An Invitation to Bluebirds
Photography by Lauren di Matteo courtesy of Sage Hill Ranch Gardens.
Photography by Photo by claudia lam on Unsplash.
Photography by Lauren di Matteo courtesy of Sage Hill Ranch Gardens.
Photography by Lauren di Matteo courtesy of Sage Hill Ranch Gardens.
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Bet you didn’t know you can tell western bluebirds to eat your pests without telling western bluebirds to eat your pests.
That’s what Sage Hill Ranch Gardens founder, owner, and operator Spencer Rudolph is doing. He’s gone all-in on bluebird housing development in order to invite this sparrow-sized species to reside on the first-generation farm that occupies a mere ½ acre in North County San Diego.
Rudolph says, “We want to attract the western bluebird because they are extremely prolific at hunting insects, especially during the nesting months.”
Sage Hill Ranch Gardens is a no-till regenerative micro-farm, so attracting beneficial birds to set up residence on the farm makes for a perfect natural solution. “This is one of our approaches to keeping our pests at bay,” says Rudolph. “Since we don’t use any types of pesticide, we are also creating a food source for the bird, which in turn keeps the birds around because of the food source.”
What kinds of pests will bluebirds help mitigate, you ask. Rudolph says, “The insects they eat are generally grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, wasps, and pillbugs.”
That’s basically a list of almost all the bugs we don’t want lurking around garden beds. If bluebirds as a solution sounds too cute to be true, consider the progress at Sage Hill Ranch Gardens. According to Rudolph, “we have 12 bluebird houses set up around the farm. This last season we had a noticeable change with our moth and caterpillar pressure, and have decided to build another 10. Since erecting two seasons ago, we now have residential western bluebirds. They bring flocks of hundreds of other allied species of birds with them, it’s quite the sight to see in the early morning and evening when they are the most active in feeding.”
Want to know how you can support more bluebird housing development at this sustainable farm? Shop Sage Hill Ranch Garden’s online store or buy direct from the farm stand and take a tour every Saturday from 9am to 1pm. You can also find their produce at restaurants around town like Addison Del Mar, Juniper & Ivy, Mister A’s, and Campfire.
For more information about local bluebird conservancy, check out the California Bluebird Recovery Program.
Maria Hesse
Maria Hesse is the executive editor and designer of Edible San Diego. Her interest in functional arts led to a degree in interior design, which inspires her passion to be an advocate for sustainable living through food. She enjoys balcony gardening and designing crochet patterns in her downtime. Find her on Instagram @mariafromediblesd.
