Where do the bluebirds fly?

Photo from www.ejphoto.com

I have to tell you about this bird. Last week, on one of the warmer days, I was walking around my back yard with the puppy. All of the sudden, while I was standing near the fence and a few bushes, still bare of foliage, there was movement that I caught out of the corner of my eye. I turned and for a brief second saw a bright path of blue and orange. I was mesmerized and tried to follow it as it flittered away, landing farther from me on the fence post. This was one of the prettiest birds I have seen in my yard so far this Spring. I wanted to run and get my camera, but I stood for a while and watched it to be sure of what I was seeing. It perched itself on the trunk of one of the pine trees in the yard and whistled away while I gazed at its vibrant blue feathers and vivid red-orange belly. Eventually, a similar bird, though the colors were muted, joined this little singer and they proceeded to playfully fly around, playing some intricate form of tag. Eventually, I hurried inside, making my fiancé watch to make sure they didn’t get away as I searched for my camera. I tried to use the zoom to capture a picture of the two birds, but unfortunately my camera isn’t the greatest. So, in order to get a closer snapshot, I inched forward, mumbling under my breath that they really needed to hold still while I got a picture. They didn’t comply, and proceeded to flirt around with each other until they flew off into the neighbor’s trees. My fiancé was convinced that they were just blue jays, but I knew they were both too small and the color wasn’t right. I have since waited for them to come back, but they don’t seem to like my yard as much as the neighbor’s. I did catch a brief glimpse of them yesterday when I was walking the dog. They were doing the same song and dance as before, but high above my head amid the bare branches of the trees next door.

From some brief research on trusty Google, I found out that these were Eastern Bluebirds. Thanks to AllAboutBirds.org, I saw some pretty great pictures and learned about their habitats. From what the site says, they frequently use nest boxes or old woodpecker holes (there are a lot of woodpeckers around here, too), so my new project once the semester is over is to get some wood and build a bird box. I’m hoping that they can come to love my back yard as much as I do, and we can get along together well in the future. I think I might need to work on my patience, though, or get a better camera if I’m going to get a picture. I'm just happy that I am finally getting a chance to see the wildlife that I am now sharing this space with. I hope that I'll be able to see much more in the coming (warmer) months and we can learn to grow comfortable with each other's presence here.