout the season. The incubation period for the eggs is 11-19 days, and the nesting period runs from 17-21 days.
Adding bluebird nesting boxes to your yard may be your best opportunity to increase the presence of bluebirds. You can find plans for building these boxes on the internet and even view videos on YouTube of how to build them. If you prefer, bluebird box kits are available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. They are reasonably priced at $11.00 each, plus shipping, and include all of the necessary wood pieces, screws, and nails for complete assembly.
These boxes should be mounted between 3 to 6 feet above the ground. Research has shown that bluebirds prefer boxes that face east, followed by a box facing north, south, or west. Tree swallows are the greatest competitor for these boxes. To increase the possibility of their use by bluebirds, they should be put up in pairs. The pair should be placed 15-20 feet apart, and the pairs of houses should be located 300 feet from each other. Boxes should be cleaned out before their first use in the spring and subsequently should be cleaned out of all nesting material immediately after a brood leaves to encourage the reuse for another brood.
Once you have established several bluebird nesting boxes, they will provide you with a great opportunity to enjoy this beautiful bird as it nests and feeds in your own backyard. The only upkeep required is the annual cleanout of the boxes. Bluebirds prefer to build their own nest in an empty box each spring.
As I sighted several bluebirds checking out my nesting boxes a few days ago, I suddenly realized I had not yet cleaned them out from last year’s nesting season. As I checked the 14 boxes, I discovered all had been used the previous season, but I also discovered that at some point, 9 of them had been taken over by field mice! In fact, 4 of them still had mice living in them!
