Thanks to our friend Michael for sharing this gorgeous springtime photo of a male Eastern Bluebird with us! We’ve been hearing from many of you that you are seeing bluebirds in your yards and at your feeders, but we are also hearing from others asking how best to attract them.

One of the best and easiest ways to attract bluebirds is by providing their favorite foods in your feeders. In the wild, insects are a primary source of food for bluebirds. Feeding mealworms, either live or dried is an excellent way to tempt them into your yard – we sell both at the store. Mealworms are a healthy, high-fat, high-protein food that bluebirds love. You can feed them on their own or mix dried mealworms in with your seed.

Sunflower chips/hearts (without shells) are a bluebird favorite as are many types of fruits and berries, peanuts out of the shell and suet. At the store we sell sunflower chips and peanuts on their own or in our No Mess blends. Our No Mess Plus blend also has cherries, cranberries and Bark Butter Bits (bite-sized suet nuggets) that will attract bluebirds.

Bark Butter Bits are a high-fat, high-protein food that also contains calcium, which will help nesting bluebirds and other birds develop strong eggshells and baby bones. Bark Butter Bits come packaged on their own or mixed with dried mealworms.

Our new Bluebird Bugberry Blend of food will be available beginning the first week of April. This food, developed with bluebirds in mind, contains Bark Butter Bits, dried mealworms, medium sunflower chips, diced peanuts, diced cranberries, raisins and calcium.

Another way to entice bluebirds to your yard is by putting up a nesting box/birdhouse. Bluebirds are natural cavity nesters, meaning they lay their eggs and raise their young in tree holes – often holes previously excavated by woodpeckers. They will also readily nest in nesting boxes. At the store we have a number of cedar and recycled plastic nesting boxes designed especially with the needs of bluebirds in mind. You can also see them on our website: mywbu.com/sudbury.