The Bluebird Of Happiness

Among the regular harbingers of spring is the return of the Redwing Blackbird, the American robin and the eastern bluebird.  One of our favorites is the bluebird and some have suggested they've been seemingly scarcer the past couple of years; we have two confirmed next boxes occupied by this species. 

The notion of the bluebird of happiness has its roots in French folklore and comes from the delightful feeling associated with the sighting of one of these birds with the faded rusty breast, white belly and blue back and tail. They're a flash of color in an otherwise brown and dreary springtime world. They’re fond of perching on the top of a post, tree or garden rake leaning on the fence and surveying their domain.  

WI.DNR.Gov

 

Meet Sialia sialis - the Eastern bluebird.  These are cavity-nesting birds and only a couple of human generations ago their numbers were in serious decline in this country as a consequence of limited nesting habitat.  They’re more common nowadays because us people have mobilized in the face of that decline and assembled and installed nest boxes for them. Multiply that by hundreds of thousands of similarly-minded bird enthusiasts and you get the drift.  More cavities – more birds.  

 

 

Most of the time house wrens and tree sparrows nest in our boxes which is just fine.  They make for good tenants.  When I was out turkey hunting at the end of last month I spotted a pair of birds checking-out the nest box above.  

 

Within a week they decided to take-up housekeeping and constructed a nest.

 

 

Then earlier this week I was out installing a nest box that needed a minor repair and figured I check on my feathered friends for a progress report.

 

So far, so good.

 

We’re about to become grandparents again.   

An interesting factoid about the eastern bluebird is that the young of the first brood assist in raising the young of the second brood.   

 

Good parenting skills the bluebird has.