Master Gardener Program
Erika Johnson, Program Coordinator
erika.d.johnson@wsu.edu
(564) 397-5738
Bluebird Journal
78th Street Heritage Farm
Hi! I’m Erika Johnson, coordinator of the Washington State University Master Gardener program in Clark County, Washington. In the summer of 2011, two Western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) were spotted at the Heritage Farm. Not commonly seen in this area, this page documents the attempts to support their nesting and use of the 79-acre farm property as well as other suitable habitat in Clark County.
If you spot Western bluebirds in Clark County, please contact the WSU Clark County Extension office and let me know! We would love to encourage them and develop habitat for them in this area!
Erika Johnson, Master Gardener Coordinator
WSU Extension Clark County
(564) 397-5738
Journal Entry 1
May 2011 —
Walking down the dirt road today, past the tool shed, I glanced up at a pair of birds sitting on the power line overhead.
To my great surprise, I recognized them as Western bluebirds.
I’ve never seen Western bluebirds in Clark County, nor have I spoken to anyone who has.
How exciting!
Photos on this page —
- Pair of western bluebirds. They are a base color of tannish-gray; female has reddish breast, male has brighter red breast and head, back and wings blue. Photo caption: Western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana); Female (left) & male (right).
- Range map of western USA and using colors to show where the birds are at various times of the year. Photo caption: Bird habitat maps don’t indicate Clark County as a part of their normal range. More info about the range map.
Additional Information
Western Bluebird Range
See the Western Bluebird range map. And check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds website to learn how to ID bluebirds, about their habitat, and their food preferences.
Fun Fact — Western Bluebirds are among the birds that nest in cavities—holes in trees or nest boxes. But look at their bills—they’re not equipped to dig out their own holes. They rely on woodpeckers or other processes to make their nest sites for them. This is one reason why dead trees are a valuable commodity in many habitats.
Journal Entry 2
June 2011 —
I contacted the Hubert Prescott Bluebird Recovery Project in Portland, OR. They’ve agreed to send a volunteer up with three bluebird boxes for installation on the Heritage Farm property.
Design specifications for the boxes are important. Other birds, such as non-native invasive species, like European Starling or house sparrow, may take over nesting boxes, displacing bluebirds and other native birds if the hole is too large.
With the boxes in place, we waited. And waited . . .
Photos on this page —
- Tall photo showing lots of blue sky and small amount of green field with white bluebird nesting box on a post. On post is a humorous sign saying ‘Bluebirds Only’.
- Hand-drawn illustration of a bluebird nesting box.
Additional Information
Nesting Box Placement Is Important
Hubert Prescott Bluebird Recovery Project shared that boxes should be about 150 yards apart from each other, facing an open, grassy, mowed area. And, in order to make the boxes just right for the cavity-dwelling bluebirds, the access holes should be small, with a 1-9/16” round opening entrance.
Nesting Box Plans
If you wish to build a Bluebird nest box yourself, there are plans available at Hubert Prescott Bluebird Recovery Project or at the North American Bluebird Society website.
Journal Entry 3
February 4, 2017 —
Such a sad day. I went out to clean the bluebird boxes today to ready them for spring. Was greeted by a shock of blue in one box. The color unmistakable — Western bluebirds.
Sadly no movement. Four dead male bluebirds huddled together in the box. It’s winter—no nesting going on now. The last 2 weeks brought an unusual amount of snow that stayed on the ground several days, fairly unusual in Clark County. The box must have given refuge to some very cold birds. But it just wasn’t enough . . .
Photos on this page —
- Four dead bluebirds laying together on grass. Caption: Found 4 dead male birds in nesting box.
Journal Entry 4
February 2017 —
Made a follow-up visit to the same box. Standing back and watching for a bit, we spotted a female standing on top. Yeah, she’s considering it as a place to nest this year! After a minute or two she flew off, heading north across NE 78th Street.
You can tell the bird species by identifying their nesting materials and construction techniques.Other secondary cavity nesters in the area that might use the box include: violet green swallow, tree
swallow, chickadee, wren, and house sparrow.
Photos on this page —
- Female bluebird seen from the back and she is looking over her shoulder.
