For 17 years Lawrence Jernigan has anticipated the arrival of beautiful guests that stay for a season in the spring then fly away with their newly-born young. The bluebirds bide their time in nestboxes Jernigan has built and maintained in the Tool and Seven Points area. At one time he monitored almost 100 nestboxes in the area of Arnold Hills Road and Hills Road between Highway 274 and East Cedar Creek Parkway. Jernigan said he developed an appreciation for nature and wildlife on family vacations to national parks in the 1960s. He and his wife enjoyed bird-watching on the hiking trails and attracting hummingbirds with a feeder at their campsite. After he retired his sister-in-law, who was president of the North American Bluebird Society and active in the Oklahoma Bluebird Society convinced him to get involved in the recovery of bluebirds. "She gave me some literature and my first nestbox, and I got started," Jernigan said. "I enjoy woodworking and began making more and more boxes. My trail grew larger and larger, and I had nearly 100 boxes in 2000." Over the years he has kept detailed information about the number of bluebird eggs laid and hatched. Since 1995 he has recorded 3,534 fledglings leaving his nestboxes. Now, Jernigan would like to turn the task over to someone younger who can carry on the tradition. The boxes can be maintained where they are, or they can be moved. "Bluebirds are beautiful," Jernigan said. "A lot of natural habitat for cavity nesting birds is lost when land is cleared for housing and other development. It is important to replace the lost habitat with nestboxes so bluebirds can find a place to nest as they migrate through the area." The work is minimal. The boxes need to be checked every seven to 10 days during nesting season, which runs from March through mid-June. The birds quit laying eggs when it gets hot. In early March he visits the boxes, cleaning them out for the arrival of new guests. Every week or so he visits the nests to remove any non-bluebird nesting material, such as that of sparrows. If bluebird eggs are present, the incubation period is about two weeks. The chicks fledge in about another two to three weeks. When the bluebirds leave, he removes the nest to make way for another group arriving to set up house. Anyone interested in taking over the bluebird nesting operation should contact his daughter, Pam Jernigan 214-951-8442 [email protected] For information about bluebirds see, http://texasbluebirdsociety.org/ http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/ sialis.org/