Bluebirds egg on spring

A glorious, blue egg appeared on this first day of spring in a bluebird nest on the quadrangle of Emory's Oxford Campus. The proud parents are busily flitting about amid the oaks and ornamental pear trees. "They just finished building their nest," says Oxford biologist Eloise Carter, who installed a wooden bluebird box just outside of her office. Last year, two clutches of birds were raised in the little box.

If you want to attract bluebirds to your yard, Carter recommends buying a special bluebird house for them, with the right sized opening. "It's best to put the house up in February, because then the bluebirds have time to shop around for a home, but you probably still have time to attract some this season," she says.

Add water and a feeding station. "They especially love mealworms," Carter says. "The birds will see, 'What a great neighborhood, it's got food and it's safe,' and they'll move in."