- Empty bluebird nest. Caption: Clue: Bluebirds keep neat nests made only of grasses.
Additional Information
This is what we’re hoping for in the way of nests inside of our boxes — with eggs!
Learn about the types of nests other birds build at NestWatch (https://nestwatch.org/learn/how-to-nestwatch/identifying-nests-and-eggs/).
Photos on this page —
- Bluebird nest with blue eggs.
Journal Entry 5
Spring 2017 —
We are continuing to monitor for the Western bluebirds to return.
However, after an article in The Columbian, several people have inquired about how to identify bluebirds, thinking the gray-and-blue scrub jays might be them.
Photos on this page —
- Chubby Western Bluebird. Caption: Western bluebird.
- Blue Scrub Jay. Caption: Scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica).
Additional Information
Get To Know Western Bluebirds
The Western bluebird male is known for its bright cobalt blue feathers, combined with a rust/red band around its neck and on its upper chest that is unique to the bluebirds. Females have gray/blue coloration with an orange/chestnut wash on their chests.
Adding to their appeal, the Western bluebird’s song is very pretty.
Compare Western Bluebirds to Jays.
Western bluebirds are smaller than the blue and gray scrub jays (Aphelocoma californica), see photo in journal entry artwork above, which are more abundant in this area. Scrub jays have a raucous vocalization style compared to Western bluebirds’ quieter, more musical call.
Also prevalent locally, especially in wooded areas, are the deep blue and black-headed Stellar’s jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) which are much larger than Western bluebirds and sport a pointed topknot on their heads.
Photos on this page —
- Stellar’s jay. Blue body with black crest, head and shoulders. Photo credit: Becky Matsubara.
Journal Entry 6
Summer 2017 —
We have not spotted any more bluebirds around the Heritage Farm. Instead, the nesting boxes are being used by violet-green swallows.
Since these are native birds, we welcome their use of the boxes, but still hope that bluebirds will show up once again.
Photos on this page —
- Violet-green swallow bird. Caption: Violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina).
- Nest with white eggs and feathers in it. Caption: Violet-green swallows lay white eggs and line their nests with other bird species’ feathers.
Journal Entry 7
October 28, 2017 —
A group of Master Gardeners and friends met at a new county park property a few miles East of the Heritage Farm.
The 29-acre property could be good bluebird habitat.
Installed 10 new bluebird nest boxes in hopes the birds will find them and call them home.
Photos on this page —
- Two women in colorful sweatshirts mounting a bluebird nesting box on a post.
Journal Entry 8
March 15, 2018 —
Planted native berry shrubs today — cascara, Indian plum, mock orange, red osier dogwood, bunchberry, tall Oregon grape, red-flowering currant, and twinberry.
The goal is to ensure winter fodder for bluebirds — berries that will hang on through the winter. The woody plants also serve as places for fledging birds to perch.
Photos on this page —
- Several cheerful people holding shovels standing in a meadow.
- Illustration of a bunchberry plant; leaves and flower.
Additional Information
Western Bluebird Habitat
Western bluebirds like open woodland areas, both coniferous and deciduous. They nest in tree cavities including old woodpecker holes, natural cavities, and of course, nesting boxes.
They like a perch 40-100 feet from the front of their nesting box. It provides a safe place for babies to land when learning to fly, and is also a place for parent birds to guard the box to avoid predation.
Bluebirds’ diet consists of insects, earthworms, snails, and small berries and fruits. So we planted native shrubs to provide food and habitat not only for the birds, but for the insects they eat.
We planted these shrubs:
Photos on this page —
- Cascara tree twig, leaves, and berries. Caption: Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana). Photo: Jesse Taylor
- The black fruits of an Indian plum shrub hanging from bright orange stems among green leaves. Caption: Indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis). Photo: Leslie Seaton
- Close up of white unopened buds and open flowers with yellow stamens. Caption: Mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii). Photo: Oleksandra Deriy
- Red-osier dogwood leaves slightly colored purple in autumn with red stems that held berries (2 white berries hanging on). Caption: Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea). Photo: Sulfur at the English language Wikipedia
- Small bunchberry flowers with bright green leaves nestled among pine needles on forest floor. Caption: Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis). Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson
- Green holly-like leaves and blue berries of tall Oregon grape. Caption: Tall Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium). Photo: Meggar at English Wikipedia
- Pink flowers of red-flowering current with bright green leaves. Caption: Red-flowering current (Ribes sanguineum). Photo: J Brew
- Double black berries with bright purple-red bracts attached to stem hanging among dark leaves. Caption: Twinberry Honeysuckle (Lonicera involucrata). Photo: Katja Schulz
Learn more about landscaping with native plants.
