Where are my worms?
I am the Mealworm Fairy. I am the one who magically fills the bluebirds’ feeder bowl with fat, juicy mealworms. Sometimes the bluebirds recognize that the Fairy has come, and sometimes they don’t have a clue and wonder where the heck all those worms came from.
I have been feeding and observing bluebirds for over 20 years and the one thing I know for certain about these beautiful creatures is that they are totally unpredictable. Every pair is different.
I have three bluebird house possibilities and each year – after the dust settles and one pair claims our back yard- the blues inspect each house carefully. Then I don’t see them and think they skipped town, until I see the hen peeking out of one of the houses. She’s on the nest. Sometimes, the male is very friendly and will almost land on my shoulder as I put mealworms in their bowl. But the next year, it might be the hen that’s first to the meal worm spread.
Sometimes, as soon as the babies hatch, the bluebirds fly far away for up to a week, but sometimes they simply take their fledglings to a tree nearby.
This year’s bluebirds have been very difficult to train. At first, I would put mealworms in their bowl, and they went uneaten. Then, they began to visit me as I sat on the patio and tossed worms their way.
Finally, the Mealworm Fairy can now go in the backyard, deposit the mealworms in the tray and they are there in a split second.
They have two healthy chicks and are once again inspecting the houses. She will go on the nest again soon. Which house? Only the bluebirds know for sure.
