It's that time of the year again.....

Spring is just around the corner in Georgia and if you're not sure just watch the birds!  There's a lot of courting going on!!

This little male is flapping his wings to seduce the little female on the box.  They're not building nests  yet, but territory is being claimed, and mates selected.  Last summer's fledgling Bluebirds seem to have stayed close to home, but soon they'll  have to find their own territory.  I wish I could have a garden full of bluebird boxes, but once mating begins they don't share well.  A nest box in the back and one in the front seemed to work well last year.  As long as they don't see each other they seem to coexist, but last summer, when they did occasionally meet at the bird bath, there was a little skirmish.  I think another bird bath will be on the list of things to buy this summer.

A successful summer for my Bluebirds ...

Bluebird Box #1 (backyard)

The fledglings left the nest on July 8 - two successful broods this summer for this pair of Bluebirds.
The fledglings from the first brood were still hanging around the back yard up until a day or two before the second brood fledged. One evening I saw what looked like "play" with the fledglings and one of the bluebirds.  They were hopping and flying around each other on the fence - maybe Mr. Blue was gently trying to tell them it was time to move on.

Mr.. Bluebird - constantly on the look out for predators

One last feeding before they fledged

Fledgling getting ready to take it's first flight!

Bluebird Box #2  (front garden)

Lady Blue #2 has begun to incubate her second brood - 3 eggs at last peek.    

Summary: 17 baby blues !

 Last summer, when the bluebird box  was on the fence (I was a novice)  I only had one successful brood (and apparently that's the norm: usually  about a 50% success rate with each attempt).   Placing the boxes on the poles with predator guards, making it difficult for snakes and racoons to get to them,  definitely improves the probability of success ,

Yeah, little Bluebirds ! I am looking forward to the winter when I will feed them again and hopefully see many of the 17 fledglings   and their parents at the feeder.