I gots no bluebirds or bluebird houses. But I did spot one this
afternoon sitting on top of a fence post singing for all he was worth.
Pretty little feller. Hope he can find a 'hoe bluebird to shack up with
somewhere.

The thing about bluebird houses, they gots to be a long way from
anything. They want open space all around with no bushes, ground cover,
etc which might conceal oozles and other bad things.

Down at Son's golf course, the Greens Superintendent put out 36 bluebird
boxes last year. Scattered all around the periphery of the golf course
with a couple out in the middle in open, no-traffic areas. Had about a
dozen occupants the first year.

Seems he said that 27 of the boxes were occupied this year by bluebirds.
You don't even wanna know what he does to the sparrow nests he finds in
"his" bluebird houses.  It ain't pretty and shouldn't even be discussed
in civilized company.

Also last year, down by #6 teebox by the lake, he put up a tall pole
with a crossarm on top with a purple martin house on both ends of the
arm. Rooms for 24 pairs. Nobody showed up. I told him then that he
warn't going to have any tenants because he left the houses natural wood
color. The house by #13 tee was white and was full.

Over the winter, he painted both of the new ones white and, this year,
both houses are full of martins.

But. . . up here where I am. . .  we're dealing with damn, dumb Yankee
birds. They're prolly looking for a ghetto to call home. Or maybe, The
Hood. Maybe I need to put a couple of cars up on blocks to attract them.

Anybody ever seen green-headed mallards perched up on the top of the
roof of the house? I had four the other afternoon sitting up there. Have
no idea why they decided to sit up there but I 'spose that it says
something about the intelligence of these birds up heah.

    Reg