CLAY COUNTY – Bluebirds are clear indicators that the spring season is arriving. I have a birdhouse in my backyard and bluebirds have occupied this box and have raised two to three broods each year for the past four years.

Many people will know this isn’t the typical bluebird box that is specifically made for bluebirds to nest in; nevertheless, these are the only birds that have raised their young in the birdhouse.

As I was watering my plants on my deck recently, a mother bluebird was calling from the oak tree above the deck to her babies. One by one they flew out and the last one landed right in front of me on the deck. What a treat to get a picture of it. The other photos show the male with food in its mouth and then feeding the babies inside the birdhouse.

Some facts about the bluebird: a male is deep blue above and brick-red on the throat and chest. The female is grayish above with bluish wings and tail, and a subdued orange-brown breast. They don’t usually eat birdseed, but I have seen them rummaging in my bird feeder. In the spring and summer, they eat caterpillars, grubs, beetles and other insects. They also prefer live mealworms rather than dried ones. In the winter, they eat berries, wild grapes and honeysuckle.

A bluebird does not begin to incubate her eggs until the final egg is delivered. Delayed incubation is to ensure all chicks hatch together and they do not end up killing one another. I’m happy to report that my bluebirds have already laid a new brood with three eggs.