Well, my bluebirds changed their minds. Two weeks ago, it looked like the hen was on her nest for the third time this summer. Then, apparently, she said “To hell with this. Seven baby bluebirds is enough. Let’s go shopping”, or whatever bluebirds do in the summer when they are not raising chicks.
So now I am the proud owner of about 9,000 mealworms. I ordered another 10,000 when I thought my “Blues” were nesting again.
But, I will have no problem about getting rid of the worms. I am now feeding a family of cardinals.
Cardinals are normally one of the skitziest birds in my backyard. They are very people-shy. If they are on the feeder and I go out in the yard, they lickety-split. Or they used to.
While I was feeding mealworms to my previously nesting bluebirds, a cardinal, also nesting, noted any excess mealies that fell to the ground and he flew in, practically at my feet, and gobbled them up. In time, whenever he saw me coming into the yard, he’d fly to a nearby limb, hoping I was delivering take-out. When I sit I the back on the patio, he flies in close, letting me know he’d be willing to eat some meal worms if I had a few. He is easily the friendliest cardinal I’ve ever seen.
I saw the male last night coaxing a newly fledged chick. Now I know why he was so eager for meal: worms.
So each day when I bring a handful of worms to the feeding station, I call out, “Red, red, red,” and if he’s nearby, he comes quickly to feed.
Guess what I named him?
How did you know it was “Red?”