A Western Bluebird in flight | Kathy Finholm

The 2024 bluebird season—the eighteenth year of the San Juan Preservation Trust’s Western Bluebird Project—has flown by!

It’s been a bustling bluebird year so far, but thanks to the monitoring visits by our Bluebird Project volunteers, we are able to keep track of our feathered friends. We want to give our volunteers a hearty shoutout because species restoration is long-term work, and none of this would be possible without their dedication and support.

Now, onto the highlights of the 2024 Bluebird Season thus far!

  • The number of  returning adults increased from 14 in 2023 to 18 this spring.
  • The first two nests of the season each produced seven nestlings…Those are big batches of bluebirds!
  • A female bluebird from the Vancouver Island population arrived and bred with a “local” male. It is always good to see this happen, as it increases genetic diversity in the population, and it’s encouraging to see these birds move across their historic range.
  • At least one pair of bluebirds likely “naturally nested” as they were regularly observed through the season, though we couldn’t find them at any nest boxes nearby. Then, lo and behold, they appeared with some unbanded fledglings. Success! Did they find a natural cavity? Possibly!
  • Spring Street Middle School students (based in Friday Harbor) started out the school year learning about bluebirds, then went out to monitor on Zylstra Lake for the remainder of the school year, hopefully sparking interest in the next generation of wildlife enthusiasts.
  • Active and dedicated volunteers continue to provide valuable services—monitoring birds, delivering mealworms, and even house sparrow control!

Spring Street Middle School students tending to a bluebird nest box on San Juan Island | Staff Archive

Many “sparrow spookers” have been deployed this year to help control the unwanted English House Sparrow from encroaching on Western Bluebird habitat | Kathy Finholm

The regional Western bluebird population is still small and vulnerable, but after nearly two decades of reintroduced presence here, we remain hopeful they will continue to return. Sustained support from dedicated volunteers and landowners has kept these birds returning to the islands, and the Bluebird Project would not be possible without them.

On a final note, we invite you to save the date and join us as we celebrate the faithful volunteers and other folks who are committed to the Bluebird Project at SJPT’s annual end-of-season party.

First drink is on us. We hope you can make it!

  • WHAT: Annual Bluebird Project Volunteer Appreciation Gathering
  • WHEN: 6:00pm on Wednesday, September 4, 2024
  • WHERE: The Patio at San Juan Island Brewery (410 A Street, Friday Harbor)
  • For more information and to RSVP, please contact Jack Russillo, SJPT Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator.

Want to join the Western Bluebird Project, or know someone who does? 

We always need volunteers, especially in the early spring when the birds start arriving (usually by late February or early March). We want folks who can help check and clean out nest boxes, and also monitor for bluebirds.

Please contact SJPT Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Jack Russillo (jack@sjpt.org) if you are interested!