A Bluebird Summer

Where It All Began

This amazing summer was filled with bright, warm days, slow walks at the beach, cozy talks on the deck, and, of course, making sure the bluebirds that fly into my yard feel fully welcomed.

For people who aren't aware, I'm a bluebird lover. I have been ever since we built a home years ago and had a full open field as our backyard, when one day a beautiful bird with bright blue feathers landed on the deck railing. I had never seen one before and didn't know what type of bird I was looking at until I asked my next-door neighbor, Cheryl.

She casually said, "That's a bluebird." And then, "I've had a bluebird house in the back, but never really been interested in them." What?? They're beautiful, and I decided right then and there to put up my own bluebird house to see if I could attract them into our open space.

After reading up on what type of birdhouse to purchase, I talked my husband into digging a space toward the end of the lot to place the house. Within a few short days, the house stood upright, ready for use, and to my surprise, those bluebirds came.

My daughter and I began monitoring the bluebirds during the summer. When they came, I tracked how long it took to build a nest, counted the eggs, and charted the days until the babies fledged. Each spring, we made sure the house was ready for those amazing little creatures.

I remember one summer we decided to feed them live mealworms. Because the birdhouse was so far from our home, I wanted a signal to lure them to the food.

First, we bought a simple clear plastic dish and mounted it to the back of the birdhouse. We could remove it from the bracket to clean and refill it from time to time. After we fastened it, we tested the dish with mealworms, but the birds didn't come right away. We needed a signal to let them know food was waiting.

Starting with my teacher's bell from school, I took out food, rang the bell, and walked back to the house. To my surprise, it only took a few rings before they came. The bell was especially helpful once the babies fledged, because the parents would move them pretty far away—but the moment we rang that bell, they always flew back for fresh worms to feed their young.

We lived in a cul-de-sac, and that summer, neighbors started walking onto their decks with binoculars every time they heard the bell ring. By the end of the season, we had over twenty-five bluebirds flocking in our backyard as we watched them fly off to migrate south.

Leaving Michigan

Relocating to New Jersey meant leaving the bluebird houses behind, along with the memories of watching these beautiful creatures. I'd only ever seen bluebirds in Michigan, so I had no idea they'd show up in New Jersey too.

It wasn't long after that a newly constructed bluebird house stood in our New Jersey backyard. And yes, every summer we had broods of bluebirds flying in and out — one summer we even housed three broods successfully.

When I think about it, I'm still just as excited every spring: cleaning the birdhouse, watching the backyard for their arrival, checking the nest-making, counting the eggs, charting when the brood will fledge. I must be obsessed, right? I am.

Beautiful Nature

There is so much abundance in nature, and my heart fills each spring with the arrival of these creatures. Have I always been successful? No. There have been times when so many sparrows moved in that we had to take the house down for a while, since sparrows will destroy bluebirds given the chance. But through trial and error, and a trick from one farmer, we haven't had a sparrow problem in a long time. And that, my friends, warms my heart.

Many communities have bluebird trails, where houses are placed across open fields to monitor, clean, and chart new babies. These trails started because the bluebird population was dwindling. New Jersey had many of them, and I'd watch for the houses along the road as we drove back to Michigan from time to time.

After a few years, the population grew, but the trails stayed — because once you become aware of the soft, gentle way of the bluebird, you want to help them too. I even had my mother-in-law put up bluebird houses in her own backyard, and we'd monitor the comings and goings from two states apart all summer long.

Back to Michigan

The first thing I did after we built our home in Michigan was, you guessed it, put up a bluebird house. I knew they would come, and I knew how blessed I'd be to welcome them back into my world.

This summer, we were thrilled to welcome three broods to our backyard. They started early, building their first nest in early April. The first nest had four eggs, the second had five, and the last had four. All hatched and fledged — thirteen new bluebirds this summer.

It never gets old, watching them fly out of the box, watching the parents guide them to safety, watching them huddle together in the nearby branches. If you ever want to know how to parent, watch bluebirds.

The last brood didn't all leave the box on the same day, so it was hard to know whether they'd all survived. But a few weeks ago, when I brought out mealworms one morning, I couldn't believe my eyes — all four babies were sitting on the house with their father. I grabbed my camera and took a picture, and then I knew for certain: they'd made it.

Warm Days Ending

I'm always a little sad at the end of summer, because most years the bluebirds migrate to warmer weather. And sometimes I wish I could migrate with them — I'm not much of a snowbird myself.

But the seasons come and go. Mother Nature rolls on, and the memories stay, along with the pictures. And the knowing that they'll always come back in the spring to recapture my heart again.

I still think about the summer my daughter and I started feeding them mealworms, not realizing all the neighbors were enjoying it right alongside us. I remember one last day of that season, standing in the middle of the yard with her, searching the sky for the bluebirds. We couldn't find them anywhere, even with the binoculars.

Finally, my daughter said, "Look up." All twenty-five birds were flocking directly overhead. She turned to me, eyes glassy, and said, "Mom, they're saying goodbye." We both cried happy tears. We didn't see them again until spring.

Final Thoughts

Even if you're not a bird lover, I'll bet there's something in nature you love. Maybe walking, riding a bike, strolling the beach, capturing a sunset, taking a boat ride, or picking fresh fruit. These become memories, and summer always brings out precious moments for all of us.

Remember them. Write them down. Capture them in a photo, and savor those moments. With days full of work and time always ticking on, the special ones can slip past us. Take a minute to reflect, scribble something on a napkin, and enjoy all the joy nature gives us every spring and summer.

Keep writing.

Dianne

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