Birdhouse Hunting Pt 1: ‘Nick’ Nickerson’s colourful collection.

Yesterday - approx. 3 seconds after finishing my lunch, I realized I’d worked busily in the workshop for a few days in a row (with scheduled breaks, of course) and needed a break from building birdhouses.

So, I walked out the front door of the house, warmed up my motorcycle and packed a few things on board, e.g., camera (in case I spotted a birdhouse), cellphone (in case I had to dial 911 while upside down in a ditch; I’ve carefully memorized 116 for just such a time), light jacket, curling broom circa 1969. You know, the usual stuff.


["One of the two largest houses on Nick's property": photos GH]

Once the corn broom was strapped to the back of the bike and a helmet to my head I rode toward my old hometown of Burgessville.


["Nick paints every birdhouse in a basement workshop"]

I passed through Dorchester and Putnam and the road to Sweaburg but stopped for 30 minutes in Salford, a hamlet 99.9 per cent of drivers pass through on their way to somewhere else, because two large birdhouses caught my eye.


Lyndon Nickerson (his friends call him Nick) answered the door of his house when I knocked (to ask for permission to take pictures of his birdhouse collection) and happily gave me a tour of his colourfully decorated yard. He also allowed me to take as many pictures as I wanted before he rejoined his company.


“Sorry to take you out of the house for so long,” I said after I heard he had company.


“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s only family.”

***

Birdhouse hunting is a funny business some days.

Mr. Nickerson takes down the largest ones each winter for a good cleaning before storing them in his basement.

I say, good work Nick.

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