In Like a Lion...

March really did blow into the Atlanta area like a lion the other day. We woke up to a tornado alert,gusty winds, and hard rain--which quickly disappeared when the sun popped out. Then a few hours later, the rain was back, the temperatures dropped, and the ice in our birdbath froze overnight. That was less than a week ago. Today, the thermometer hit 70 degrees and I drove around with my windows down. Spring, around here at least, sure can be weird.



Meanwhile, I've been out snapping pictures in my yard, where the daffodils are starting to open. I also noticed a bird flying out of our birdhouse, so I opened it carefully and peeked inside. Looks like our new tenants are bluebirds, judging from this typical nest.

As you can see, the blues like to build a loose nest, just piling pine straw into a big heap, so the eggs are cradled in a soft mound. The nest isn't structured or woven, like other kinds. One year, we even found a nest with dental floss woven into it! But we never spotted it while it was occupied, so I'm not sure which birds built it.


Here's a great link to a website about bluebirds, and it even has a clickable link to hear their song. These pretty, sky-colored birds could use your help, if you'll put up some boxes for them. Bluebirds like to use tree snags for nesting, but as developers keep building, and old trees are taken down and land is cleared, our feathered friends lose their homes. You can build bluebird boxes from plans you'll find online, or buy them from garden centers, home improvement stores, or stores that specialize in birding.
Bluebirds
We have several bluebird houses around our property. These birds like to have a lot of space, so they can fly in and out of the house in an unobstructed path (just like we wouldn't want to have to steer around something in the middle of our driveway when we came home every night, right?) So if you can set up a nesting box in a meadow or field, they'll love that. (And in case you're wondering why I opened the house to look inside, don't worry. Experienced birders recommend doing that to monitor the safety and health of your bluebirds and their eggs. That's probably not be true of most species, though, and besides, I'm careful not to touch anything--I just look around.)

I'll keep you posted on our blues--I'm hoping some eggs show up soon!
Lynn
www.LynnCoulter.com