the Bluebird Trail on my WNY meadow is in business!

February 26 a male Eastern Bluebird returned to my meadow area. I heard him calling, before I saw him, one day while I was out snowshoeing along my fenceline separating harvested cornfield from meadow, looking for signs of Spring.

I had a friend and their Beagle dog on longlead with me, so I sent them back and I slowly continued on alone.

Not long after that, the male Bluebird flew out from his cover and perched on a bushtop not far from me, looking right at me.

I have a signal I give to the 'Blues on my trail, of raising both hands high above my head and slowly wiggling my fingers. I also try to wear the same hat on my head while out near the Bluebird trail. I do this a lot while out 'scoping along the trail, or checking nestboxes and feeders, so it seemed this male Bluebird was a return-ee.

I immediately turned around and headed back up to the top of my Bluebird trail to fill the Bluebird Diners with food and check for water in the birdbaths, since I saw the 'Blues were returning for Spring nesting season.

I had already cleaned out & sanitized all the Bluebird nestboxes and had waxed the interior underside of the roofs to help prevent wasp nestbuilding later in the season.

All pole baffles were on and adjusted and poles straightened.

When I snowshoed back to the top of the Bluebird trail, imagine my surprise when I saw that the male Bluebird had beaten me back and was waiting there, perched atop one of the short-trimmed perches I keep near the nestboxes, watching me 'shoe up the hill!

By March 6, the little Bluebird male had succeeded in calling up a female Bluebird to join him and there they were, checking out all the nestboxes on the Bluebird trail and establishing their territory. Perching on nestbox rooftops but not together yet.

On March 6 I saw the Bluebirds were having no trouble finding juicy caterpillars to pull out of the meadow grass to feed on. I also saw tons of small, black orchard spiders, come to life and crawling around amongst the downed meadow thatch. And I was hearing lots of Bluebird song!

Just looked it up in my Journal, and last year the date I first saw a pair of Bluebirds on my Bluebird trail was also March 6!

So here goes another Bluebird trail season, one of my favorite times of the year!

Last year, I did not have the first of year Tree Swallows until April 10, but they will nicely co-exist with the E.Bluebirds and nest in the nestboxes alongside them.

Now THAT is sweet!

Gail R (WNY)