Shock and Awe on the Bluebird Trail

By: Ashley Studholme  

Learning about wildlife through experiencing it firsthand fosters a deeper connection than is possible otherwise. Sure, reading a book written by experts is a helpful way to round out your knowledge, but through first-hand observation, you collect stories and memories that are uniquely yours. 

Through monitoring, nature reveals its ability to adapt and endure. On April 14, one volunteer monitoring Eastern Bluebirds encountered a shocking sight.

Upon opening a nest box, she found a male bluebird deceased inside next to a nest with a full brood of five eggs. He was tragically attacked and killed by a nonnative, invasive House Sparrow. The female remained close by after the male was removed, and the nest was left untouched. Now, all we could do is wait to see if the female would be able to raise the brood on her own. 

Little did we know, her instincts took a different approach. A few visits later, a volunteer observed another male perched on the nest box - the female had successfully paired with another male! Our volunteers took actions that gave this brood a second chance and in the end, all five eggs hatched and all five chicks fledged. 

The volunteers became a critical part of these fledgling’s lives. What started as a shocking and tragic sight became part of an unexpected journey of resilience in nature.  

This year, 15 volunteers followed 18 Eastern Bluebird nests through their breeding cycle. PWCA manages two trails where we have installed 12 nest boxes at Merrimac Farm and 14 at Chinn Park.  Volunteers observed 9 nests at each trail and watched 29 and 33 bluebirds fledge respectively. 

Thank you Tom Thaller, Rita Romano, Kevin Parker, Kelly Auldridge, Charles Badal,  Jean Beard, Susan Hunt, Kathleen Hurst, Marilynn Lambinicio, Lois Montgomery, Noelia Olivera, Billy Ritter, Estefany Umana, Morgan Velten, Louisa Wells, and Janet Wheatcraft. You make this project possible. Special thank you to Valerie Kenyon Gaffney, President of the Va Bluebird Society, for guiding us in how to respond to the deceased male bluebird.  

Check out last year's results.