By Ray Pope

I am in hopes that none of you had lost any tomato plants on Saturday night due to frost in these low lying areas spoken about by News Channel 5's own Charlie Neese. Maybe it will warm up later this week so I can get mine in the ground.

Saturday, April 17, was a big day for my first Bluebird occupant as she laid her first blue egg. I checked the next day and found she had laid her second egg and since it was a little cooler she covered them with a small layer of grass to keep them warm.

By Ray Pope

I am in hopes that none of you had lost any tomato plants on Saturday night due to frost in these low lying areas spoken about by News Channel 5's own Charlie Neese. Maybe it will warm up later this week so I can get mine in the ground.

Saturday, April 17, was a big day for my first Bluebird occupant as she laid her first blue egg. I checked the next day and found she had laid her second egg and since it was a little cooler she covered them with a small layer of grass to keep them warm. She will probably wait till all the eggs have been laid before she sets the clutch. That will ensure that they all will hatch during one day instead of one each day. I guess you might say that I will be a Bluebird grandfather. That sounds fine with me.

Purple Martins have been flying all around the large hay field behind the house, but they didn't seem to find my Martin house. I will not be discouraged as I have more patience than most doctors. Maybe next year. I believe my editor Sam Hatcher knows that I can twist the English language into awful contortions such as my play on the word patience or patient. I'm almost as bad as John Lennon was on some of his word play. I can't be to picky, Sam is a great friend who lets me have free run on most anything I care to write about as long as it’s in good taste.
 
Many of the pictures that run with my articles are mostly in black and white in The Wilson Post. Any one that would desire a color copy should shoot me an e-mail and I can send you a color version of the same. I am hoping Sam will let me run a color story when I write about Woodpeckers. Many people confuse the Red-bellied with the Red-headed Woodpeckers as both have red on the head. Once you see the difference, you'll never call them by the wrong name.
 
This past Sunday, Wanda Walker and Dottie Kim stopped by for a sit in the back yard kind of adventure. Any time Dotty sees a starling land in the birdbath she starts clapping her hands trying to spook the undesirable bird into leaving. People in the next yard must think she has some kind of problem since there was no music playing.
 
Speaking about people in the next yard, I'd like to wish my little buddy Andrew Boyd a very happy second birthday. It was party central there as I was invited to have a hamburger with them, but I had just returned from a buffet at Peking’s Chinese Restaurant and couldn't eat another bite. I should have asked for a rain check.
 
Some of my feeder birds are the Red-wing Blackbird. I wonder where all the female Red-wings are hiding themselves. All I have ever seen is the pretty male with the bright red epaulets on the wings which give them that name. When Dotty and I take a seat under the shade trees that line the backyard, we watch as the Red-wings fly directly over us with wings ablaze in color.
 
Wanda Johnson called about a problem Robin that keeps messing with her window. This is the worst time of the year when raging hormones really stir up the desire to fight anything which looks like it could be a rival. You can remove the mirror effect by placing white paper or material behind a plate glass window or door. It’s when it is dark behind glass that makes it more reflective. Other people have problems with the birds and their automobile mirrors. I don't know what to do there except tie a plastic bag over the mirror. Birds can make such a mess while defending their territories.
 
Anna along with mother Karen Franklin are playing tricks on a couple of bird species in their yard by playing bird calls on their computer. A male Cardinal came quickly trying to locate the up-start male that was calling in his territory. Karen also called in a Tufted Titmouse which answered the call. She took several pictures which she always sends in to me so we can share them with my readers. On the dark side there are a couple of House Sparrows that have taken over one of Karen's Bluebird houses. She plans to evict the sparrows tomorrow. Use the force, Karen.
 
I would love to hear from you as to what’s lurking about in your neighborhood and at your feeders. You can reach me C/O The Wilson Post or call me at 547-7371 or write me at 606 Fairview Ave, Lebanon, TN 37087 or e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it