CLIFFORD – Most communities have individuals who do something that makes life more interesting and enjoyable for everyone else.
In Clifford, one of these people is Ross Derbecker, whose lifelong love of birds inspired him to build nesting boxes for tree swallows.
A self-taught carpenter, Derbecker has used western red cedar to make Muskoka chairs, other furniture and games – and also hundreds of bird boxes that were sold locally, with dozens generously installed throughout the Minto Trails area near his home.
He has recently retired from his 30-year “retirement” hobby, but Derbecker loves to reminisce about his bird experiences.
Many years ago, when he made his first boxes, he went to the garden to pick strawberries near some newly installed nesting boxes.
Several pairs of birds began swooping and diving at him – some even hit him on the head. Then they went to the boxes, stuck their heads in and flapped their wings, but couldn’t get inside.
When Derbecker checked the hole size, he realized the holes were slightly smaller than the ideal 1.5-inch diameter.
After fixing the problem, he returned to the garden only to find the swallows on the other side diving at him as well.
So, he obliged them by adjusting their entrance holes too, and everything was great for the season.
There are many resources, just a computer click away, that show plans for making various kinds of boxes, as well as the benefits of encouraging birds to nest.
Derbecker recommends placing boxes in open areas, facing east, about four to six feet high.
He has made boxes with a hole in the front or on the bottom, each with a hinge to allow easy access for cleaning.
Birds prefer to make a new nest in the spring, and the old nest is often used by mice for the winter.
Disinfectants are sometimes used on the empty boxes in the spring.
His wife, Marion, shares the family’s love of birds, which is clear from the many bird feeders in their backyard.
She even had a face-to-face conversation with a swallow as the bird stuck her head out of a nesting box and started chirping, Marion was able to approach within a few feet as they “talked” to each other.
When birds and other wildlife accept a person as a frequent addition to their environment, they no longer seem to get stressed by humans.
Derbecker and Marion were delighted to have a family of bluebirds on their property a few years ago.
They recalled hearing them on a wire, with the male and female on opposite ends of their brood, flapping their wings and calling loudly before migrating south.
The performance was, they say, the birds’ way of saying “thank you” and “good-bye.”