Presently there are 100 Eastern Bluebird houses in Frontenac State Park. The project began in the 1980's when Harry Roberts was manager of the Park. He set out a few houses and then a Lake City family, Leon, Jolene and Jim Rutz grew the project to over 100. Bluebirds had been in decline throughout the country with loss of habitat due to mowing of ditches and the use of metal fence posts. Bluebirds are cavity dwellers and the wooden fence posts were no longer used. The Bluebird Recovery Program under the auspices of the Audubon Society began to encourage people to provide houses for the birds.
Leon Rutz was a carpenter and active in the Lake City Sportsmen’s Club. It became a project for them, and houses were given to anyone who was interested. Daughter Jolene had a professor at Winona State who had a Bluebird trail. She brought the idea to Harry Roberts and to her father, thus the trail started. Jolene and her brother Jim monitored the houses on a weekly basis and sent in yearly reports to the Bluebird Recovery Program. When she opened a pet store in Lake City, there was less time to do the monitoring. She placed on ad in the Minnesota Volunteer, the DNR quarterly publication. Ed and Ruth Schneider, new to Lake City answered and became bluebird volunteers, gradually taking over the program.
Several styles of houses have been used. The first ones were always made of wood and different shapes. The Peterson house, kind of a triangular shape, was patented in Minnesota. Most recently houses have been made of 4-inch thin wall PVC pipe with a wood roof. These are quite popular due to their low maintenance. Boy Scout troops have also contributed houses.
Presently, there are five trails in Frontenac State Park, two trails on the prairie, one out from the Ranger Station, one up on the Bluff and one on the new property purchased by Parks & Trails Assoc. Trails/bluebird houses are monitored weekly by volunteers and reports sent to the Park Manager. Yearly reports are sent to the Bluebird Assoc. It is important to check the houses to prevent predication by other birds such as wrens and sparrows. Bluebirds may have two clutches if the empty nests are cleaned out in-between. The males return in March to scout for housing. Females return a few weeks later to choose the actual spot. Both help build the nest. Females do most of the incubating, males keep them fed and guard the nest. In 1979, there were virtually few or no bluebird fledglings. In 2016 in Minnesota, there were 17057 fledged. These birds were on the brink of extinction, so it’s hats off to all the volunteers who have made this happen.
Of note, an annual bluebird convention occurs in southern Minnesota each year. All things bluebird can be purchased. Including hats, shirts, houses. Ideas and comradery are exchanged. There are many interesting speakers.