After a winter sorely lacking in snow, we had a Colorado springtime surprise today -- a snow day in May! Schools closed over concerns that the heavy, wet snow would cause power outages. And our neighborhood birds -- especially the Mountain Bluebirds nesting on our porch -- were struggling to find food. Fortunately, I look out for our feathered friends.
As I mentioned, we've got bluebirds nesting on our porch! We put a box on our fence last year, but they weren't interested. We moved it to our porch -- higher off the ground, but closer to the house -- and had a couple move in fairly quickly. And that couple laid eggs, which have now hatched. So we're buying a thousand live mealworms every couple of weeks, which Mom and Dad ferry straight to their new brood every time we put some out.
We put a ceramic spoon rest Danelle had made on our deck and used it for the mealworm tray to keep it out of the falling snow. Dad seemed appreciative.
Our tray got some good business throughout the day, including a Western Tanager which I'd never seen in our backyard before. I wonder what he had to chat about with a Mourning Dove and House Finch?
We haven't looked in the box, but we can hear the babies chirping whenever someone brings them food. Which Dad does regularly, and then heads back out for more.
Mom may not be as vibrant as Dad, but she's just as good of a provider. And just as pretty, in her own way.
Dad regularly dive bombs our dog, but he seems to know I'm the guy who brings the mealworms and leaves me alone.
There has been some competition for the mealworms from a couple of Robins, so Mom and Dad will fill up, then fly to our porch railing.
There they'd wait patiently for the other to come out...
You wouldn't even know we'd gotten a bunch of snow by late afternoon. Much had already melted off, and our bluebirds were back to catching their own wild food for their kids.
And another beautiful day in our backyard had come to a close. :)
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