My eyeballs fell out of their sockets when I saw a dozen bluebirds drinking from my heated birdbath. In Iowa! In the middle of winter. Bluebirds by the dozen. Warmed me right up, starting the day like that.
While most bluebirds go south in fall, some remain in Iowa. A lucky searcher will find them quietly going about their business in the woods. Year around, they eat spiders, crickets, and other small creatures that they find on the ground under trees. In winter they also eat a lot of wild fruits and berries, such as wild cherry, pokeberry, and red cedar berries.
Diane Porter’s website, Birdwatching.com, is for everyone interested in watching wild birds and enjoying nature.