Observing Bluebirds and Sparrows: A Backyard Story

Last week, while sitting outside with my husband, I saw bluebirds flying every which way. For weeks now, they have been staking out their nest boxes and fighting off the House Sparrows, or as some call them, English Sparrows. Either way, those sparrows are pretty mean.

As we were watching the goings-on, I first noticed a female bluebird sitting on top of my weather vane on our old chicken coop. (Sadly, there are no more chickens.) She seemed to be keeping an eye out and was chirping away. Every so often, we would see the male bluebird land at the nest box and then fly up to sit with the female. I think she was giving him instructions on building her nest. LOL.

This went on for a long time. Back and forth, he went, and she just stayed put. We could see other bluebirds flying about, heading toward our other nest boxes, but these two stayed there. A few times, the aggressive sparrows would fly around the female, but she was not agitated. She held her ground or perch! After a while, she took off and went right into that nest box. We have left it alone with our fingers crossed that they will be successful in having some babies. I see her flying in and out of the nest box from my kitchen window with her mate.

In the last few years, we have seen more bluebirds around, which makes me very happy. Before we closed Behnke’s, I bought a few of the Audubon Recycled Plastic Bluebird houses we were selling, and they were well worth it. They have held up well and are made just for these beautiful birds. Some of the main things to remember when buying a bluebird house or making one are the size of the entrance, making sure it is easy to clean, and they do not need a perch. (Sparrows love perches). Plus, they should face East to prevent the entrance from overheating.

I have been reading about the House Sparrow and never realized just how bad they are. At first glance, these little sparrows seem like harmless birds. But apparently, they are considered an invasive species. Who knew? I just knew they were not very nice. I always felt terrible when my husband would go and remove their nests, but not anymore. They can go elsewhere and create havoc.

I hope that you can take time to sit and watch the birds. Here is a article on HowTo Attract Birds To Your Garden. It is incredible what we can learn from them. These bluebirds have a knack for hard work and patience, essential to building a successful nest for their babies.