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2010 diary of our Bluebird

16 years ago

I thought some on this forum might be interested in following along a day by day tracking of the same Bluebird we've had at our home for years.

We've posted some of his previous trials and tribulations (sparrows/hawks/deformities/snakes, etc) on this forum about 5-6 years ago, but he is still going and setting up shop for yet another year with us.

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Comments (8)

kendra2003
16 years ago
While your pages took a while to load, it was well worth the wait. You did a fabulous job. I loved seeing the pictures and the story behind them. I can hardly wait to see what else happens in your Bluebird story.
mac60
16 years ago
Very Nice! Great entries and such beautiful pictures. As I progressed through the pictures, I kept noticing how much the landscape, trees, ice, and snow reminded me of my pictures. Then I read the entry that referenced Tulsa! My blues and I are west of Norman.
Thank you for sharing your journal. I look forward to reading more. Here's wishing for a full, happy 2010 for you and your blues.
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I don't normally comment on these journal entries---somstimes I almost feel like I'm peeking in someone's diary in a way and feel a little uncomfortable about it, but that's just sometimes--and I only look if I've read everything else already! (Lilo's entries were an exception----they were always chapters from a book about Heaven on earth!! How I love you, Lilo----SUCH a treasure!!) Rob, I will say you've brought back memories of when I went through a divorce with three children and never a DIME of support---I left him alone because he turned over the house to me, which is what I silently prayed for, while sitting in the lawyer's office for the last time. You have MOXIE and I appreciate that part of you when it comes down to the nitty-gritty and hard times. Mardas' point has a lot of validity---it would get tiring, feeling as though one had to defend himself for the way he/she feels, acts, thinks, with every typed word that came into our view. We are not a court---we are a garden of incredible diversity and great hard-won beauty in heart and form. Amen and Amen again.
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Yes, beautiful. I especially like this line "A winter bird, comes with its plaintive whistle,". While doing our walk this morning, DH and I heard a bird call that we could not identify. We figured that a bird was trying out the neighborhood. Seasons of life goes on.
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Casey: I bought WREN'S SONG last spring, no blooms that I recall but this year it is definitely making up for it. Lots of scapes and buds. My pictures aren't the best since the buds look to have gotten thrips several weeks ago, I sprayed with Neem and they look to be somewhat improving. Kathy: I thought perhaps your temps being so much warmer than ours that perhaps it had more of the lavender hues. I've seen pics like yours on the internet and that is what I was expecting. Either color works for me :-). Christine: I started indoors in April 2010. I first had them on a heat mat and once they sprouted, I put them under lights. I hardened them off and transplanted the seedlings in late May 2010. They grew to about 1 1/2 feet but they did not bloom. They wintered over just fine and this spring they grew another 2 feet and bloomed. The seeds are so tiny. I'm going to try getting some more from these plants to start indoors next spring again. To my surprise...AGAIN, the other clump of bee balm I planted in another bed in 2010 is just starting to open and a few of the blooms look to be red. Could I be that lucky? LOL. Julia
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My wildlife visitors are either too far away or too quick on the wing for photos, so you'll have to use imagination instead:). Along the back of the yard stand several black cherry trees, whose fruit has been ripening in stages all month. The primary consumers are robins, with an occasional cardinal or oriole dropping by. I allowed the self-sown catnip along the vegetable garden paths to grow this year, as well as some alongside the deck, and observe the seed stalks being visited by groups of goldfinches. Suddenly I realize why the single plant from 20 years ago is now all over our acre! Red bee balm is planted in a whiskey barrel by the deck and is patronized by the hummingbirds every year. The other day, as I sat under a shade canopy on the deck, a female hummer zipped into view, pausing at a day lily blossom, then flew in between the deck posts and hovered about three feet away from me for 5-6 seconds, before flying off. I was wearing a muumuu made from very vividly colored floral fabric--including life size red hibiscus blossoms--so I surmise she was taking a closer look before deciding they weren't the real thing! The same day, I saw a pair of song sparrows apparently courting--lots of flying around after one another, culminating in some activity partly concealed by maple leaves--"what IS that male doing, just sitting there and--oops!" as the female suddenly flew out from behind the leaves and the male took off after her again. You can draw your own conclusions, LOL. And last but not least, robins nested in the white ash tree by my study window for the second year in a row. That particular tree grows clusters of witches' brooms along its branches, which seem ideal for concealing a nest. The day before the eggs hatched, the male aggressively drove off a squirrel which was thinking about climbing the trunk--after a couple of dive-bombing runs, he thought better of it...
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djohn36755
16 years ago
Loved your diary.... what a great idea! Do you usually feed mealworms on the ground? Hope you get a full 365 days (and more) of this sweet guy!
kbend
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the input. We sure hope he can make it another year. We can definitely tell he is aging although no bluebird can outwork him yet.

We feed mealworms, on the ground, in the air, out of our hands,... anywhere. Blueboy knows and trusts us completely. We used to attempt to 'tame' his offspring as well via feeding but we quit that a few years ago out of fear of them becoming too people friendly.

We never leave a supplied bowl or dish of mealworms for them as the Mockingbirds, Sparrows, and Robins would monopolize the worms. All feedings are thus limited and are 'hand delivered' by us with no leftovers for the other birds.

FYI - if Blueboy wants aerial feeding he goes to a specific perch and begs, if he wants them on the ground, he likewise goes to a specific spot. For his more skitish family we always toss them out on the porch/ground, etc.
terrene
16 years ago
Kbend - I really enjoyed looking through your diary. What a smart and experienced bird Blueboy must be. This may seem like a dumb question, but how do you know that Blueboy is the same bird who has come for 9 years? I am not very good at telling individual birds apart unless they have a very distinguishing characteristic (like a band, or missing tail feathers, or such).
deedee1028
16 years ago
I love your photos of Blueboy....I'm just starting to feed mealworms to my blues and I was wanting to know if you have to only use live mealworms the other seem so much cheaper?
anna_lisa
16 years ago
great pictures and love the information Anna
decormaven
16 years ago
Thank you so much! What a blessing to have this bird return to you each year. It's nice to read your journal; it gives me some insights on what to look and listen for with my blues. Excellent pictures- you've got a knack for catching good shots.

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