Since today is Mother’s Day, I wanted to tell the story of this super mom Eastern Bluebird and all she has accomplished since the end of March.
Super female Eastern Bluebird – Canon R7, handheld, f11, 1/800, ISO 800, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
At the end of March, this female bluebird was adding nesting material to the box. Soon after she laid her eggs, something happened and the male of the pair disappeared.
The female Eastern Bluebird seemed undaunted. She incubated the eggs all by herself and only took short breaks during the day to find food, since there wasn’t a male to feed her.
When the chicks hatched, this determined mom brooded and fed them alone. For eighteen days, she brought food to her chicks without help. She flew in and out frequently with meals, and after a few days, she also carried out poop sacks.
I don’t know how many trips a day she made, but she seemed to take it all in stride. It was impressive. I admired her for everything she did for her young as a single mom.
The three chicks fledged after eighteen days in the nest box. As of yesterday, she was still feeding them on her own. All three have made it so far.
All on her own.
Eastern Bluebird chick on the edge of a birdbath – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/400, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
This is one of her three chicks that came into the birdbath for a drink of water yesterday. How freaking cute are baby bluebirds?
Eastern Bluebirds do make me think of my mom. They were among her favorite birds, and she always made sure they were fed, especially when they were nesting. It’s kind of bittersweet that I’m able to take so many Eastern Bluebird photos now, and mom is no longer with us.
Two years ago, I was getting ready to fly home to Virginia on this date to help my mom transition to hospice care, clean out her apartment, and help her until her final day.
My mom was kind of a super mom too. My dad, her husband, died when I was not quite four years old. My brother wasn’t even a year old, and my sister was seven. She had to go on, raising us without her mate.
Even when she remarried, we were still her responsibility, and she spent a good deal of time as a single mother too because the man she married spent a good bit of time away in the military.
And guess what? When I became a mom to my two sons, I was also a military wife, and raising my sons was spent pretty much on my own too. Which, with hindsight, was probably best for my sons and me.
Let’s face it, motherhood isn’t for the faint of heart. Whether you’ve got wings or a minivan, the job comes with messes, noise, and absolutely no instruction manual.
But super moms? They roll with it. They hustle, they adapt, they do what needs doing—sometimes solo, sometimes winging it (literally).
So here’s to the ones who keep it all together with grit, grace, and maybe just a little caffeine.
Happy Mother’s Day to every kind of super mom out there!
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Eastern Bluebird photos plus facts and information about this species.
Note: When I moved my site something happened with my upload folder for March of 2024 that caused some of the images to be missing or broken. I am working on repairing that issue. The missing or broken images affects posts, my galleries, and some pages. I have over 800 photos to replace that are older than that month, it will take some time. Thanks for bearing with me.
Wonderful story about Super Mom’s getting the job done. Terrific oics to go along with it. A belated Happy Mother’s day to you Mia. Thanks for hanging in there at every level.
Super moms are essential, and so are super dads. Thank goodness both show up at least some of the time when absolutely necessary. Your shot of “Eastern Bluebird chick on the edge of a birdbath” will remain one of my favourite shots of all time – thank you!
Happy Mother’s Day. There are many super mothers out there – across a whole range of species.
Happy Mother’s Day Mia. Moms are resourceful and tough. My Grandmother was an amazing person. She was widowed barley into her second year of marriage, while 4 months pregnant with her first marriage and living in Egypt. Her husband worked at the American Consulate. Widowed with a 10 and three year old with her second marriage in the middle of France during WWII with the Germans moving into France to occupy. She made it to America with two children and an overnight bag. She worked as a nurse, then as a teacher at a NY college for nursing. She became the Dean of Nurses at the U of U, first woman Dean, where she built their program from scratch all while raising two children to adulthood. She purchased a house when women were not given loans for homes. She was always planning and continued to travel the world. Whenever I feel overwhelmed I think of my grandmother and her brilliant survival and accomplishments. She would never sit and feel sorry for her situation, she would be planning her next goal.
Wishing you, your bluebird friend, and all the moms a love-filled Mother’s Day. 💐
Love the pictures of the fledglings and your observation on moms. So it is and always has been.
Your photos and commentary bring me so much joy. I look forward to them every day. Thanks for your Mothers Day story today.