Bluebird enthusiast Chuck James moved to Tellico Village with his wife, Terry, 12 years ago, while working as vice president of sales for a medical company.
Retirement six years later provided an opportunity for Chuck and Terry to become directly involved with local and national bluebird clubs.
“My niece has been involved with the North American Bluebird Society for 15 years,” Terry said. “We were always working, and we were living in a condo. Once we got down here, we realized bluebirds are everywhere.”
Chuck and Terry joined the Tellico Village bird watching club seven years ago as charter members.
With bluebirds’ natural habitat continually threatened by predators, Chuck took over monitoring and managing the bluebird nest boxes at the Community Church at Tellico Village, First Baptist Church of Tellico Village and at the golf courses at Kahite, Tanasi and Toqua.
“We train people how to monitor the bluebird nest boxes,” Chuck said.
After experiencing growth with the North American Bluebird Society during the last five years, Farrell Roe started a statewide Tennessee Bluebird Society, with a board of directors encompassing the eastern, central and western regions. Four of the board members for the eastern region reside in Tellico Village, including Stan Colburn, Chuck Cruickshank, Kathy Dooley and Chuck James. Jerry Rysticken lives in Farragut.
“We started in October 2013 as a 501©(3) nonprofit organization,” Chuck said. “Today, we have 140 members statewide. I’m the president. This coming year will be my second year of serving as president.”
As the bluebird population decreases to 1.9 million, eastern bluebirds are rapidly becoming extinct, Chuck said, with three species including the eastern, mountain and western bluebird seen throughout North America and Mexico.
One bluebird competitor includes the English House Sparrow, an aggressive bird regularly found at gas stations and fast food restaurants that destroys bluebirds’ nests, pecks holes into bluebirds’ eggs and kills their young.
To help bluebirds during the winter months, residents should put out fresh water every day since they do not migrate as commonly assumed, Chuck said.
“They are looking for little bodies of water, since they only have a two-day reserve in them,” he said. “I also put out dry mealworms and bluebird nuggets, which I get at the Tractor Supply Company in Lenoir City.”
Members from the statewide society educate children and adults how to “landlord” nest boxes and learn about predators, including raccoons and snakes.
“We do education programs,” Chuck said. “We like to get children out of their iPhones, iPads and other electronics and get them interested in conservation. To get outside a little bit and learn about native birds. To see the babies born and watch them grow.”
Presentations are held at Boys & Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts and local area schools, including Fulton High School’s special needs class.
“In Smithville, we did a program in the park about building nest boxes,” Chuck said. “We made it open to the public to learn about bluebirds. In Indian Mountain State Park, we’re building a trail with nest box kits being made by the school children to build with the supervision of the park ranger.”
The board of directors is currently organizing a county coordinator program for each county in Tennessee during 2017.
“To put on presentations and help establish clubs, we want to get coordinators in as many counties as we can,” Chuck said.
Even though the club requires a lot of work, Chuck describes it as a fun hobby.
“My personal philosophy is with these extra years we’ve been given in retirement, we should try to be productive and give back in appreciation for the extra time we do have,” Chuck said.
He also serves on the board of directors for the Knoxville Opera and for the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.
“When I say I go outside of this area, I’m serious,” Chuck said, while laughing. “I’m involved with mountains, opera and bluebirds.”
