Female Mountain Bluebird perched on a Swiss Army knife
On April 29, 2020 I photographed nesting Mountain Bluebirds and shared some of the photos here on my blog but there were a few images that I wanted to share here later. Today is that day.
I was watching the female Mountain Bluebird as she gathered nesting materials and spent some time chasing away the House Wren that seem determined to take over her nesting cavity. I saw the female fly into the aspens where she was in the shadows and trained my lens on her. Imagine my surprise when through my viewfinder I could see that the female Mountain Bluebird had landed on a Swiss Army knife that was stuck into the bark of one of the trees. Even though she and the knife were in the shadows I took photos of her perched on the handle of the knife.
That’s one bad a$$ mama bluebird. And you thought murder hornets were bad? That determined House Wren should have been shaking in their teeny, tiny boots!
Swiss Army pocket knife stuck in an Aspen
I also took a few photos of the knife after the female bluebird flew away. I wonder how many photos of Mountain Bluebirds perched on Swiss Army knives there are in the world?
Swiss Army pocket knife after cleaning it up
Yesterday I was in the same area and I walked over to the aspens and retrieved the Swiss Army knife, I’d forgotten to do that on my previous trip to that location. It shouldn’t have been left stuck in the tree where a child could have gotten it. It shouldn’t have been used to carve initials into a tree. I brought it home and cleaned it up and it will replace my old Swiss Army knife since the plastic cover on it was broke and had fallen off.
Aspen carving – Reuben and Jessicca
In the nearby forest yesterday I photographed this carving that either Reuben or Jessicca had carved into an aspen in 1999. I am totally against people doing this to trees. These carvings open up the protective back which allows insects and diseases to enter and that can kill the trees. Don’t do it. Just don’t. We need trees.
By the way, I don’t believe this is the same knife used to carve Reuben and Jessicca’s initials. The knife is in too good a shape to have been there for 21 years.
I am glad that not one of my teen-aged boyfriends ever did this to a tree “for” me, I guess they all knew, even way back then, that I was a tree and nature lover.
Life is good. Stay safe and watch for Mama Bluebirds with knives.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Mountain Bluebird photos plus facts and information about this species.
Wonderful photo and story! It would be interesting if the owner of the knife came forward and told us all the back story about it.
Glad no bird got cut landing on the blade of that knife…I’d like to carve my initials into the backsides of the person/people who carve theirs into trees…👍
My concern was for the tree and the critters (thank you for removing the knife). Like Marty, children getting to the knife dids’t occur to me – which shows where my priorities life.
Stay safe, stay well.
Yep, that’s one bad-a$$ mama! 🙂 Glad you took the pocketknife out of the tree. When I saw the first shot, my initial concern was that an animal would somehow injure itself with the blade — never thought about the potential for kids finding it. (Yet another reason it’s probably good that I retired from teaching last year. 🤣😇)
What a find! Probably someone found it and put it in the tree for an owner to refind. I have had a couple fall off my key chain through the years.
Great story, Mia.
Tom
One in a million chance of ever seeing the female Mountain Bluebird (or any bird) sitting on a Swiss Army knife . What a capture. I am actually surprised that the knife was still in the tree 21 years later.
Liz, I should have mentioned that I don’t believe this is the same knife used to carve Reuben and Jessicca’s initials. The knife is in too good a shape to have been there 21 years later!