03.28.09

MIA...again.

Well, things had been going well.  This picture is from last weekend when the pair was sitting up on the deck pillar.  I was seeing the pair everyday hanging out around and in both boxes.  That's right...the bluebird box and the other box I put up a couple of years ago for the tree swallows.  They too were interested in the bluebird box so I gave them their own space.  (Still haven't seen them yet this year.)

I'm not sure what the bluebirds were up to.  I saw both the male and female going in and out of the boxes.  I still have not seen any actual nest building materials going in either box.

Well, we had a large snow storm this last Thursday.  We probbly ended up with 10-12 inches and had blizzard-like conditions at times.  (We were supposed to get 16-22.)  When the snow stopped and the sun came out yesterday, Friday, there was no sign of either bluebird...the entire day.  And I have not seen them today either.  I'm not sure what's going to happen next - I hope they are still around.

03.16.09

This morning while getting ready for work I saw both the male and female around the box.  I had a late meeting, so I wasn't home in time to check tonight.

03.15.09 - Part 2

New residents?

Okay...this is ridiculous...as soon as I say something "bad" about the bluebirds they prove me wrong. I literally got up from the computer, poured myself another cup of coffee and caught something out of the corner of my eye. And guess what it was????? A pair of bluebirds back at the box. And yes, according to the resident bluebird expert - Chad - it seems that there's a chance it's the same female from last year. "She's smaller," is what he had to say. We did get a few photos so we can do some CSI work and compare the two birds. So, we'll have to wait and see what happens now.

03.15.09

Bye, Bye Bluebirds.

Well, I guess the match wasn't meant to be. As I mentioned in my last post, the bluebirds had not been around the entire week...and I haven't seen any action around the box this weekend. Oh well, Chad said it wasn't "my female." (Not exactly sure how he could tell that.) So I guess it's a good thing the pair didn't set-up camp.

It's interesting because I haven't seen any other bluebirds in the neighborhood...until just this morning. While letting Bailey out back a little while ago I heard one. Looking around I saw three a few houses down. I looked back on my calendars from the last three years:
2006 - I first saw the male on March 11th, female March 12th. The pair stayed and nested.
2007 - On March 6th I saw a male down the block and then one at the nesting box on March 11th.
2008 - They were much earlier last year. I saw a male come in from across the street on February 24th. I cleaned out the box while he sat in the scrub oak and watched.

I have to head out back and fill the feeders this morning, so I'm considering taking the nesting box down and scraping some of the flicker "remnants" off the top...maybe it's a turn-off to the bluebirds.

On another bluebird note, my sister and her husband moved into a new house (also in a new development with little to no landscaping) and they had a pair show up yesterday. They saw the male in the AM and later in the PM the female partially went in the hole on the side of their grill and then flew off. Within just a few seconds, the male came flying OUT of the grill. This pair must be ready to nest at any expense! My sister and brother-in-law started doing some planning of where they could put a nesting box. The problem is they still have to do their landscaping. It will be exciting to see what happens.

03.12.09

Well, I haven't been home too many daylight hours this week (had parent-teacher conferences) and with the time change, I haven't seen either of the bluebirds. I'm hopeful that we have just been missing each other.

03.07.09 - Part 2

Okay, literaly 15 minutes after I posted today's message the male bluebird was perched on top of the box. A little while later the female was up on the deck railing. Glad to see they are both still around!

03.07.09

I haven't seen either bluebird today. We had a change in weather - we eneded up having two light dustings of snow. I hope they didn't ride yesterday's wind on to a new box. :o(

03.05.09

Fending off the flickers.

Over the past few months, the local flickers have shown a great deal of interest in the bluebirds' nesting box. (They also made things a big messy by leaving their "marks" on the top of the box.)

I was anxious to see what would happen once the bluebirds arrived, and this morning all parties met face-to-face. Both the male and female bluebird were around and in the box. After they had flown off, a flicker stopped by and landed on top. The first time this happened, the male blue bird dive-bombed it and the flicker took off rather quickly. The second time however, the flicker stood his ground. He refused to leave the top of the box, even with both blue birds after him. After several minutes, and just before I was going to intervene, he flew off. The bluebirds were back on and in the box, appearing to be "checking" it out.

I'm not 100% sure what type of nesting flickers prefer (will probably have to do some research on the topic), but I'm hopeful the bluebirds stand their ground.

03.04.09

I saw both the male and female around the nesting box both this morning and this evening. Last year I created the "Bluebird Blog" but never posted to it. I know that the birds will take over this blog, so I've decided to start using it to keep everyone updated on the birds.

The male flew up on the deck and I snapped this photo...not the best, but I will have many more opportunities in the upcoming months to hopefully get some great shots.

03.03.09

Well, I actually created this blog last year...just never posted to it. So, with yesterday's arrival of the bluebirds, I decided it was time to get going! (If you follow my Everyday in a Photo blog, you will occasionally see some cross-posting.)

So, the bluebirds have arrived!!! For the first time ever the male and female showed up at the box on the same day! I typically see the males around the neighborhood for about a week before seeing any females...or either of them at the box for that matter. It was late in the evening when I first saw the male. He flew up to the box and checked it out several times. I was a little worried...I hadn't gotten the box cleaned. So, I grabbed the step stool & electric drill and headed out to the box. The pair flew off and it was too late in the evening for them to come back. I'm hopeful to see them again tomorrow...and I'm even more hopeful that the same female has come to nest - for the third year in a row.