Eagle outdoors columnist Jay E. Hewitt relished the chance to observe bluebirds in the nesting box he placed in his yard.

You can imagine my excitement when I found a pair of eastern bluebirds scouting the nesting box in my front yard.

Over the years, I had moved the box as I tried to find the perfect location for the birds, but until now I was never successful.

With a little professional guidance from one of the Butler County bluebird coordinators (you know how fathers-in-law like to tell you stuff), I was able to get the birds to choose our box.

Since then, we've watched the progress of the nesting pair and their five beautiful blue eggs. Our bird box has a side door that you can open to monitor the hatching progress without major disturbances.

Before too long, we had baby birds, and, as I write this article, I am checking on them to see if they are fully feathered and fledged from the nest.

Eureka! The birds are out of the nesting box and testing out their wings as the parents teach them the bug catching business.

The neat thing is that the bluebirds likely will start a second brooding effort and the whole family will help out. I just hope I'm lucky enough to witness it again.

Don't wait years to learn the do's and don'ts of successful bluebird nest sites. Learn from the experts and gain a greater understanding of these nest cavity birds and what they need to have a healthy chance of raising their young.

In fact, anyone interested in learning about bluebirds can attend Moraine State Park's bluebird program at 2 p.m. June 20 at Shelter No. 7 at the McDanel's Launch Area off Route 422 West.

Join Kelly Klasnick, the park's environmental education specialist, and Darrell Daubenspeck and Harry Schmeider, who are with of the Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania.

Schmeider, the ambassador for the bluebirds, will provide a presentation titled "The Fledgling Experience."

There also will be discussion of the three bluebirds that are native to North America and their territories to help people understand why the birds need our assistance to survive.

The experts also will discuss the birds' history, courtship, selection of nesting sites, egg laying, incubation and the growth through fledging process. There will be a look at different nest box designs and what is needed to attract the birds to your backyard.

Discover their food sources and predators with a first-hand look at problems caused by house sparrows, starlings, cats and the blow fly.

Tips will be provided on how to prevent and solve problems, and a display of a nesting box mounted on a pole with the use of predator guards will be shown.

Klasnick will guide a short walk to a nearby bluebird box and allow visitors to see first hand the nesting experience. A special guest appearance will be made by the Meal Worm Lady as she demonstrates how to raise meal worms for bluebirds, as well as tasty bait for trout and pan fishing)

If you are a photographer, bring your favorite bluebird photo that you have personally taken and enter it into the photo contest. The ambassador for the bluebirds will pick three entries, which will receive prizes following the program.

The first prize is a private tour of McConnells Mill State Park, second prize is a bluebird nest box kit and the third prize is the DVD "Bluebirds Inside the Nest Box."

Jay E. Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.