As the "winter" continues, the Bluebirds have been consistently visiting the feeder. They have also fed on the seed feeders on desperate days or when the weather has gotten cold or inclement. I only use the hulled seeds now, so these are easy for them to eat. I also have noticed the Tufted Titmice and Carolina Wrens visiting the mealworm feeder.
A couple of observations I have made involve bathing and family. On exceptionally sunny days, even when the temperature is low, the bluebirds splash around in one of the three birdbaths I have. One is heated and they finally discovered that one.
I have also noticed that the number of bluebirds at the feeder and lined up on my roof is always five, leading me to believe that they are hanging out with their kids from the second brood. This is consistent with studies I have read about their flocking habits. It seems that the first set is on their own and the second set is allowed to stick around. The parents are also very tolerant of their presence and the children make way for the parents anytime they assert themselves where the feeder is concerned.
It makes one wonder why the first brood is cast off so hastily and the second one gets to hang nearby. It will be interesting to see what happens in the Spring. I now have there boxes in my yard and one in the field across the street. Last year, Tree Swallows took to the one at the back of my yard and the one across the street. Those two are recycled plastic and have nice plexi viewing panels on the side. They are by Rubicon and they can be found at bestnest.com. I also have a plain bluebird spec house attached to the deck as an experiment to see if anyone is bold enough to use it.
No comments:
Post a Comment