| Bluebird © Dave Menke |
The St. Petersburg Times has an article featuring Mary Miller in conjunction with the video we presented below:
In the spring, when bluebirds mate, a voyeur named Mary Miller watches. The Audubon volunteer qualifies as one of Florida's top bluebird matchmakers. Her ambition is to repopulate the state with a once-robust species that has fallen onto hard times.
"Bluebirds put a smile on my face,'' she says.
We should mention that our matchmaker never stokes bluebird libidos by selling them avian porn. Nor does she attempt to lace their succulent grubs and beetles with powdered, double-strength Viagra.
Our matchmaker's philosophy falls into the "if you provide bluebirds with motel rooms they will do what comes naturally'' category.
At present, she has 41 bluebird nesting boxes scattered through the woods at Hillsborough County's sexy Flatwoods Park. The result? Do the polite thing and avert your gaze. Or do what Mary does and gawk through binoculars. Ooh la la!
Bluebirds, Thoreau wrote, carry the sky on their backs. The matchmaker couldn't agree more. The blue of a bluebird is so blue it almost hurts her eyes.
