Good-bye Bluebirds

Shortly after I moved up here on the hill six years ago, I had some surgery and was unable to continue working. As Terry hadn't taken his early retirement yet and was still working, it gave me lots of time alone. It's very quiet up here and I started noticing all the birds that come and go, and the different species. We started putting feed out, and T bought me birdbooks, binoculars, and then a scope. And we've been birdwatchers every since.

I especially love to watch the bluebirds. They are my favorites. T made me four bluebird houses and I started putting mealy worms out on a post for them in the mornings. They got so they would wait at the post for me to come out. They would fly off a little ways and wait for me to shake the mealy worms out (I sure wasn't going to touch them!) and when I would step back a few feet, they would fly back to the post and eat.

The male is the one on the right, they are brighter colors than the female on the left. The male feeds her while she is taking care of the eggs, and then they both feed the babies. All day long! They will have their babies once and sometimes twice in the season, and then they are usually gone in August. We love to watch them as they nest, take care of their babies and watch over their broods. They often sit on my garden fence while I'm in the garden - keeping an eye on me and on the sparrows that would like to dislodge them from their homes.

Best of all, usually in October, when we haven't seen any of the birds excepting for robins or magpies for a month or six weeks, the bluebirds will come back for a day and use the birdbath before they leave for the year. Usually there are some finches and pine siskins with them. Sounds strange, I know, but is true. We must be on a migration path. It always happens just as it did yesterday....I noticed that the overhead wires were covered with birds. I ran in and got the camera and started snapping. They usually only stay about five or ten minutes - flying in and out of the birdbath - and then they are goneun until next spring.

When I came in to download the camera - my heart was lighter, my smile was brighter, it's one of my life's little blessings, to have the bluebirds come back to say good-bye.