In the photo above you probably wonder why newspapers are stuck in the entrances to this birdhouse. No, the birds are not subscribing to the local paper. There is a definite reason to block up the entrances according to Mr. Lamb.
Mr Lamb has lived in his area of Madison county, Kentucky all seventy-seven years of his life. He is a walking encyclopedia of its cultural history.
He also has a great appreciation for the wildlife that visits his property. He especially like birds and squirrels. Among the many different kinds of birds that visit near his home are lovely bluebirds.
The above birdhouse is reserved for nesting bluebirds. The newspaper inserts act as barriers to other birds looking for a place to nest. When Mr. Lamb determines that the bluebirds are ready to nest he pulls out the inserts and lets the bluebirds take over. This all happens sometime around May he says. He should know as he has been an active bird watcher for years.
I bet there's a wonderful wealth of knowledge in Mr. Lamb. I'd very much enjoy a talk with him!
ReplyDeleteMamabug -- You would enjoy this Kentucky man that can tell you everything you want to know about the land and the people that he knows. I have another post or two that I will be putting on about the world of Mr Lamb. thanks -- barbara
DeleteI wonder if the bird watching gentleman has noticed changes in the birds' habits of late. Around here people are talking about the robins becoming not only larger than in the past but suddenly beginning to peck on houses, sometimes windows but not always, almost in a woodpecker sort of way. Seems Nature is adjusting to something and keen nature watchers surely must have much to tell us.
ReplyDeleteI will ask him next time I have a sit-down on his sittin porch. Many years ago I had a robin that tapped many times a day on one of my bedroom windows. I did a bit of research and found out it is a territorial thing. The robin was seeing a threat to his territory in the window -- but it was really "himself" he was seeing. I don't recall pecking on the house. Perhaps your neighbors could check to see if the bird is pecking near a window -- he might be trying to protect the area around the reflected "intruder" in the window.
Delete-- thanks -- barbara
What a great idea. We don't have bluebirds because we are in the woods. BTW...I loved your Katrina post.
ReplyDeleteNCmountainwoman -- So bluebirds don't hang around woods? Didn't realize that. Mr Lamb has trees but I would not consider it woods. He also has a stream that seems to attract the bluebirds but I don't know if all bluebirds are drawn to hanging around water? I believe that bird behavior is interesting in addition to identifying the species. -- thanks -- barbara
DeleteI've never seen a bluebird. One of these days I want to take a road trip around my own country; there are many parts of it I don't really know all that well.
ReplyDeleteWe have a cardinal around here that pecks at its image in the car mirror. All our birds are introduced species, because avian malaria killed off all the native species in Hawaii. Above 4,000 feet, up our big mountains, some of the species hang on.
Whenever I go to the Mainland I spend a lot of time spying on the crows and gulls that most people ignore, because I'm fascinated at the way they cope with us humans in their habitat.
Hattie-- You mention crows. When I lived in Oregon I used to watch the crows take a nut in their beak,fly high in the air and drop it on the cement road to crack it open. If it didn't crack open the first time he or she would continue to take it high and drop it until it cracked. It knew that it had to be dropped on a hard surface rather than the soft ground. After that I was hooked on crows.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to a TED talk of 10 minutes on crows. They are facinating and very intelligent. http://www.ted.com/talks/joshua_klein_on_the_intelligence_of_crows.html
thanks for the comment -- barbara
I figured that was the reason. Bluebirds are quite cool to watch.
ReplyDeleteYou sounds like quite a blue bird fan -- barbara
DeleteThat was a new one to me! I imagined it was the bird's spam-filter :-)
ReplyDeleteRuneE -- Well -- I'm sure if birds were as crazy as us over computers they would certainly have a spam filter. thanks for the laugh-- barbara
DeleteI see you have put another very nice antique quilt on your header -- I liked the one with circles very much and I like this log cabin one very much too. I don't even have to read your posts -- though I always do with pleasure -- I can just look at your wonderful photos.
ReplyDelete