We have been lucky to have bluebirds nesting in a birdhouse in our back yard for years now. I watch them very closely this time of year. First you see them hovering around the birdhouse early in the spring. There is actually a family of bluebirds that live in the back, and you will see more than one pair at this time. Often they have to fight off swallows and sparrows to claim their spot in the nest. They build the actual nest inside and then you really don't see much activity as the eggs are laid, and the mother tends to them.
You can tell that the eggs have hatched by the increase in activity around the nest. The birds are kept busy feeding their young. They will grab an insect off the lawn, hoist it to the top of a fence post and pound it around a little bit before presenting this to the babies. This goes on for a couple of weeks. The parents get busier as the babies get bigger. Finally the stage arrives when you can see the baby birds peering out of the nest. They are the same size as the adults. Very soon afterwards, all activity stops. I went out the other day to confirm my suspicions. Walking out to the nest I heard the haunting and beautiful call of a wood thrush from the hill in the back. This is indeed the season of songbirds. I carefully opened the front door and peered inside. Sure enough, these birds have flown. You will see the new birds hanging around in the back near the nest for a few weeks afterwards. Then they are gone.
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