So far as birds go, this spring and summer have been strange. Baltimore orioles are everywhere and the bluejay population has spiked upward. The orioles get a hearty howdy from me, but I wish the bluejays would find a different neighborhood to terrorize.
The bluejays have built a beachfront condominium by the creek and from what I can tell, they’ve driven away my favorite neighbors, the elusive indigo buntings. They’re hard to spot in the best of years, but this spring and summer, I haven’t seen even one of the breathtakingly beautiful males. Their electric blue finery, which almost perfectly blends into the shady green woods, has been the highlight of my summer walks for several years. I’m saddened by their absence and by the lack of goldfinches, which are also scarce this year.
The good news is that a pair of bluebirds have moved to our gravel road. They built a new trophy home at the top of the hill. They’re almost elusive as the buntings, but not during the height of their construction project. For a couple weeks they were seen hauling grass clippings, string and other building materials not available at Lowe’s, Home Depot or Menards.
Hopefully, the blue birds will talk up the neighborhood and convince the buntings to return.
If that doesn’t work, I’ll invite them and the orioles over for coffee, grape jelly and cracked sunflower seeds. But please, don’t tell the blue jays. They aren’t invited until they shape up their act. Like that’s ever going to happen!
