The Eastern Bluebird isn’t a rare bird or a particularly hard one to find, but up until about a month ago I had never seen one.
I drove almost 2 hours to a preserve in Hillsborough County to see my first one. Little did I realize there was a family of Eastern Bluebirds about 15 minutes from my house at the UCF Arboretum. D’oh!
It was only about a week after I saw my first Bluebird miles from Orlando that I spotted one at UCF. It was a male, resplendent in his royal blue plumage. He was pretty far away, but I decided to be sure to watch for him and others whenever I visited the Arboretum.
A trip or so later, I came a cross a female Eastern Bluebird at UCF. While not as colorful as the males, the females are pretty birds with an orange chest that’s an easy reminder why this bird is part of the Robin family.
Then on Father’s Day, of all days, I spotted a baby Bluebird and its Dad.
I had a fleeting glimpse of the baby streaking by as it ducked into an area heavy with palmetto. Then Dad came along, and the pair decided to fly up to nearby branch together, allowing me to get some photos.
Even as I was leaving the Arboretum, I came across another male Bluebird, this time without any offspring.
I love the royal blue and burnt orange colors these birds display. They’re really worth keeping an eye out for whether they’re male, female or juvenile.
And, as I found out, they may be closer to you than you think.
