In this locality some of the Bluebirds are with us all the year through. However, they are not so often seen in winter as in warmer summer months. The Starlings and the English Sparrows have driven them from many former nesting sites.

Food: The Bluebird eats many insects, including beetles, grasshoppers and different kinds of caterpillars. He also often feeds upon such fruits as cedar berries, wild cherries and those of other wild plants.

Bill: The bill of this bird is much like that of the Robin and the Thrushes. These birds are very closely related.

Feet: Being a typical perching bird, the Bluebird has very well developed feet. The hind toe is larger than any of the front ones and is of great value in grasping a twig or larger branch.

Nest: When the Bluebird has found his mate, the pair begin their search for a home. It may be in a hollow tree, fence post, or in a box built by some friendly hand. Within the nesting hole a bed of dried grass is made. Five or six pale blue eggs are laid and then the new family is well on its way.

Song: The song of the Bluebird, while not very lengthy, is very soft and sweet. It has a musical tone and is one of the most beautiful of the early Spring bird voices. The notes are somewhat unsteady and have a tender, plaintive quality.

John Burroughs has said of the Bluebird:—

“And yonder Bluebird, with the earth tinge on his breast and the sky tinge on his back, did he come down out of heaven on that bright March morning when he told us so softly and plaintively that, if we pleased, Spring had come?”

William Cullen Bryant has written:—

And Lowell:—