Mountain Bluebird - Colored Pencil Drawing

"Mountain Bluebird" Colored Pencil

One of the first songbirds to return to our alpine meadows each spring, the mountain bluebird is a fleck of dazzling color in the drab March landscape. Watching from a tree stump at the edge of an open woodland, sharp black eyes scour the short grasses for insects and spiders. This sit-and-wait technique is called drop-hunting. Once it pinpoints a meal, the bluebird drops to the ground and captures its prey with its bill. Unlike eastern and western bluebirds that require a perch, mountain bluebirds have developed the ability to hover in mid-air while hunting for food. This allows them to live in areas with sparse trees or shrubs.

Bluebird populations have declined drastically during the last century for several reasons such as urban sprawl, removal of dead trees, vinyl and metal fencing, and the introduction of aggressive European starlings and house sparrows into the U.S. The biggest challenge facing bluebirds is finding a suitable nesting environment. Bluebirds are secondary cavity nesters, which means they are unable to create their own cavities for residency. They prefer to move into abandoned woodpecker nests but the loss of habitat has created intense competition for these prime dwelling spaces.

Bluebirds are most vocal at dawn when the first morning light permeates our high elevation. Their prodigious singing is legendary. During the excitement of spring, some males have been clocked at 1,000 songs per hour. Their joyful calls are a big reason why bluebirds are considered symbols of happiness and optimism. Despite the ongoing struggle to find a safe place to raise their young, the future for mountain bluebirds appears bright but their success depends on our continued support.

Recently, mountain bluebirds have made an incredible comeback. Their numbers have increased mostly because of the generous efforts of landowners in the western states to provide the birds with nest boxes. The simple wooden structures that have become so popluar in parks and backyards. Mountain bluebirds may become attached to one of these artificial birdhouses, especially if they have successfully raised hatchlings. They might even return to the same box year after year. There really is no place like home.

Comments

  1. They are so pretty - I NEVER see bluebirds at home, but at the end of last summer, I did see a couple of bluebirds on the bike path. Of course as soon as they see approaching bikers and walkers, they fly off - I'm hoping maybe I'll be able to snap a couple of photos this year if they come back!

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    1. We see them in the meadows here. They always seem to be very busy so it's difficult for me to get good photos of them as well.

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  2. I love bluebirds! Actually all birds that are blue. I appreciate you telling us about the special needs that bluebirds have to survive. We all need to know how to do our part to protect these beautiful birds. Thank you, Dan!

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    1. I enjoy them too. They arrive very early in the spring. They seem to prefer the man-made nest boxes and that's helped their numbers increase.

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  3. A beautiful picture of a beautiful bird!

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    1. Thanks Rinelle, I like drawing birds, especially this one because of the beautiful blue tones.

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  4. Very interesting, beautiful picture too. They are such pretty birds. I remember seeing quite a few years ago in Colorado when we were camping near Meeker Park.

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    1. That doesn't surprise me, I think they've become fairly common in the mountain meadows all across the Front Range.

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  5. Ha, I liked how you closed that. Oz birds. And I love how you write about nature's critters - you dig into nuances I wouldn't think to look up on my own.

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    1. I've been drawing since I was a kid but I like creating these posts because I research the subject and always learn a lot. It seems like all of these creatures always have something unusual about them that captures my attention.

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  6. Love the picture. Nice to hear that they are making a comeback - that there are ways to help them out.

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    1. Thanks Courtney, We see those nest boxes all over out here especially in the open space parks and they're always being used by the birds. The mountain bluebird is fairly common in Evergreen so it must be working.

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