When we first moved to Illinois, one of our closest preserves was the Reed Turner Woodland in Long Grove. Small but diverse, this woodland is comprised of multiple ecosystems and the perfect place to take young children wanting to explore nature. It has become one of our favorite places to explore throughout the seasons and every time we see a new sign of life, we feel so exhilarated! This happened in Fall last year when we were finishing up a hike. We were getting ready to leave until we saw our first pair of Eastern Bluebirds. We were so excited to see them and lingered a little longer in order to watch their beautiful colors, behavior and to see what they were doing.
We haven’t seen any around us since. But you bet that we will be back at Reed Turner Woodland in the Fall. Birds, like us, are creatures of habit and love return to the same place. This very fact makes the Old Orchard and Peter Rabbit’s conversations with Jenny Wren and the other birds such a joy to listen in on.
Winsome is the Eastern Bluebird in “The Burgess Bird Book.” Peter is so surprised to find out that Winsome and our next bird Welcome Robin are cousins, remarking that while they may they be Thrushes, they don’t look very much alike. Peter is invited to see Winsome and his wife’s nest, placed brilliantly inside a fence post. They are great birds to attract into your yard by putting up a nest box, but they do prefer open spaces.
You have to admit seeing the sky-blue coat of a bluebird is a sweet thing. I can’t wait to see another.
Here is what we found using our resources about Winsome:
To find out more about our Coloring and Writing Pages:
Until next time, keep birding! <3 Kate
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What a beautiful description of the woods near you. Let us know if you see more blue birds.
Kathye Triantafillou
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I will keep you posted!