Bluebirds Will Soon Get Their New Digs Thanks To Volunteer Building Bee

By Kimberly J Epp

Yesterday, March 8th, Moose Jaw Nature Society (MJNS) had 16 adults and six children come out to help build new bluebird houses for the replacement of several when MJNS go to clean the Buffalo Pound Bluebird Trail this coming Saturday.

Some of the younger participants made wren houses to take home with them as well. MJNS are even hoping they will expand their range if they are allowed to put up a short bluebird house trail at Tatawaw.

We built 27 bluebird houses and 10 wren houses (photo by Kimberly Epp)
"Woman power for international Women' Day on Sunday." The women rocked it and built many houses and helped the children as well.

On Wednesday, a group of 27 Brownies in Regina will learn how to make Bluebird Houses as well, and learn why they are needed. Read on about how important this real estate is here: https://www.mjindependent.com/…/beyond-your-backyard-nation…

When your Grandparents were young, bluebirds were as common as robins are today. But the bluebird population soon began shrinking, and these beautiful blue birds were in danger of becoming extinct. Their biggest problem was a housing shortage, as their habitat was disappearing under layers of concrete and asphalt. We have taken away much of their habitat.

You can clearly see the joy! (photo by Kimberly Epp)

In addition, bluebirds are very fussy about where they build their nest. They will only nest in small enclosures or holes, and low rotting fence posts, dark hollows in trees, knotholes and abandoned woodpecker holes. Then there was also the problem of non-native starlings and house sparrows moving into these homes.

"Grandma, we want a drill for Christmas!" (photo by Kimberly Epp)

Food is another problem. These birds are ground (insect) feeders, and sadly we often use pesticides on our crops that kill the insects that many species of birds (and many small mammals and amphibians) eat. This sometimes even kills the birds.

This bluebird box will have very blessed inhabitants (photo by Kimberly Epp).

These are just a few of the issues they have faced, but the North American Bluebird Society was started in 1978 to encourage people to put up bluebird houses, gather info, and research how best to protect them. Soon bluebird trails were put up all over, and the bluebirds started expanding their range. Today, their population is stable - as long as we maintain the houses every year for them. In fact, they expanded into some ranges they never even lived in before. The bluebirds love to come back to the same house if they can, and some will be happy this Saturday to receive an upgrade.

Rich Pickering shows the girls the inner workings of a wasp nest (photo by Kimberly Epp).

So stay tuned for the subject of my next "Beyond Your Backyard" column - the Mountain Bluebird! This column will be published next Wildlife Wednesday, as we head out to Buffalo Pound on Saturday to complete the process! Many thanks again to all of the participants that came out to our building bee yesterday!