Eastern Bluebird Family Pays a Visit

The female eastern bluebird that nested in the nest box during the 2011 breeding season paid me a visit this morning and brought her juveniles along.  I could not be more delighted than when this family pays a visit.  The parent female is indistinguishable from her daughter in plumage, but I can recognize her behavior. 

Above you see her staring at me from the nest box.  She had just checked the mealworm feeder and found it empty.  There is a message in that look.

When the family arrives, they flutter up to gazebo shelves to take a look around from up high before approaching the feeder.  Sometimes they arrive chattering, but this morning they were silent.  I just happened to be outside.  On this occasion, the parent female identified herself by what she did next.  She flew to the shepherd's hook closer to where I was standing and wing waved.  Can you imagine what pleasure that gives me?!

I gladly went inside to get mealworms and suet.  I put both out from time to time and the titmice and wrens happily check the feeder every morning and empty it of all contents, including the cornmeal crumbs.  The bluebirds scattered when I walked to the feeder, so after adding food, I whistled.  Never worry that you can't whistle very well.  Your whistle will be recognizable and birds will associate it with you and the food you bring.  

Above you see the female feeding and I believe the other two are her juveniles.  The male typically joins her inside the feeder.    

Along with the bluebirds, I had dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows visiting, in addition to the titmice, chickadees, red-bellies and downies.  And the sweet little yellow-rumped warbler that likes to hang around made an appearance today.  I rarely catch him/her in an image, so I was doubly delighted when she paused long enough to allow this one.

A bluebird, titmouse, cardinal and robin are all featured in my Autumn Birds note card set, a boxed set of 4 x 5 blank cards featuring new watercolor images of some favorite birds in autumn settings.  Creating these cards and working with a printer has been a fun project and I am excited about the beautiful results.  

Visit my cards online at my Vickie Henderson Art website.  If you are near the Knoxville area, you can also find them at Knoxville's Wild Birds Unlimited.

Links and Resources:

Recommended for quality printing:  High Resolutions

The Hooded Crane is still at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge near Dayton TN.  Visit my post about this unusual crane appearance.  And check out the young birders in the Chattanooga Times Free Press article on the crane.

Visit my bluebird family posts about the fun experience I had watching this family during the 2011 nesting season.  You will also enjoy seeing the gazebo and the fun action that happens around it from time to time that I call "magic". 

In 2009 I followed the nesting season of a pair of red-shouldered hawks.  Watch for my Red-shouldered Hawk sketchbook to be in print soon!