The Bluebird Trail at CovenTree Gardens started in 1999. We were astonished to see bluebirds fluttering around an old box in the midst of a snow squall at the end of March. Immediately we called the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority and they sold us five kits to build new boxes. The very first year we were successful in attracting bluebirds to the boxes. They bred and successfully raised babies. We have been hooked ever since. Not all boxes have had happy stories - the usual predators have feasted on our precious bluebird families - but every year begins with much optimism. We also have a small camera that fits inside a bluebird box and relays the happenings live on the television.
The following excerpt is from the Bluebirds Forever website:
The gentle and beautiful bluebird was once very common in North America. The bluebird is a beneficial bird, eating many insects that ruin our crops and gardens such as cutworms and grasshoppers. Today, the number of bluebirds has diminished due to habitat loss, overuse of pesticides and predators. Bluebirds prefer open pastures and nest naturally in dead tree cavities and abandoned woodpecker holes. Bluebirds can't excavate their own nest cavities and depend on either natural or manmade cavities for survival. Their natural habitat is being destroyed by man, and other bird species such as wrens, sparrows and starlings compete aggressively for their nest sites. Bluebirds will readily use manmade nest boxes, and this may be our only hope of bringing the bluebird back to its original numbers.
