I am on the Next-Door mailing list, which lets neighbors share tips, warnings, and general messages. One of the neighbors wrote about late nesting bluebirds and others chimed in that they had seen more bluebirds this year than ever. And I agree.
My bluebirds had three successful nests, including a late hatch, and my feeders and birdbaths have since been filled with the cheerful songbirds.
I wonder if they know somehow that this will be a cruel winter and that more birds will be needed to fill the ranks, or maybe they just figured out that it’s time for more bluebirds. A few years back, bluebirds were threatened by the loss of nesting sites to invasive species such as English sparrows and starlings, but now there are tons of bluebird boxes hung in back yards, parks, and golf courses.
I also read – and I’m not sure about this – but the writer said that often bluebirds will use their old houses for shelter during extreme weather and now I’m wondering if we should take the old nests out of the boxes or leave them in till spring??
I think I’ll leave them in just to be safe, but it sure is nice to have a backyard filled with bluebirds.
