Regular visitors here may remember that Happy Acres played host to a nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds last year. They had two broods of young, which means there should be a few additional bluebirds flying around out there. And on Christmas Eve, I do believe some of them came to visit.
I first saw two of them on top of a PVC nest box. As I watched, I saw they were going in and out of the boxes, checking them out. It looked like a male and a female, so I thought it could be the adult pair that nested here. Eastern Bluebirds don’t necessarily migrate in winter around here, though they will range as far as necessary to find food.
bluebirds on nesting box (click on any image to enlarge)
Then I saw some more flashes of blue flying around. It looked like more than just a pair! They didn’t sit still for long, but I managed to count at least 5 of them that came to visit. And four of them perched in a tree long enough for me to get a photo. At least three of them appear to be males, though the fourth one might be male as well.
bluebirds sitting in wild cherry tree
They were gone in a few minutes, though I did see them later in the day flying around in the cemetery across the road from us. It was an unexpected Christmas present for me, and I am hoping they will be back in spring when it is time to build a nest!