female eastern bluebird

.. this is a female Eastern Bluebird. I probably wouldn't have known if I hadn't watched her bathing with reckless abandon in our Gawd awful heat.

This is the first year I am seeing them all year. Enjoying them too.

She just left the nest box and the squawking kiddies

We're on our 5th new family started last week.

I am so enjoying the early arrival of all my Bluebirds. Not showing any interest in the nest boxes yet which is a good thing cause the Chickadees are ;)

In the Spring I usually have two pair nesting here and as I said before, I've never had them during the winter months. I'm up to 4 pairs now feeding voraciously on the suet. Something tells me that come spring they are gonna move on.

I've never had Bluebirds in January. Now I've got a half-dozen feeding voraciously every day. Normally they don't arrive until the nesting season. I'm delighted to see so many so early.

But still kind of cute ;)

I didn't think they would be back this spring after the horrific breeding season they had last year. Between a pair of harassing House Sparrows and the snakes they wound up deserting their brood and they all died. They're a month behind last year's arrival but they're here.

Spotted her along the Bruce Trail Dundas

This male Eastern Bluebird is displaying his beautiful tail feathers.

I thought is was interesting to show just how tight the standard hole for a bluebird house is at 1.5 inches. It is a wonder they can get in and out with their legs under their bodies. Must be even tighter when they have eggs inside.

Eastern Bluebird. Unfortunately I was zoomed in too far for complete capture of her during this action shot.

Mother Bluebird is taking a break, having recently fledged her little ones off to the cold cruel world. I believe she might raise a second brood according to the Audobon Encyclopedia. If you have a 30 year old child still living with you (I have two) you tend to envy birds who have this...

This is the female who is scoping out the area around the baths.

...what a meal provider. This is the first time I've had a second nesting pair of bluebirds. It has got to be like an oven in that box.

This poor female looks like she is in dire need of a rest

Taking a break before the egg laying begins

Here she is taking a rest from her all day long collecting pine straw and taking it to the box. All the while she is doing this, Mr. Bluebird perched himself on top of the box and just watched all this work going on and every once in awhile he would peer into the box to see how the nest...

They started to set up housekeeping today

Eggs hatched and mom and dad are busy as ever scrounging up food. Mom consistently brings back the larger insects and dad... well, he trys. ;)