Some folks take down their bird houses after the summer to save on wear and tear through the winter months. If you are one of those people, now is the time to put the house back up. The birds are shopping early.
I saw my resident pair of blue birds checking out their old house this week. The male perches on the entrance hole and peers around a bit, while the hen sits patiently and wonders, “What is he doing in there.”
Yet, they come back, day after day, checking on things. Sometimes they’ll choose that house, sometimes not. And only the birds know the reasons.
Bluebirds have made a sterling comeback in the past 20 years or so. Starlings and other birds occupied those limited crevices and nooks in trees and bluebirds had no place to call home. The bird societies all got together and have erected tens of thousands of certified bluebird houses, many on golf courses and the cheerful little birds are now prolific.
We have had three regular bluebird visitors to our various feeders throughout the winter. I believe it is the nesting pair from last year and their one male offspring. The young male has been calling from the treetops recently, searching for a possible mate. I hope he finds one and I hope they like the houses we have for them in our back yard.