Male Bluebird on House

We installed 10 new bluebird houses in the park this year. Only one has a family of bluebirds.

Babies Week One

It has sure been fun to watch the adults raise their young.

Bluebird Babies Week Three

I spent several early mornings just after sunrise sitting in a blind watching and photographing the adults as they bring insects to the babies.

Bluebird Male Bringing Worm

Both the male and female feed the young. The male with its bright blue feathers and red breast is more photogenic. If they feed the young as much all day as they do in the early morning, I would estimate that they bring around 1,500 insects to the fast growing babies each day. Attached are several photos of the young growing up and the adults bringing food.

Male Removing Waste Capsule

One thing that you may not know is that when the adults bring in food they also take out the waste which keeps the nesting cavity clean and helps the babies to be disease free. The waste actually comes out surrounded by a thin film that makes it almost capsule-like. In one of the photos you can see the bright colored male taking one of these capsules away from the nest. It is one of the many chores of raising a family.