Wildlife Wednesday. - Bluebirds in the Estes Valley
By Andy and Rachel Ames
Mountain Bluebirds are one of our first migratory birds to make their way back to the Estes Valley. We often see them perched on a bush or fence scanning the ground and then dropping down to catch a bug. How do they survive heavy spring snows like we are about to receive? Bluebirds are omnivorous so can switch their diet from bugs to fruit when needed. In March in the Estes Valley that may mean feeding on juniper, mistletoe, or currants. Prolonged periods of winter weather can be hard on all of us. Fortunately, late season storms usually don’t last long so warmer days shouldn’t be far away. In the next week or two, we should be seeing the first western bluebirds in the area, too.
Both the mountain and western bluebirds migrate to this area to raise their families. While they both nest in secondary cavities (a cavity nest that they don’t create themselves), they do prefer slightly different habitats. Mountain bluebirds thrive in open meadows where they can hunt grass-hoppers from a low shrub and nest in nearby woods. Western bluebirds prefer a slightly more wooded area (like open ponderosa pine woodlands). Now is a great time to clean out your old bluebird nest box and make sure it is placed in a suitable habitat with access to open areas and lots insects.
