Photo credit: Susan Gower
Contributed by Loyd Csizmadia.
They’re here! You know what I mean: the Mountain Bluebirds, of course. But so far, only the males.
Sandy and Phil reported the first Bluebirds on March 1st while on a birding safari to Churn Creek. As they bumped, slid, and splashed down the thawing road through Dog Creek Prairie, two males watched from the clean hydro wires.
The next reports came from Mission Road; up to four males sighted on March 5th by three groups of enthusiasts spread over the day. Sandy was the only one to observe all four at the same time. March 8th was my lucky day. Michaela and I counted seven males along Mission Road. Mostly they were bathing, preening, and grabbing the occasional insect. It was a warmish day, so long as the sun peeked out from behind the scattered clouds.
Four sleeps later, it’s a different story: cooler temperatures, wind chill, and fresh snow. Here on Fox Mountain, the feeders are busy once again, in spite of being filled with fluffy mounds of flakes. Puffs of snow flutter to the ground as the birds jostle for position. I watch the action from the sitting room, a blanket over my legs and a warm coffee cup in my lap. Do birds get cold feet?
According to the folks at CornellLab, their tiny toes are nearly frozen! Fortunately, the blood is circulating too fast for frostbite to set in. In addition, there are very few pain receptors in their feet, which are mainly tendons and bone.
It probably didn’t snow where the early bluebirds gather, but it will be cold. I wonder if the males roost together for warmth? Maybe they huddle in one of our houses, the very ones they will soon be fighting over! Can anyone tell me how they stay warm when winter chills the spring?
Speaking of houses, a fresh batch will soon be available to the route managers who volunteer on behalf of the Williams Lake Field Naturalists. Andrew Hutchinson and his woodworking students are planning to build about ninety houses with the standard round hole. For those who prefer the Johnson Slot, there are about thirty ready to go in the lockers. Remember: these houses are for the Bluebird Program. For personal use, houses and house-kits are available for sale in the Nature Center. Thank you to Donald Trim and to Jims Sims’ team for creating these kits.
Has anyone visited their bird route yet? I have driven past part of my route on Fox Mountain, but have not been brave enough to clean any houses. Unlike birds, I have plenty of pain receptors in my appendages!
So, when should the boxes be cleaned and maintained this year?
When the snow is a memory and the land has recovered from the melt, gather your tools, masks, and spare houses for the annual maintenance. Any time between March 24th and April 18th will be the least disruptive. Once the Tree Swallows arrive, any disturbance becomes an opportunity for swallows to displace bluebirds. The other challenge after April 18th is deciding whether or not the nest is new or old. Bluebird nests are made of woven grass. Old nests that contained babies will be compressed to some degree. Such a nest can be safely removed. Old Tree Swallow nests are easier to identify. Typically, the fledglings leave behind a mess of flattened, poop-encrusted feathers on top of coarse grass. You will need a putty knife to pry it free. Be sure to wear gloves.
Two other notes. If you plan to mount a Johnson box on a fence post, you will need an extralong screwdriver. Unlike our standard boxes, the Johnson Slots do not have a mounting board and must be screwed from inside by opening the door.
This second note is VERY important. The ranchers who kindly allow us to establish routes on their grazing lands want the broken houses removed from the ground. This is the second time I have heard this request, so I hope everyone is doing their bit. Broken houses with protruding hardware can injure not only farm animals, but wildlife as well. If it is difficult for you to do this on your own, contact me and we will find a solution.
In closing, I want to thank all our members for supporting the Bluebird Program, especially those who volunteer one or more days to ready their routes for the returning birds. I also want to thank the community of Williams Lake for its support, in particular the landowners who allow us to use their fences, Andrew Hutchinson’s LCSS woodworking classes for donating nest boxes to our cause, and the generous English fellow who builds all the Johnson Slots but wishes to remain anonymous. And this year, I want to express my gratitude to the Cariboo Gold Dance Band who will play at our SINC fundraiser on May 9th, and to Sharon Henry who sewed the lovely bluebird quilt for the silent auction at the event. Money raised will support all of our programs, including the construction of bird houses for our routes. I hope to see everyone there!
By the way, there might be one route available this year. If you would like to manage a route, please contact me at lmccsiz@gmail.com.
I wish you all a safe and happy season. Tread gently on the land, and please be “Bear Aware!”
Loyd Csizmadia
Bluebird Program Coordinator for the WL Field Naturalists
Williams Lake Field Naturalists 