We are still hopeful that bluebirds will return for a visit!
Journal Entry 9
Introducing a New Contributor
McKenzie McCann is an M.A E.d in Environmental Education student at Prescott College in Prescott, AZ. She is interning with the Master Gardener program and its Western bluebird project as a part of her coursework. Stay tuned for some great blog entries from McKenzie over the next few months!
October 2018 —
My name is McKenzie and I’m a student getting my master’s in environmental education through Prescott College. I’m going to be a new contributor to this journal. As a newcomer to the bluebird project, I knew I needed to start with learning as much about Sialia mexicana as I could. I took out my watercolor kit, brushes, fancy paper and began with a natural history illustration.
Photos on this page —
- Watercolor painting of a male bluebird. Caption: Male Bluebird. Illustration: McKenzie McCann.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. I CHEATED while making these illustrations. I looked up pictures on Google images, traced the outline of the birds in pencil, then just painted the details in. See, I am not a fine artist. I’ll take knitting needles and a potter’s wheel over a brush or pen any day. However, I am a naturalist and I know a little secret. Drawing an animal, plant, bird, fungus, tree, or flower is the very best way to learn how to identify a species. Yes, even if you “cheat” like I did. Yes, even if you have zero artistic talent. Yes, even if you produce a bluebird so ugly, you’re tempted to burn your art just to make sure no one ever finds it (not recommended). Because the point of doing a natural history illustration isn’t what it looks like. It’s about the process of making it. Let me tell you about the most awful illustration I’ve ever done. I wish I had a picture of it to show you.
Photos on this page —
- Watercolor painting of a female bluebird. Caption: Female Bluebird. Illustration: McKenzie McCann.
I was in a Vertebrate Natural History course in my undergrad program and our professor wanted us to juxtapose two species within the same family from the stuffed specimen collection she had brought in. I froze. I had only ever done natural history illustrations with my cheating trace/color-in method. But that’s what we were doing, so I did.
I picked two shrews: the long-tailed and short-tailed. While the models were gorgeous, with thick fur, plump bodies, and pointy little noses, they looked like skinny rabies victims in my drawing. I was so embarrassed!
But then I noticed something. I saw that the lower leg joint (the “knee/elbow”) was much further away from the pad of the short-tail shrew’s foot, and much closer to the pad of the long-tail shrew’s foot. I realized that if you’re into tracking (like me), you could possibly identify short-tailed and long-tailed shrew just from their tracks!
In the grand scheme of things, is this really an important detail? Eh. If you like tracking, biology research, or just really love shrews, then maybe. Short-tailed shrews are semi-dangerous being one of the only venomous mammals, but not enough to be concerned if you saw their tracks in your yard. (Their saliva has a chemical which paralyzes prey. The saliva isn’t strong enough to paralyze pets or humans, but their bites are said to really, really hurt.)
However, my point is that by making that drawing, I was able to notice such a teeny, tiny, trivial detail. That’s pretty amazing, and that’s because in order to draw anything, you have to examine it closely. Very, very closely. Get even closer. Really look at it.
So when it comes to Western Bluebirds: What is the plumage pattern? What shape is the tip of the beak? How many toes does it have, and what direction are they facing? How long are the legs? How long is the neck? Where does the ruby collar end and the blue back begin? What shape is the tail? How long is it? What color is it? What shade of blue? What shade of red is the collar? What shade of gray is the breast?
If this sounds overwhelming, don’t worry, that’s kind of the point. There are so many details! And guess what? You don’t have to make it photo-realistic (I mean, look at mine for goodness sake). You just have to do your best.
