A map was made to show the location of each birdhouse so that check-ups could be made during the nesting season.
Wolf Photo
Bird Study
Of course the chief purpose of the project was to attract birds and provide nesting places for them. So two more “birds” fell before our one stone. Weekly hikes, during the spring, gave Scouts a chance to see how successful the housing development was. Every house was checked and the tenants carefully observed. Landlords can’t be too careful these days. We found that we housed more than 400 young birds.
THE EARLY SCOUT GETS THE BIRD
By H. B. Hammill, Jr.
Committeeman, Troop 64,
Williamsville, N.Y.
In the fall too, hikes were necessary, to check on the houses to see how they were standing up, and also to clean them out. Bluebirds won’t use a house that contains the remnants of a last year’s nest. So the houses were all cleaned to be ready for the 1949 season.
Community Service
Of course there is one more “bird” that we haven’t mentioned yet—and probably the most important. This was one of the best community service projects we could try. For bluebirds are insect eating birds, and one family in one season can destroy an unbelievable number of harmful insects. Attracting the birds to orchard country should certainly help to improve the apple crop—at the same time the birds are among the first to arrive in spring and they stay all summer. They are colorful, cheerful birds and their very presence should help to make some people happier—just to see and listen to them.