By Jodie Kilton
From the Nebraska Journal-Leader, June 7, 2007

Inside Phil Knerl beats the heart of a retired Eagle Scout master whose love of  nature and community service still lures him down many a trail. As a BAN member, his most recent trails include that of monitoring bluebird boxes. Riding shotgun by his side is wife, Pat, who keeps score ... type of nest, cleaning it out, number of eggs, hatchlings, and fledglings.

Phil recently took under his “wing” a novice, y year old Miss Payton Lile, to teach her the plight of the bluebird and to become a caretaker of nature.

For her it was an adventure she’ll never forget; much like the trip of Lewis and Clark down the Missouri. Riding beside Phil in a golf cart with ponytails flying in the wind, she’d turn to yell at those following (“Are you ready?”) as they headed for the next box to discover the treasure that lay within. Knerl always has a three-step ladder within his reach to help shorter enthusiasts view what is in the box. Riding down hills, around curves, across greens, and beside avenues of lush green trees, Phil masterfully told the tale of the bluebirds’ plight.

BAN was formed thirteen years ago when a decline in bluebirds was noticed. Due to the clearing of land to make room for housing and industrial developments, shopping malls, highways, and cropland; many old trees have been cut down for firewood. Wooden fence posts that provided nesting cavities have now been replaced with metal posts. With modernization, natural nesting cavities have been greatly reduced. Compounding the problem was the introduction of the very aggressive House Sparrow and European Starling; both compete for habitat and food. More vicious is the wren who will not only chase away the more timid bluebirds but has been known to carry off the eggs, kill the young, and at times, even kill an adult bluebird.

By providing bluebird boxes, the habitat for nesting is increased. By monitoring them, the organization has an idea of how many bluebirds are fledged back into nature in a year. Boxes should be dry, at least five feet above ground, placed 100 feet apart, cleaned out following a fledging, face away from the wind, have a hole that has a diameter of 1 1/2 inches and be placed in a habitat where tall grasses grow away from a lot of trees and bushes.

Bluebirds will begin to nest in early March or April and have two broods (three are possible) of four to five light blue eggs with an incubation of 12-14 days. The nestlings will remain in the nest 18-21 days before they fledge. Nests should be removed following fledging to encourage another hatching.

Birds are architects and their nests can be identified easily. A bluebird will use entirely grasses and occasionally pine needles and lay four to six light blue eggs. A sparrow will use course grasses with trash and lay five to six gray white eggs that are speckled with dark brown. A swallow will use fine grasses lined with feathers and lay four to seven white eggs (smaller than a bluebirds).

Grandson (Dr. Andrew), led Phil to his fascination of bluebirds. As an Eagle Scout project, Andy built 10 bluebird houses and sold them to the Commercial Club for $50 a piece with the promise to monitor them for two years. He also sold four wood duck houses for $100, and gave all the proceeds of $900 to the golf course which was in the process of being built. When Andy left for college, Phil took up the monitoring process. He now has 35 boxes of his own and monitors 17 for Ponca State Park on the Newton land; fledging 120 birds for the year 2006.

When parting company from the Knerls for the day, Payton clutched to her chest a bluebird box (a gift from Phil) and made the comment, “Boy, I’ve learned a lot about bluebirds today.”