When I did my Western Bluebird illustration, I noticed how much flatter the head is than I thought. Look at it. It’s more like a football than a ping pong ball top. I also noticed the males have a black ring around their eye, while the females have a white ring. My paints bled together too much to capture this effect, but if you look at the picture in Journal Entry 1 of this page, you can totally see it. I was also surprised how much brown I had to use to get the proper color of that iconic ruby collar. Not so ruby red after all, I’m sorry to report. Although, on a positive note, the female is much more colorful than I expected her to be. I ended up using quite a bit of auburn and corn flower blue in her plumage.
If you want to get to know the Western Bluebird for the first time, or already think you’re a pro and could identify a Western Bluebird out of a 100 Turdidae species line up, I’d encourage you to give natural history illustration a shot. I can almost guarantee you’ll learn something.
Journal Entry 10
November 2018 —
Introduction to Field Marks
Becoming a naturalist is all about training your eye. It’s not about how many plant species you can identify, or how many latin binomials you can memorize, or how many birds you have on your life list. Naturalism (pretty sure that word doesn’t mean what I think it means) is a skill set. It’s about knowing how to look at something and make sense of it.
That sounded complicated and ominous. Let me break it down further.
As I said in my first post, I didn’t know that much about the Western Bluebird before I got involved with this project, but I knew a few things about all birds. I went in knowing birds evolved from dinosaurs. I know they had crazy respiratory systems that are (debatably) more advanced than our own. I know all birds have hollow bones. I know most North American birds migrate. I know birds usually have elaborate mating rituals. I know they make nests and lay eggs. I know birds have been seriously impacted by deforestation and habitat loss, pesticide use, and litter. So any time I look at a bird, regardless of species, I’m already thinking about all of that.
But when I look at a Western Bluebird, I’m also thinking about how they are in the order Passeriformes (colloquially known as the Passerines, also as the songbirds) and therefore heavily rely on complex vocalization for communication. I also think about the lore surrounding the Bluebird of Happiness, and it’s hard to look at that iconic red-and-blue combo without sighing wistfully.
Side rant: I think that for many people, the idea that human-caused habitat loss has damaged the population of the bluebird of happiness is just… sad, isn’t it? This is probably why it’s easier to rally support around bluebird conservation than, say, the Mann’s mollusk-eating ground beetle. (Which, for anyone interested, is listed as critically imperiled, while the Western Bluebird population outside of Washington is actually listed as least concern.) End rant.
I also know a few general things about birding, like how to use binoculars. I know it’s best to bird at dawn or dusk when birds tend to be most active, and that trying to identify a backlit bird is nearly impossible. I knew male and female Passerines usually look very different from each other (A.K.A are sexually dimorphic), and juvenile Passerines tend to look very different from the adults.
You get my point. I knew some things surrounding the Western Bluebird, but hardly about the any-thing the actual species. I didn’t know what they ate. I didn’t know what their nests or eggs looked like. I didn’t know their migration route. I didn’t even know how big they were. But I didn’t let it bog me down, because I’m a naturalist. I know how to look at a bird and make sense of it.
Armed with a guide book, or even just my cell phone and Google, I know I can identify just about any bird I come across. Hey wait, I hear you thinking. I thought you said species identification doesn’t matter. Identification does matter, but good naturalists aren’t measured by their memory. They are measured by their skills, and being able to identify birds is a skill. How do you get really good at identifying birds?
Photos on this page —
- Cell phone showing digital version of the printed guide book in the background.
Field marks! Learning the language for bird field marks is a great naturalist skill. Why? For one, it’s the language most field guides use. Ever picked up a Peterson field guide? Do you own any bird guides? At least one of them is probably a Peterson. It’s the bestselling field guide series ever. The field mark system was invented by Roger Tory Peterson in the 1930’s (don’t quote me on that) in his first birding book, and it is STILL the standard for bird identification.
For another, you will never need to memorize a single species if you’re adept at navigating a field guide. As someone who has a tendency to move around a lot, this is a great comfort.
Lastly, knowing the “technical” terms for field marks gives you language to describe and discern what you’re looking for, which will train your eyes to notice subtle differences between similar-looking species, such as the difference between a raven and crow.
