Western bluebirds - an unexpected find.

 

Yesterday I had an opportunity to photograph western meadowlarks (see my blog on it here).  So, camera in hand, I ventured up the Okanagan Valley slope and found what I was after.  As I was heading home, a flash of blue caught my eye.  

Western bluebirds!  And a pile of them too.  The area was obviously popular with the species; the numerous nest boxes donning the fence posts (see image below) must be attracting them.  I photographed them from the comfort of my truck.  I had walked along the roadway for a stretch, but I found that both species of birds were more comfortable with me ensconced inside my chariot of steel.  And so I drove along a bit with open windows, stopped, and took a few photos.  I did this several times as there was little traffic on the road.

Female western bluebird by a nest box west of Kelowna

I witnessed some territorial behaviour as some of the birds were clashing with each other.  It was an exciting spectacle.  Mostly they were content with sitting on a fence post or the connecting wires.  In order for me to get a decent shot, I had to drive along until my open windows coincided with an unobstructed view of the scene.  The obstructions, of course, were the physical presence of glass and metal from the truck's interior.   Had I stayed longer, I could have gotten some impressive images.

That's one of the great thing about being out and about in nature.  There's what you expect to find, and then there are the surprises that await you.  It was a memorable trip.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com