I’ve got the blues again. Not the sad blues, the happy blues. Bluebirds.
My resident pair raised two families last spring and summer. Only one baby survived the first nest. I’m not sure how many made it in the last nest because they split for parts unknown as soon as they fledged. I didn’t see hide nor hair (nor feather) of them for three months. Last week, they were back. Four bluebirds, I suspect it was the mom and the dad and two offspring.
Most summers, my bluebirds leave right after nesting and don’t stick around, even though I have food and water for them. I suspect they fly off to more remote meadows where the bugs are more plentiful and easier to find. Then, when the bug supply gets low, they come back.
There are two reasons my backyard draws and continues to attract bluebirds. Sunflower hearts and fresh water. Bluebirds can’t eat whole sunflower seeds. Their bills are not adapted to cracking open seeds, but they can eat the sunflower hearts. They just swallow them like piece of fruit or an insect. Sunflower hearts are a little more expensive than plain sunflower seeds, but every bird in a backyard can and will eat the hearts.
Also, water. Fresh water is vital for attracting birds in the winter. A few days back we had our first really cold night, cold enough to freeze water in a birdbath, but we were prepared with a birdbath heater. These little gizmos are energy efficient and give off just enough heat to keep the water from freezing. Bluebirds are always attracted to water – spring, summer, winter and fall.
As I have said many, many times, if you are serious about attracting bluebirds to your yard, feed them sunflower hearts and keep a birdbath unfrozen with fresh water and you, too, can have a family of cheerful, friendly bluebirds.