My Introduction to Bluebirds: A Serendipitous Beginning Led to a Genuine Passion

For most of my life, I have appreciated birds in general.  I understood they were an important part of the ecosystem, I enjoyed seeing them around, appreciated their beauty and songs, and I would occasionally put out seed for them (until I got fed up with the squirrels and raccoons raiding the feeders).  I had watched cardinals nest in a small tree outside my window, and mourning doves nest in a potted plant on my deck.  But I hadn’t made the effort to learn anything about the different bird species and fully appreciate them.   My interest level was that of a typical casual observer.  And I certainly never understood those people who considered themselves “birdwatchers” — that seemed like an excruciatingly boring hobby.  Like most people, I just didn’t get it.

That began to change in 2016 when I became interested in hummingbirds.  Almost on a whim, I put out nectar feeders on my back deck and, to my surprise, attracted two hummingbirds.  I then researched plants that attracted them and began planting them in pots on my deck.  Lots and lots of pots.  For the next two years ruby-throated hummingbirds became my outdoor focus.  I truly enjoyed their aerial acrobatics, territorial disputes, and gem-like beauty, and I became genuinely attached to them.  I eagerly looked forward to their arrival in March and was saddened when they left in November.

Why all this talk about hummingbirds?  Aren’t bluebirds the topic here?  Yes, but please bear with me while I cover a bit of background.  Because, without a certain chain of events that unfolded exactly the way it did, I would have never been introduced to the world of bluebirds in the first place.  And that would have been my great loss.

Back to the hummingbirds.  To learn more about these tiny creatures that had worked their way into my heart, I attended a Winter Hummingbird Seminar held at a local plant nursery.  It was conducted by Fred Dietrich, of Hummingbird Research Inc., a non-profit organization based in Alabama.  Fred bands hummingbirds in northern Florida to help track migration and learn more about their movement.

Fred’s January 2019 seminar focused on hummingbirds that remain in northern Florida during the winter, and he asked if anyone in attendance had any hummingbirds at their feeders currently.  Well, it just so happened that I did!  And I was the only one of the 50 or so people in attendance that had winter hummingbirds.  He asked to come by to band them and I readily agreed.  He was able to capture, band and release the two ruby-throated hummingbirds that were wintering at my location (a very delicate process that is fascinating to observe).

During Fred’s visit, he observed my back yard and remarked that it was a perfect place for bluebirds to nest; it was surrounded by tall trees with an open clearing in the middle and wooded areas nearby.  He told me that he puts up and monitors several bluebird nesting boxes and would provide me with one if I wanted to see if it would attract a pair of nesting bluebirds.  I took him up on the offer — even though I knew nothing about bluebirds.

To say I knew nothing about bluebirds is actually an understatement.  I actually thought “bluebirds” was just another way to refer to “blue jays.”  Yes, that’s the sad, honest truth.  I had never seen a bluebird and, of course, knew zero about their nesting habits.  That was about to change.

This beautiful, wonderful bird came into my life in March 2019.  Since then I’ve experienced soaring joy and deep sorrow as nature has unfolded before my eyes.  In three nesting seasons I’ve witnessed five successful bluebird broods yielding 16 fledglings.

In future installments of this column, I’d like to share with you my experiences hosting nesting bluebirds in my back yard.  My plan is to cover the past year’ broods, the successes and failures, the lessons that were learned, and the changes that resulted.  That will bring us up to the present and going forward with future broods, hopefully.  On a more personal note, I’ll share the emotional ups and downs of being a bluebird host — and the emotional bonds are very real for those of us who have developed an affinity for these special creatures.

If you’re already a bluebird host, or interested in becoming one, I invite you to come along on this journalistic journey.  The more we can learn from each other, the better we can provide safe nesting sites for these wonderful birds that add so much to our lives.  They need all the help we can give them.

I must apologize in advance for the sub-par quality of the early photos in this series.  In the beginning I had no idea that I would become a bluebird host and become enthralled with these birds, so the early photos were taken with an inadequate camera that I had at the time (I took only a few still shots, opting instead to shoot video with my phone, which doesn’t work well in this online format).  Once I fully embraced the hobby of birdwatching I upgraded my camera equipment — and later photos reflect improved quality and larger quantity.  So hang in there, I promise the photos get better!  And, photos will become a bigger part of the storytelling — more photos, less words as we go along.

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This is the first column in a series.

Next in the series:  “First, A Few Essentials: The Nest Box, Location and Mounting, Predator Guard, Monitoring”