Who doesn’t love the sight of bluebirds? There is something oddly reassuring about their cheery presence, a feeling that all’s right with the world (although that’s clearly an illusion these days). When bluebirds start house-hunting in earnest in late winter, usually late February, Spring is never far behind. That thought alone is uplifting.
Bluebirds, members of the thrush family, were once common in Pennsylvania orchards and homesteads. Their numbers suffered a steep decline when English sparrows and starlings begn pushing them out in the last century, along with DDT use in the 1950’s. Fortunately their numbers have been increasing slowly but steadily in recent years. They are now making a modest comeback in semi-rural and suburban areas, thanks to numerous efforts by nonprofits, homeowners and community nest box programs.
If your property has an open patch of yard free of disruptive elements, there are a few things you can do to try and lure them in.