The month of November has brought on decidedly cooler temperatures. Admittedly, these recent thermometer readings are not at the subfreezing point of latitudes further north, but there is enough of a drop to cause a change in wardrobe. Cutoffs, tee shirts and flipflops are being replaced by heavier clothes and shoes. Even visitors from up…Read more
After the first egg hatched on June 11, the family activity began to lessen. One by one, the juveniles stopped coming to the deck to feed and bathe. I guess they knew that their parents now needed to get down to work and raise the second brood. I was sad to see the juveniles leave…Read more
After the tragic loss of one of the fledglings from the first brood, and the uncertainty about the fate of three of the others, I wondered how the remainder of the nesting season would unfold. I couldn’t help but wonder if the fledglings had made it and were okay. My questions were answered in mid-May….Read more
Those who are fortunate enough to be able to travel internationally usually return home having had many new and vastly different experiences. The stark dissimilarities are especially noticeable when traveling in Asia’s far eastern locales. While the 21st century’s shared technologies have homogenized much of daily life, there are still some unique cultural practices and…Read more
In previous nesting seasons, I had accepted the reality that it is common for one egg in a clutch not to hatch. So, when all five eggs hatched I was overjoyed! The first chick hatched on April 14. As always, my responsibility to the bluebird parents and their brood was to watch out for predators,…Read more
After the exciting conclusion of the third brood of last year’s nesting season — where two juveniles from a previous brood returned for the fledging of their relatives — I was eagerly anticipating the start of 2021. The nest box was up by the first of January and for days I caught myself glancing at…Read more
As fledging of the three chicks was quickly approaching, I was delighted when two juvenile bluebirds from the season’s first brood returned for the big event. I’ve read that sometimes juvenile bluebirds will return to “help” their parents with a subsequent brood. From my observations of this day, “help” apparently translates to “get in the…Read more
After the disappointing second brood that never materialized, I was hoping the bluebirds would come back in time for a third brood before the end of this year’s nesting season. On June 30, the female appeared at the nest box and immediately began building her nest. Mom laid a total of four eggs. On July…Read more
For two weeks in May I was excited beyond belief. My bluebird pair had returned to the nest box — and they had brought one of their chicks with them! I had read that this occasionally happens and was delighted that it was happening to me, especially at this time when everything had been shut…Read more
After the abrupt and sad end to the 2019 nesting season, I was eagerly looking forward to 2020, although I was not sure if the bluebirds would return. In the interim I had built a second nest box using the dimensions of the box I’d used the previous year but with a few minor modifications. …Read more