Photos on this page —
- Line drawing of a bird with the field mark terms for various parts of the bird’s body with lines pointing from the words to the body parts. Caption: Field Identification Field Marks. More information about field marks.
For example, there are a ton of sparrow species. To the untrained eye, they all look like little brown stripey puffs. And they ARE little brown stripey puffs. But if you know your field markings, you’ll know to look for a white eye stripe, or tawny cheeks, or a brown crown. Sparrow ID is a great challenge for those wanting a deeper dive.
As for identifying our local Western Bluebird population, let’s compare pictures of the Bluejay, Scrub Jay, and Western Bluebird (at right).
Photos on this page —
- Bluejay. Caption: Bluejay.
- Scrub Jay. Caption: Scrub Jay.
- Western Bluebird. Caption: Western Bluebird.
Which has a white throat? A white belly? A white eye ring? A black crown? A red collar? Which has blue cheeks?
How many field mark features can you name on these birds?
Journal Entry 11
December 2018 —
We are trying to help reestablish and track the bluebird population in our SW Washington area and our little corner of the Pacific Northwest bioregion by building boxes, installing them, and writing about our efforts. But the real nitty-gritty work is monitoring.
No, not that little one-way radio that helps a person hear a crying baby at night (although that is a type of monitoring). We are talking about scientific monitoring today. And let me tell you, it’s about equally as glamorous.
Every week from April to June, our monitors don their rain boots and suits. They get out their clipboards, pens and monitoring sheets. They put on gloves, open the nest box hatch, take out a large version of that mirror the dentist uses to inspect our teeth. They record their observations. Then they close everything up, and move on to the next box. They will continue to do this routine weekly. It is work, it is slow, and they will often come upon an empty box.
Photos on this page —
- Photo of the kit showing carry-all type bag, plastic gloves, putty knife, screw driver, pencil and small mirror with long handle all sitting on a tabletop. Caption: Typical Bird Monitoring Kit.
Why do they do it? Why is monitoring important?
Monitoring captures information about how natural populations change over time. This might mean measuring oak tree yearly growth, or banding owls to follow their migration routes, or counting the number of salmon that swim through Bonneville Dam. The work of monitoring is slow, but over the course of several years (or decades) it can help scientists better understand whatever it is they are studying.
Why does anyone care how populations change over time? Well, it was probably monitoring data and research that revealed the decline of the Western Bluebird in our region in the first place. Spotted Owls, critically endangered due to old growth forest habitat loss tied to logging, are being very carefully monitored because of the worry they will go extinct. We monitor things to gain deeper understanding.
For a more immediate example, the number of annual hunting licenses issued (and for what type of animals) are determined from the results of wildlife monitoring. If the deer population is booming, more deer hunting licenses will be issued. If moose had a tough winter, fewer moose hunting licenses will be issued. The amount of tuna, crab, or most other seafood allowed to be harvested is also determined by analysis of species populations through monitoring.
In my undergraduate program in Vermont, a classmate monitored the number of red oak seedlings past a certain age (I want to say older than 5 years) as part of tracking change in winter conditions. Red oaks are an indicator species in Vermont since the seedlings cannot survive -40° Fahrenheit. Traditionally, Vermont winters only get this cold every 3-4 years. Therefore, if he was finding red oak seedlings past the age of 5 years, that would indicate it had been 5+ years since a -40° winter period. Basically, he monitored red oak seedlings to investigate climate change.
Monitoring work is slow, detailed, and repetitive, but it provides data that researchers and ecologists analyze and use to support further research. In our case, we monitor in an attempt to understand how effective our nest boxes are in our attempt to re-establish the Western Bluebird population in our area.
We care about monitoring because monitoring helps us understand the ecosystem health.
Photos on this page —
- Cropped version of the same photo of 2 women reaching up to a bluebird nesting box on a post from Journal Entry 7.
If you would like to install nest boxes and help monitor Western Bluebirds with us, please contact Erika Johnson (see contact info at beginning of this bluebird journal page).
