Bluebirds thrive in Middle Georgia

A constant stream of  year round bluebirds inspired my wife Billie and I to plant a wide variety of flowering plants that turned an ordinary Georgia backyard into a place where bluebirds would find welcoming all year long. 

Eastern bluebirds prefer open spaces rather than dense forests. In Georgia, they thrive near fields, orchards, pastures, and wide lawns scattered with low perches where they can hunt insects. A yard with room to fly, patches of native plants, and a quiet nesting place can become ideal bluebird habitat.

The first step was installing a proper bluebird house.The wooden nest box was mounted on a smooth metal pole about five feet off the ground, facing east toward the morning sun. It stood far from thick shrubs where predators might hide. The location overlooked my garden and open grass where insects moved through the clover and weeds.

At first, the box attracted all the wrong visitors.House sparrows darted around noisily. Chickadees landed on the roof as if inspecting the construction. A curious squirrel climbed on the box and started causing trouble. The squirrel tried to gnaw the 1.5 entrance hole to a bigger size but I installed a 1.5 inch metal ring from Amazon that I hoped would solve the problem. 

Then I started noticing a pair of bluebirds hanging around one of my other nest boxes. 

The male glowed bright blue and orange against the pale spring grass. Beside him perched the female, softer in color but equally beautiful, with gray-blue wings and warm peach feathers across her chest. They explored cautiously, hopping through the yard in quick movements while searching for insects.

Every few minutes, the male flew to the roof of the nest box. He seemed to be saying, “hey, honey, check out this house!”

The female inspected the entrance carefully. I knew that if the female when inside the entrance hole and liked it, the deal was done. 

Within days, pine needles and dry grass began appearing inside the box. Nest building had started.

From that point forward, the backyard felt different. Bluebirds became part of the rhythm of each day. Early mornings brought soft warbling calls from fence posts and tree branches. The pair hunted beetles and caterpillars across the grass while butterflies drifted among the blooming flowers nearby.

Bluebirds are gentle birds, but they are also hardworking parents.

By April, the female spent most of her time inside the nest box, incubating the eggs, while the male guarded the territory closely. He perched high on poles and branches, scanning constantly for danger. Whenever another bird or squirrel wandered too close, he chased it away with surprising speed.

Soon faint chirping could be heard from inside the box.The eggs had hatched.

The parent birds worked tirelessly from sunrise until dusk carrying insects back to the nest. Crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars disappeared into the hungry mouths of growing chicks. The adults visited the box dozens of times each hour.

As spring deepened across Georgia, the chicks grew rapidly.

Tiny sounds inside the box became loud chatter. One morning, fuzzy heads appeared at the entrance hole for the first time. They wanted  out! The young birds blinked at the bright world outside while warm southern breezes moved through the yard.The parents continued feeding them constantly.

Then came the moment every bluebird watcher hopes for, but is rarely seen. One chick climbed to the opening, hesitated, and launched itself into the air. 

Its flight was clumsy and uneven, but it reached a nearby fence post safely. Another chick followed soon after. Then another. By afternoon, the nest box stood empty while the young bluebirds fluttered awkwardly around the yard beneath the watchful eyes of their parents.

The backyard had become more than grass and fences. It had become a habitat.

Now it’s almost summer, and bluebirds continue to return to the feeders and birdbath. Young birds practiced flying between fence posts while cicadas buzzed in the Georgia heat.

Attracting eastern bluebirds to a Middle Georgia yard requires patience more than anything else. They search carefully for safe spaces with open ground, native plants, fresh water, and secure nesting sites.But once they come, they bring something special with them.

A quietness and a peace of watching gods creations living in the wild world. A flash of bright blue against green summer grass is a great sight as they are one of Georgia’ s prettiest birds.

As I write this in late May, another set of blue birds are starting to nest in the same ceramic box, totally ignoring my nicer “build to blue bird regulations “ boxes.  We’ll see if this brood succeeds, but late season success is tough.

I put small nylon mesh netting under the box to keep out snakes and spray environment friendly pesticide on the post or tree trunk to keep the fire ants away. Yes, snakes can easily climb into a bird box and ants can invade and kill the birds. 

Also, because the hot sun becomes an issue, I’ll take a White piece of cardboard and place it over the roof to keep down the temperature inside the box. All these safety factors are a little trouble, but can mean the difference between failure or success and bluebirds can thrive with a friendly helping hand. Good luck with your bluebirds!  

Check out the author’s book “Saving Oaky Woods” on Amazon.