How about a happy ending? Let's talk about bluebirds

By Rob Roy

Purists despise pragmatic environmentalism.  I love it!

[early history of bluebirding]

http://audubon-omaha.org/bbbox/history2.htm

Larry Zeleny worked with T.E. Musselman and W.G Duncan to compile this along with his own contacts these were ALL of the really early and well known bluebirders up until the late 60`s early 70`s that these men were in contact with. [snip]

Human concern for bluebird populations has been alerted since it became obvious that bluebirds were gradually disappearing. [snip]

The sparrows would break the bluebird eggs, kill the nestlings, and often kill the adult bluebirds which were attempting to defend their nests. [snip]

My own concern with the plight of the bluebird began in 1918 when I found that without constant vigilance and interference on my part House Sparrows nearly always evicted bluebirds from the nesting boxes I had built for them. I wondered how bluebirds could possibly survive as a species without human help. [snip]

Thomas E. Musselman of Quincy, Illinois, is generally credited with being the originator of a bluebird conservation movement of more than local importance. Likewise he originated the concept of the "bluebird trail" as well as the name itself. He began making and experimenting with nesting boxes of his own design in 1926 and several years later established a bluebird trail along country roads in Adams County, Illinois. [snip]

Unfortunately interest in maintaining this mammoth project soon waned, probably because of lack of strong central leadership. [snip]

William L. Highhouse of Warren, Pennsylvania, has maintained an active bluebird project know as "Operation Bluebird" in Warren County, Pennsylvania, since 1957. By 1974 ... [the rest is history]

written by:
Dr. Lawrence Zeleny, Founder
North American Bluebird Society

March 11, 1984

----

Bless these champions!

 

Custom Search

Continue your learning experience with Google Search

---

Be interviewed today on one of the most popular radio programs in the nation.
Comment on this story, by emailing Judyth Piazza at comment@thesop.org  or join the SOP friend network with your Google, Yahoo, AOL, MSN or one ID account located on the front page of http://www.thesop.org