The Bluebird Society's Ramona Dixon is hurt. She remembers standing over one of the crushed boxes. The two bluebirds that had built a nest in the box were nearby. Trust of humans is one of the traits that make bluebirds so vulnerable, and so captivating. When the birds are nesting, they are not deterred by curious humans, so we can watch the fascinating process up close and enjoy an unusual connection with the birds.
Many birders monitor bluebird box trails, checking the boxes regularly and logging the results.
Bluebirds need nesting help from humans because we've destroyed many of their natural nesting areas by cutting old trees and replacing wooden fences with steel fences. Members of the Roanoke Valley Bird Club and the Roanoke chapter of the Virginia Bluebird Society maintain more than 50 bluebird boxes on the Parkway and at Hanging Rock golf course. Thanks to generous donations to their Adopt a Bluebird program, the birders have been able to keep adding boxes. Until now, theft of boxes was the only problem the birders faced. Quinn, Dixon and the other birders have replaced two of the three boxes.