Western Bluebirds at the Nest

by Judi Dressler

Title

Western Bluebirds at the Nest

Artist

Judi Dressler

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Female and male Western Bluebirds guarding their nest. These two were very vigilant, staying nearby and flying over to their nest box when they perceived a threat from another bird. The birds take turns sitting on the eggs at night and when it's cold, but when the weather is warm enough, they don't need to. Pretty soon those eggs will hatch, and then the real work begins with feeding those hungry little mouths!

Boulder Audubon erected a number of nest boxes, including this one, along Walker Ranch Loop Trail west of Boulder. The boxes are monitored for the number of eggs and hatched chicks, and the data is submitted to a national database maintained by Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

In partly open terrain of the American West, from valley farms and orchards to clearings in mountain pine forest, this bluebird is often seen swooping lightly to the ground to catch insects. Males are considerably brighter than the gray-brown, blue-tinged females, which are also beautiful. This small thrush nests in holes in trees or nest boxes and often gathers in small flocks outside of the breeding season to feed on insects or berries, giving their quiet, chortling calls.

Photo taken on June 17, 2020, in the foothills west of Boulder, Colorado.

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Descriptive keywords and tags for this image include bluebirds, western bluebirds, couple, nest, nesting, flying, pair, male and female, spring, in flight, blue, songbirds, nest box, small, birds, sialia mexicana, passeriformes, passerines, blue birds, colorado, wild, wildlife, nature, dressler, and judi dressler.

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October 26th, 2020

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