Bluebirds — testimonials

The bluebird meets the pendulum

It was this past June 29 that we once again welcomed Mr. René Lepage, along with his wife Lise, who for the first time had the chance to admire up close that very beautiful bird, the bluebird. Some fifteen people took part in this gathering, which had been arranged by Mr. Denis Gamache, in the orchards of Saint-Eugène-l'Islet. On a fine sunny Sunday morning, the group watched the pendulum being installed on a few nest boxes already occupied by pairs of bluebirds and their young.

Standing back, people watched the comings and goings of the parents, arriving one after the other with their beaks full of food. The female first paced the roof of the nest box, then made a few attempts to approach the pendulum and try to pass through it. The male, in turn, tried an approach before going back to perch in a nearby apple tree. For long stretches, the parents flew peacefully over their home, food in their beaks, no doubt wondering what this strange object was that had just been fixed to the front of their nest box.

After two hours and ten minutes of patience, the female finally made up her mind. She slipped through the pendulum to rejoin her hungry babies. Through her boldness and her tenacity, the bluebird adapted to the pendulum so completely that this foreign object is now part of her home.

Mission accomplished for this inventor! For us, this invention has become essential to saving future broods. This discovery will no doubt spark the enthusiasm of amateur birders. We wish to thank Mr. Lepage for his dedication and his passion for tree swallows. Thanks to his knowledge and his ingenuity, our friend the bluebird can now share the orchard peacefully with the swallows in our beautiful corner of the country. Sincere thanks to Mr. Gamache for his generosity and for always being there for us; with him, we want to carry on our work by offering shelter to these songbirds and to keep marvelling at this fascinating world of winged wildlife.

Raynald Bourgault, St-Adalbert

For further information

Hironbec

RAYNALD BOURGAULT

9 RUE GAUVIN

ST-ADALBERT, Qc

G0R 2M0