Bluebirds

Bluebirds don't migrate. They are wonderful year round residents.  During the breeding months, the male diligently defends the territory--my patch--allowing NO interlopers.  We have 3 bird houses to choose from, but there will be only 1 that is occupied by bluebirds.  It is possible that they chose another house that is far out of our sight.  

Bluebirds typically have 2 sets of nestlings in Central Va..  However, we only hosted 1 set this year.  As they chose the bird house that I could easily see from my kitchen window, it was joyful to watch them work. Other nearby neighbors (we have 5-6 acre tracts) have bluebird houses, so they have some choice!

In the winter, there are no territorial fights that I have witnessed.  Rather, there is a gang of 5-6 of them that I have spied.  Until I put suet and mealworms out in the winter, I never saw bluebirds.  Once I started making suet, there were plenty  to see. That first winter, about 5 years ago is what prompted me to learn more about bluebirds and offer them more hospitality.

I have a colony of mealworms that have exploded in the last couple of months.  There is not much demand after the nestlings have fledged in the late summer.  Early spring, though, there are not as many insects as there are later in the summer.  The mealworms, then, become a quick meal gathering for nestlings and the parents...and then the fledged juveniles. It's hard work for a pair of parents to feed and do nest maintenance (take fecal sacs away) for a hungry gang of nestlings. It is fascinating to watch the juveniles fly to the mealworm station and beg all a-tremble for a snack from their parents.  After a short while, the parents say..."Help Yourself".  

 In the lull of waning summer days and early fall, my mealworm colony has had a chance to produce more beatles which in turn means more eggs to be created yielding more worms. It is a simple life style like most of creation: they eat, mate, have offspring, and then die.  You cannot see the eggs, but they slowly grow to mealworm larva which you can see,  You may see their molting discard before you seen the larva.

Within the next month some of my winter birds will arrive.  The white-throated sparrows have a large flock that overwinters in my area. I think that I heard one cal today.  The prefer an overgrowth of muscadine grape vines. It offers them much protection.  I will have brown creeper, yellow bellied sapsucker, warblers that may overwinter.  They arrive at various times.  I'm always happy to see them.

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Winter Friends Visiting

Virginia is an overwintering place for several bird species.  I have my year-round friends, red-bellied woodpecker (yes, they have red on the belly), tufted titmouse, cardinal, carolina wren, eastern blue birds, goldfinches (who don their olive drab coats in the winter), nuthatch, chickadee, hairy + downey woodpeckers, pileated woodpecker (though they are elusive), red-tailed hawk, and barred owls.  

In the winter,  the population of birds increases for the birds looking for a winter respite (though summertime friends leave).  The hermit thrush (singular), yellow-rumped warbler (handful), white-throated sparrow (flock), rose-finch (flock), brown creeper (singular) and yellow-bellied woodpecker (singular) (yes, they have yellow on their belly) and red-breasted nuthatch come to visit.  We put seed and homemade suet out.  I also have fresh mealworms that I raise.  I did not spy the brown creeper last year, but spied him a few days ago.  I've not seen the YB woodpecker last year, or this year yet.  I'm keeping an eye out.  As you can see, I may only have one specimen of a bird type, or a hungry hoard! The pine warblers are  year round, but I generally do not see them until they come to eat the suet and mealworms.

I put my suet in a rat wire contraption.  That offers some level of squirrel deterrent--though I've seen them try to claw and lick to get to the contents.  It beats their scampering off with a giant ball of suet!  You have to admire the problem solving ability coupled with determination of the rodent mind!  

I do put stuff out for the squirrels.  They have plenty of acorns this year.  They had nothing last year, so food insecurity was high for both them and the deer.  There is a bit of hypocrisy about feeding birds, and not allowing hungry rodents to have a nibble or two.  

I keep fresh water on the deck rail.  The birds enjoy an non-frozen drink as do the squirrels.  Both the junco and the hermit thrush will sit on the deck rail and absorb the sun.  It is funny to see a bird sit still for so long, but they do.

The white-throated sparrows have an enclave in a thicket of vines.  In the cold VA mornings (balmy compared to the northern climes) they are perched on the branches absorbing the sun.  They love seeds.  The yellow-rumped warblers eat the suet as do the bluebirds, who do not eat seeds.  Seeds, suet and mealworms offers a little something for everyone.  

Washing dishes, I can look out the window and see all of my friends enjoying their food.  I is a joyful part of the day.

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