Male bluebird gazes adoringly at his food.

Female bluebird joins him for chow.

I bought some live mealworms. They arrived in a box marked Live Animals. There were 2,000 of them, supposedly – I didn’t count. They are chilling (and dormant) in a plastic container marked WORMS in the refrigerator.

Another plastic container says Suet Dough for Birds. (I just made a fresh batch this morning. It was -1˚ at wake up… the birds need a high-calorie breakfast!)

“You should have a refrigerator that’s just for the birds,” says daughter Anna.

“What a great idea!”

FEED the BlueBIRDS…

2000 Live Mealworms, Reptile, Birds, Chickens, Fish Food (Large)

I put out a small handful of worms when I see the bluebirds around noon or 1 p.m., maybe every other day. But I supply peanuts or suet dough in the domed feeder or on the platform feeder most of the time.

Here is my favorite suet dough recipe (I thawed frozen blueberries and added about 3/4 of cup to today’s batch).

More suet recipes for bluebirds and other birds, from Sialis.org.