Beating the Blues with Bluebirds

Male Eastern Bluebird

The bluebird carries the sky on his back
- Henry David Thoreau

For many of us in the Upper Midwest, warm weather and sunny skies have eluded us this Spring.

I recently had the opportunity to get a respite from the depressing weather during a five-day trip to Arkansas to help my parents move into a new home.  The weather was beautiful, and the redbuds and dogwoods were in bloom.  What really boosted my mood, was the fact that their property already had two residents in the form of a pair of Eastern Bluebirds.

As an avid bird feeder and enthusiast, I have always envied those individuals fortunate enough to lure these beauties into their yards.  My wooded lot attracts many wonderful and rare species, but unfortunately bluebirds have remained on my "wish list".

Fortunately for my parents, the previous owner of their home had a properly sized and placed bluebird nesting box.  It was wonderful to wake to the sound of their beautiful song and watch as they carefully tended their nest and fought off intruding squirrels.  I gave my parents information on the number of broods to expect in Arkansas, where bluebirds are a year-round resident, and when they could safely clean the nesting boxes.

Eastern Bluebird on patrol

Back home in Wisconsin, I have returned to cold, gloomy days with the knowledge that Spring is indeed just a few states south and a few weeks away.

Sometimes it takes a brief change of scenery to break out of our funk and cure the blues.  I had not anticipated how much two tiny blue birds could improve my state of mind.

If you are fortunate enough to live in an area with open fields and grassy areas, you may have success in attracting bluebirds. For more information on bluebirds:  Cornell Lab of Ornithology-Eastern Bluebird

For details on providing the proper nesting box size and placement:  Nesting Box Plans


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