San Juan Islands Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project has announced a nesting contest to welcome the bluebirds back to the islands. The contest will acknowledge the first member of the island community to have a Western bluebird nest on their property in either a nest box or a natural cavity.

The winner of the contest will win a cedar bluebird nest box and a Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project hat.

Organizers say that 2009 may be the best year ever for spotting Western bluebirds. In 2008, more than two dozen juvenile birds were hatched on San Juan Island alone. This makes the likelihood of birds returning from wintering grounds and nesting in the islands good. Several sightings on San Juan and Orcas Islands have already been reported.

The brightly colored birds will gravitate toward fields and meadows and in Garry oak habitat throughout the islands. A complete identification guide is available at www.sjpt.org. Many of the birds will be wearing colored leg bands, making them distinguishable from other local songbirds.

Sightings and nesting observations may be reported to Kathleen Foley of the San Juan Preservation Trust at 378-2461, Barb Jensen of San Juan Islands Audubon at 378-3068 or by calling the “bluebird hotline” at 298-2822.

The San Juan Islands Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project is a partnership of the San Juan Preservation Trust, the San Juan Islands Audubon Society, the American Bird Conservancy, and the Ecostudies Institute. The project’s primary goal is to reestablish a breeding population of Western bluebirds. The native songbird, which once bred in the San Juans, has been absent from the islands for more than 40 years.