Journal Entry 12
January 2019
The Western Bluebird Niche
It’s biology time! For all you die-hard community scientists out there, this one is for you! For everyone else, well, I hope I still have your attention and trust you’ll enjoy my oh-so-witty banter.
Niches! When I was a counselor at Outdoor Science School, we used the term “daily cabin chores” because it was cuter and sounded more scientific than simply “chores.” (Can you imagine the 6th graders? EewwWw, choooress.) And while a niche is much more comprehensive than a chore, it’s a good place to begin.
A niche is the role of a species within its ecosystem, a comprehensive description of what a species is doing and how it fits into the wild web of life. On a human societal level, doctors occupy a different niche than firefighters. They have different jobs that both contribute to the functionality of society, but in wildly different ways. This is a niche at its most basic level, but it expands into how doctors make more money than firefighters and therefore might live in a different dwelling (such as a large house in a wealthy neighborhood as opposed to a studio apartment), eat different foods, make different lifestyle/environmental choices, and raise a different number of children. All of these factors are used to describe the niche of doctors in human society. These are similar questions ecologists ask when describing natural system niches.
Photos on this page —
- Chubby male bluebird sitting on a snowy branch with a berry in its beak. Caption: Western bluebird eating a berry.
Regarding the niche role of the Western Bluebird, they are warm-blooded consumers capable of flight. They eat other things to live (as opposed to plants that use sunlight or fungi, which consumes dead stuff) and are mostly found in the sky, trees, or occasionally close to the ground (as opposed to living in the ocean). They like to live in open woodland, but nest near backyards, burned areas, farmland, or just about anywhere with ample grass (like golf courses). They can be found from sea level far up into the mountains. Elevation is not as relevant for a long-distance migrating species such as birds, but elevation level can be a very important factor for certain types of butterflies and insects, and not to mention plants and fungi. There are many types of alpine-specific (a.k.a high elevation) species.
Side note: For anyone interested in evolution, birds were a REVOLUTION. Life started in the ocean, and that was cool, BUT THEN life worked its way onto land, and that was pretty great, BUT THEN life took flight into the sky. Like, SAY WHAT? Birds created their own niche on our planet. If that’s not wild, I don’t know what is.
During the summer, Western Bluebirds eat insects. This lowers the insect population, which I’m sure many of us are grateful for. In the winter, they eat seeds and berries which aid in seed dispersal for spring growth, which I am again sure many of us are grateful for. When foraging for their own nesting, they must find pre-existing cavities which are usually created by woodpeckers. Western Bluebirds compete with swallows and the European Starling for nesting, which I will describe more in a minute. This particular behavior makes it relatively easy to attract them to nest boxes.
Photos on this page —
- Tree swallow perched atop a post. Caption: Tree Swallow.
- Starling standing on a log. Caption: European Starling.
The average clutch is 2-8 eggs, and they can have 1-3 broods per season. I could not find information regarding other species who might prey upon adults, chicks, or eggs, although this would also contribute to describing the bluebird’s niche. Niches aren’t just about what you eat, but also who eats you.
So, why is this important? Well, studying niches is a useful model for ecology research. However, just like how different types of doctors (i.e cardiac, obstetrics, psychiatry, etc.) will have slightly different niches in society, so it is with individual bluebirds within the “Western Bluebird Niche.” It has its limits, but it is also very helpful in identifying competitive holes.
Competitive (or cooperative if you ask me) niches keep ecosystems balanced. Invasive species become nuisances by hijacking this system. Before English Ivy made its way to the Americas, the only major plant species growing on trees was moss. In its new niche, without a natural predator consuming it, English Ivy took over. It chokes trees, kills native plants, and ends up starving animals by decreasing food supplies… it’s ugly.
The European Starling (told you we’d get back there) is a classic example of an invasive species. Starlings are more aggressive than Western Bluebirds, and they entered an ecosystem without their natural niche competition/cooperation. As a result, they have squeezed bluebirds out of their nesting niche which has caused bluebirds to find habitat elsewhere. Away from here.
This brings us back to why we are trying to reestablish the Western Bluebird population in our area. They have been squeezed out of their niche, but with some nesting support, we’re hoping the the bluebirds will come home.
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