A Gardener's Diary

Well, the chickadees that roosted in one of the bluebird boxes have grown to a fledgling size.

I watched as they fledged, all five spilling out of the box one after the other, fluttering around the height of their home while trying to figure out which branch was closest to land on. Now the box is empty for anyone to claim, and I hear the family talking to each other throughout the yard.

And, on a much more special note…

THEY’RE BACK!! The BLUEBIRDS!

And they spent no time settling into the only bluebird house left — swallows and chickadees took up the other three boxes. It was after Memorial Day weekend. I did not see the “streak,” but did see a bird on top of the lone empty house,

Binoculars confirmed a young male. I was elated! Better late than never. Sightings around here have been minimal, mostly because, as I stated before, that horrible storm in Texas where electrical went out, etc., killed a lot of the migrating birds before they actually started to migrate. But here, I had a male. The female was not for behind, and they got right down to the business of building a nest.

Of course, live mealworms put out every morning, were waiting for them.

A week or so later, I was rewarded with one beautiful egg, soon rounded out by four more. Now I wait.

I like to think that one of theses bluebirds was in the yard last year and made his/her way back again, along with a mate. I am very sad at the outcome of the population of bluebirds this year, but very happy that my yard was blessed with one special pair.

#bluebirds #easternbluebirds #chickadees #bluebirdsinmn