WE'VE BEEN BIRD WATCHING on and off for almost 40 years. So it's odd that I've never seen a Bluebird until this past year. Right here in Northampton they show up each year at our feeders. Last year they'd just visit and watch from nearby. This year we decided to "go big" with dried mealworms to tempt them. It worked! Now while the sparrows and finches fight like angry hoards over seeds, the Bluebirds perch on the mealworm tray and dine. I was beginning to think they were a little self-entitled until the European Starlings showed up. The way those guys eat, the Bluebirds are going to have to be a little more assertive or go hungry.

Photo taken: January 28, 2020, Feeders adjacent to Mill River trail head on Higgins Way.

Tags: Bluebirddogs, cats, bears, coyotes, birds