Back to the birds...Eastern Bluebird

My yard has been host to nesting bluebirds for the past 7 years or so.  I admit, I do bribe them, they love, I mean love, live meal worms.  So I set my Dad to work to build me a feeder; and in no time we had bluebirds. 

Not a good photo, but this is a bluebird meal worm feeder.

I can tell you this, if you are lucky enough to have the bluebirds in your yard, beware...they are demanding little birds.  I would literally pull up in the driveway after work and one of them would be sitting by the Sheppard's hook looking at me like....Worms please, we have mouths to feed!  They can be so bold as to come up on the porch and tap on the window or even the glass on the front door.

Daddy waiting for me to provide dinner, all I can say is he's lucky I didn't have to cook those worms!  (I tell people I'm allergic to kitchen appliances)





 

I'll tell you what, anyone who says "who says poor little timid bluebird, other birds are pushing them out of their homes, they are helpless against predators; needs to come see my fierce little blue birds.  It has been my experience that the Mockingbirds usually rule the yard, but not at my house!  Daddy bluebird is a vigilant guard against any one wanting to disturb his family.  I have seen them chase the Mockingbirds, Blue Jays and this poor little squirrel who was eating off the ground, minding his own business...All of a sudden that Bluebird took off after him and three trees and two ditches later, after being dive bombed in the back of the head, this little guy hid for cover in an abandon bird house.  I knew he had to come out sooner or later.

  

This is the male bluebird standing guard at his home.  This birdhouse and trellis was built by my Dad and I had a Cherokee Rose growing on it

 Now the little bluebirds and I had a bit of an agreement, I give you fresh, live mealworms and you pose for my pictures...a little Quid Quo Pro...I like to think of it as a modeling fee....

And I am assuming they were good with that deal, I never got dive bombed, they allowed me to take lots of pictures.  They even allowed me to get a peek of junior while he was still in the nest!

  

I fact as you can see by the photo above, the male bluebird and the photo below the female bluebird, I think they were just as curious about me or at the least found me amusing...They watched me as much as I watched them!

I know many people who go to great lengths to attract this precious birds with their cheerful song into their yards; my advice a little meal worm feeder, live meal worms (which are available at the pet store and live for a long time as long as they are refrigerated) and a $9.99 cedar bluebird house from Wal-mart.  They love that little house and the front opens up for easy cleaning!