"Mr. Bluebird's on my shoulder"

"Mr. Bluebird's on my shoulder".....well, that is how the song goes but the bird was not actually sitting on my shoulder this evening.  He or rather they were sitting above my head on a pine limb.  They, being a pair..male and female.  The Eastern Bluebird is such a pretty little bird and is one of the more beneficial birds to have around the place.  They eat a ton of bugs that would ordinarily be munching my garden!  While there is no specific method of telling just how many bugs a pair of bluebirds eat, it has been proven that there are significantly less insects in gardens that also contain the birds!  Anyway, it made me smile to see this pair of bluebirds hanging around!

I watched the pair for a while and then a thought hit me.  This pair cannot be a "nesting pair" as it is a bit late in the season, is it possible that the Eastern Bluebirds are monogamous?  I have heard tales that once a pair of bluebirds nest, they will stick together for a lifetime...I wonder?  Some other birds are true to their spouse for a lifetime..why not bluebirds?  I turned to the internet to find an answer.  It seems that for years, scientists believed that bluebirds were monogamous for their entire lives.  Only if one spouse died, did the remaining bird find a new mate.  But more recently (with DNA testing), it has been proven that while this ideal situation might seem nice, it is not necessarily true.  Some bluebirds have their little flings and produce offspring that are not of the dutiful dad.  AND...that dutiful dad does visit other nesting sites while the mom is brooding!  So...those birds get around!  My sweet little pair sitting in the pine tree, may look like the perfect pair but may be swingers at heart!  Still..this is the animal world we are talking about here so I guess I should not pass judgement and ban them from the garden!  Besides, I noticed a lot of holes getting chewed in the pea plants and those birds might just keep me from having to use some icky chemical insecticide!

Eastern Bluebirds are cavity-nesters and will readily accept birdhouses.  It is important to remember that the houses designated for bluebirds have certain specifications.  They need to be designed for easy cleanout, have a drainage holes, be well ventilated and have a 1 1/2 inch hole..no bigger as that will encourage other birds to use the house.  Also, if the house is painted, a lighter color is helpful as dark colors could create an "oven" and you might just kill your baby birds.  Contrary to popular belief, it is not wise to mount the bluebird box on a fence post.  This will only entice predators to raid the box.  It is better to use a metal stake therefore removing the convenient access to the box.  No perch is necessary for bluebirds and will most likely attract other birds to the box.  Well, now...with that wealth of information, I need to start making bluebird boxes!  "Zip A Dee Doo Dah"!   Time to get busy!