Visit Wimberley - Wimberley Bird of the Month

Song of the Eastern Bluebird

Copyright

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Copyright

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Eastern Bluebirds
- Patsy Glenn -
Former president of the Wimberley TLC Birding Society

Photograph by Ron Austing
Copyright 1999

Do you ever glimpse flashes of brilliant blue, a soft orange chest and a white belly as a beautiful five inch bird flits from tree to tree in open farmland or in your neighborhood? Maybe it is a beautiful Eastern Bluebird headed for a cavity in a tree or a bluebird nest box where his mate is tending three to six sky blue eggs. After two weeks the nest will be full of grayish fledglings with speckled breasts and bright yellow beaks which they open wide. Mom and Pop, and even siblings from the previous brood are "hawking" near the ground for tasty insects to feed them. Each chick must eat every twenty mintues! Listen for "chur-lee" or "chur-wi", often repeated several times to reassure yourself it is a bluebird. Nineteen to twenty-two days later watch for the fledglings fly out of the nest.

Eastern Bluebirds usually go no farther west than the Edward's Plateau and our Wimberley bluebirds often stay with us all winter. Watch! You might see them gleaning insects from the leaves and branches of the trees of or catching snails and earthworms from the ground.

A Carolyn Franklin Photograph
Photograph by Carolyn Franklin
Copyright 1999

In the winter bluebirds depend on berries. Leaving the undergrowth like agarita bushes, which produce berries, will help you attract bluebirds.

Dead trees often provide nest cavities.* Think twice about getting rid of all dead branches or dead hollow trunks. You'll be rewarded by a fluttering male with wings half open and tail spread who even sits beside his lady and preens her. What more could a woman want?

Bluebirds are honorary Wimberley citizens. In fact, thirteen years ago the Tender Loving Care Bluebird Society, now the Wimberley TLC Birding Society, was begun by J.L and Margaret Hudson. The group built many nest boxes and created "Bluebird Trails."

*"Nest boxes now maintain populations that have declined by up to 90% this century."
- Birds of North America, Thayer Birding Software, Ltd. -

This year one Wimberley club member who has several bluebird families in her nest boxes is raising C6 (Chick 6), who was too small and weak to make it on his own. Some forty-five members got to watch C6 eat his mealworms and a dissected cricket. As soon as C6 learns to fly and clean himself up, he will be released to join his family. For photographs and more about C6, click on his image above.

Related Links

North American Bluebird Society
Maps, links and more

Carole's Nature Page
Beautiful photographs
(see above on this page)
and information

Bluebird Fancying
Great information from a
successful bluebird landlord and an
excellent section on birdhouse
construction with useful illustrations.
Also, thanks to Terry, Bluebird Fancying
webmeister, we can show you the
wonderful Franklin photo...
birders are the nicest people!