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May 23, 1991 - Enjoying a Bird's-Eye View of BirdsCIO The Suffolk Times • May 23, 1991 Enjoying a BirdysmEye View of Birds By Paul Stoutenburgh It seems this spring has been espe- cially lush — the trees, the lawns, the gardens all drip with greenery. Along with this splendor of new growth I've been getting more and more calls from people who have discovered birds nest- ing nearby. It's hard to imagine a person who, during his lifetime, has not been aware in some way or another of a nesting bird. From childhood to adulthood we've all had our robins nesting in the trees out on the lawn or in a nearby shrub. A good friend of mine a few years back had a pair of barn swallows nest under his front porch roof; because of his concern for them he put up a big sign making the front door off limits to all. This happened year after year. Inconvenient yes, but nevertheless a pleasant experience for him to observe. On another occasion barn swallows were not quite appreciated as much, but with a little maneuvering, accommo- dated. Again, a concerned person wanted to know how she could encourage these rafter builders to move from her garage where they were starting their annual white washing of tools, equipment, cars, etc., to move to a nearby building where they'd be tolerated and enjoyed. I could well understand her predicament. Particularly group nesters like barn swallows can, in a short time, make quite a mess of the new family car. Luckily the birds were convinced to move to the nearby outbuilding before nesting actually took place. Like most of these people, they wanted the swallows around not only for the enjoyment of their flight but also for the good they do when it comes to collecting insects. The little extra effort it took to encourage them to move was well worth the good they did and the pleasure of having them around. Ducks in Window Box One of the oddest calls I received about nesting birds was from a lady some years ago who reported a pair of mallard ducks taking up residence in the flower box just outside her window. I've heard of these easily domesticated ducks building their nests in geranium Focus on Nature pots, flower beds and other areas around the house, but never in a window box where the family was observed throughout incubation right alongside the dinner table. I guess these ducks realized the safety from predators and chose a home close to man. Another nester most have observed is the common house finch, a cheerful sparrow -sized singer with its rich splash of raspberry color, who takes more than his share of the spoils we put out. My son has a pair of these particularly pro- ductive birds nesting under his front porch roof. This is their second brood already, which means she'll probably have another before the summer is over, making a total of 15 young she will have produced. The nest, like my friend's who had the swallows on his front porch, was a concern to them at first. Having two small children and knowing how inter- ested they were in watching the "mommy and daddy" birds my son wanted to make it easy for them to see. It was difficult even when the kids were picked up because the nest was low and somewhat hidden in the eave. So, what he did was attach a small mirror with some thumbtacks to the roof just above the nest. It worked perfectly and, of course, everyone who came in and out, including children in the neighborhood, had a perfect view of young birds in their beginning. By the way, this is the third year he's done this and I assume it is the same persistent parents. They too know of the safety of man's presence. Carolina Chooses Garage I have to tell you about my particular nesting bird that chose our garage for its homesite. It's the noisy but wonderful little Carolina wren. This bird comes to us from down south like the cardinal, mockingbird, tufted titmouse, red - bellied woodpecker and others that have moved north to a more fertile and less competitive world. It's a shy bird Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh CAROLINA WREN —This small brown wren has moved into our area from down South like the cardinal, tufted titmouse, mockingibrd and red - bellied woodpecker. It built its nest on a shelf in a garage paying little heed to man's comings and goings. ' seemingly always on the move, brown and smaller than a sparrow with a rather long pointed bill that enables it to reach in and pick up insects. It's a great addition to our declining bird population. You'd know if you had one in your neighborhood for it's a noisy singer with a repetitive, penetrating call. I saw Great lawn & garden specials are springing up all over. DISTINCTIVE LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND INSTALLATION. SERVING EASTERN LONG ISLAND SINCE 1936. H O M E & G A R D E N North Road and SH ��w'AWPIACE� Ackerly Pond Lane, \✓Y Southold 765 -3600 287 -2080 them exploring around in our garage this spring but thought they were merely chasing down insects. When I reached up to get an oil can from a top shelf, to and behold, I put my hand on a cluster of leaves that proved to be the Carolina's oven -type nest. Further in- vestigation found two eggs just inside the small round opening of the covered nest. From then on we got truly ac- quainted. As time went by the two wrens chat- ted outside the garage more and more telling me their eggs must have hatched. Sure enough, from then on, a continual stream of back - and -forth feeding took place. Nothing deterred them. They worked around our cars going in and out, getting of tools, starting of lawn mowers, etc. They even got to go in without hesitating when I was around and so what better time or place to photograph Mr. and Mrs. Carolina Wren. I didn't even have to hide in a blind. I merely sat in a comfortable chair and after providing them with a convenient stick perch from the nearby woods, I started photographing. She or he would often scold me relentlessly from the roof edge above but never did it stop them from their perpetual feedings. I felt they accepted my intrusion on their private lives, which let me become more familiar with this somewhat secretive little wren. I now have her portrait and hopefully with it she'll become better known and appreciated.