There are some birds that are easier to photograph than others — especially for a novice photographer like me. (I really should take a course. But having to learn about F-stops and aperture settings and shutter speeds just makes my mind reel. Until I do, I’ll just keep this beautiful camera on “auto” and hope for the best.)
One of the reasons I like to photograph bluebirds is that it is in their nature to perch. Bluebirds will use a perch to look for insects on the ground, scoop them up, then return to their perch. So if you miss them the first time around it is likely you’ll get a second chance once they re-settle themselves. I like to see the bluebirds perching. It means that nature is providing them with food and they don’t have to rely on me for mealworms.
A bluebird’s diet is live insects. While perching they search for their favorite meals — spiders, grasshoppers, crickets, ground beetles and caterpillars. When they arrive in early Spring — usually late March or early April, these tasty treats are not available, so my feedings of live mealworms are a must. (I had a tragedy a few years back of finding a pair of bluebirds dead in a nesting box. No nest even, just side by side, unable to compete with Mother Nature’s fury. They had come back too soon and our winter had extended through April into May. The cold and lack of food killed them. Nature can be cruel.)
Anyway, on to a more uplifting story. Just yesterday I saw the male bluebird perching. I know that at least one of the four eggs that I saw in the nest last week have hatched, and by now, possibly all, so mom and dad are busy finding food for the hatchlings. I still feed them mealworms — such a good protein source — but at a smaller pace. They need their true diet source.
So, whether a 250 year-old sun dial,
or the top of a pergola under repair,
the bluebirds lies in wait. Take the shot, Julie.
#bluebirds #bluebirdsinmn #nature
A Gardener's Diary 