Eastern Bluebird

Mass Audubon's Ashumet Holly Wildlife Sanctuary in East Falmouth near Rt. 151 is well known for its 65 varieties of holly trees planted throughout the sanctuary and rare wildflowers that bloom in late summer. You’ll find a flurry of activity near the small barn in August with resident barn swallows and colorful bluebirds. The Eastern Bluebirds can be found around the many nest boxes on the western side of the sanctuary.  Bluebirds are known for singing a melodious series of soft whistled notes.

The bluebird is a very popular and beloved sight on Cape Cod.  This brightly colored bird with its vibrant blue and chestnut colored body is most frequently seen in open woodlands, meadows, and grassy fields.  They often make their nests in man-made nesting boxes and natural tree cavities.  A hundred years ago when the Cape was covered with farm fields, bluebirds had plenty of habitat, but those meadows were erased with the return of forests.  Thanks to many local efforts, bluebirds are returning to Cape Cod with a growing number of bluebird trails with a series of nest boxes mounted on fence posts.

The Cape Cod Bird Club (CCBC) has volunteers that monitor eastern bluebird nestbox trails in four locations on the Cape. Their monitoring does help the bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting species succeed.  CCBC monitors nestbox trails at Crowes Pasture in East Dennis (14 boxes), and at Thompson’s Field (24 boxes), Bank Street Bogs (44 boxes) and Texeira Field (8 boxes) in Harwich, amounting to more than 80 boxes in total!  All sites are also being surveyed for bird and other animal species, as well as plants.  The Harwich Conservation Trust and CCBC have combined to create a bluebird trail in Harwich at the Bank Street Bogs which features 44 nest boxes on 60 acres of conservation land just south of Route 39. 

Enjoy,

Craig Gibson
Woods Hole