by Lois Breneman, © 2002, Heart to Heart Newsletter
During the 1970's the bluebird population was almost destroyed with a drop down to ten percent, possibly due to the use of DDT as well as the invasion of house sparrows destroying baby bluebirds by pecking them to death. There has been an effective crusade among many to bring back the bluebirds and it has worked. In recent years thousands of bluebird boxes have been set in place along highways, in meadows and in countless yards.
The iridescent blue of these strikingly beautiful birds makes anyone who has them nearby feel honored by their presence. The boxes are easy to make or you may find one to purchase in a hardware, garden or department store. It is helpful to know that these birds prefer unpainted or unstained boxes, unless they have already been weathered. They also prefer the boxes at a height of a fence post in a meadow or open area, spaced at a distance.
It is fascinating to watch bluebirds waiting for their next meal. We have often seen them sitting on our tree branches, not moving a muscle and staring intently down at the ground. Then all of a sudden they would swoop down on their prey, helping to cut down on the bug population. In a few seconds they were back up on the branch waiting for the next course of their meal.
Try making a homemade mixture of lard (or shortening), cornmeal, flour, and raisins to lure them to your area or buy meal worms for them, however they have honored us with their presence by using boxes alone. Seeing the newborn baby bluebirds pop out of the boxes was especially exciting for our family! Survival is good if cats are not roaming your neighborhood. One year we noticed that cats had gotten all five babies from one box, which was really sad.
The iridescent blue of these strikingly beautiful birds makes anyone who has them nearby feel honored by their presence. The boxes are easy to make or you may find one to purchase in a hardware, garden or department store. It is helpful to know that these birds prefer unpainted or unstained boxes, unless they have already been weathered. They also prefer the boxes at a height of a fence post in a meadow or open area, spaced at a distance.
It is fascinating to watch bluebirds waiting for their next meal. We have often seen them sitting on our tree branches, not moving a muscle and staring intently down at the ground. Then all of a sudden they would swoop down on their prey, helping to cut down on the bug population. In a few seconds they were back up on the branch waiting for the next course of their meal.
Try making a homemade mixture of lard (or shortening), cornmeal, flour, and raisins to lure them to your area or buy meal worms for them, however they have honored us with their presence by using boxes alone. Seeing the newborn baby bluebirds pop out of the boxes was especially exciting for our family! Survival is good if cats are not roaming your neighborhood. One year we noticed that cats had gotten all five babies from one box, which was really sad.
HOW TO JUMP-START BLOSSOMS
We can enjoy early blossoms from fruit trees, forsythia and spring flowers by jump-starting them even before they bloom outdoors! Use pruning shears to cut ends of branches from trees after buds appear and are about ready to pop. Try cutting branches of forsythia, azaleas, dogwood, plum, crab apple, pear, apple, peach or whatever is about ready to bloom in your backyard. If these blossoms are already blooming in your area, mark it on the calendar for next year.
We can enjoy early blossoms from fruit trees, forsythia and spring flowers by jump-starting them even before they bloom outdoors! Use pruning shears to cut ends of branches from trees after buds appear and are about ready to pop. Try cutting branches of forsythia, azaleas, dogwood, plum, crab apple, pear, apple, peach or whatever is about ready to bloom in your backyard. If these blossoms are already blooming in your area, mark it on the calendar for next year.
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