Michael Smith and the Mad Bluebird

Subj: Michael Smith
Date: 11/14/99 10:29:03 AM Central Standard Time
From: kridler"at"1starnet.com (Keith & Sandy Kridler)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: kridler"at"1starnet.com
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu (BLUEBIRD-L)

Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas
This is from a poor memory: Michael was a free lance photographer and someone gave him a nestbox and he had bluebirds raise in his back yard in Maryland (?). Probably some of the local NABS doings I suspect Ron Kingston knows this better than I. Michael fell in love with them and the second year he (or had someone) drill out a log with a deep bit and lots of hand chisel work to make a "natural" looking nest site for future pictures. I have never seen any shots of his bluebirds feeding young at this "log" but the bluebirds took to roosting in this box every evening. (All 13 of the birds which had been raised in his yard.) He set his camera/tripod/flash system (a monster) over the box and when the bluebirds got used to this and again began using the box he went out at 2 AM to slip off the roof and take a series of shots. He planned on taking a couple of rolls of film. It never occurred to him that these were "wild" animals UNTIL he was just about to pop the first picture. He had taken off the roof and was squeezing the cable release with the camera pre-focused (the box was above his head) when as the twin flashes exploded in a wash of light he thought OH MY God it's well below freezing, 5 hours till dawn and MY bluebirds might fly out and die. He quickly replaced the roof covered the entrance hole and prayed they would be OK. He didn't care if the picture turned out or not he vowed he would never again endanger HIS bluebirds for the sake of a photo. Twenty years later, his one shot of these roosting bluebirds and "the Mad Bluebird" are probably the most common of any photo's of eastern bluebirds. I believe they first appeared in National Geographic. This story has been told several different ways over the years but I think this is the way he told it to me over the phone... I am sure I have deleted some and changed some over the years. KK

Subj: Re: Roosting Bluebirds (Smith Photos)
Date: 11/14/99 5:27:24 PM Central Standard Time
From: Orbit352"at"aol.com
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: Orbit352"at"aol.com
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

Hello Dale, Keith and all,

The Bluebird Book by Donald and Lillian Stokes has a baker's dozen photos attributed to Michael L. Smith. Among these are the "Mad Bluebird" and the bluebirds roosting in the hollowed out log about which KK wrote. Another Smith photo in the book is a male eastern entering a nestbox that contains nestlings, one is an albino. These as well as many other photographers' photos in the book are excellent in quality and in useage as illustrations for the book's accompanying text. Great photos! Great book! Thanks, Keith, for another of your stories which add so very much to the fascination and enjoyment of learning about birds and some of the people envolved.

Tom Heintzelman, Milton, Santa Rosa County, FL (western panhandle, inland) USA

Subj: THE MAD BLUEBIRD
Date: 1/26/00 10:56:30 PM Central Standard Time
From: dsheldonjr"at"hotmail.com (dean sheldon)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: dsheldonjr"at"hotmail.com
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

To The Faithful: Had a call today from an Ohioan interested in purchasing a print of Michael Smith's famous 'Mad Bluebird' photograph. Please let me have your thoughts on where that can be accomplished. Many thanks....Dean

Subj: Re: THE MAD BLUEBIRD
Date: 1/27/00 2:25:59 AM Central Standard Time
From: bonznit"at"prodigy.net (bonznit)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: bonznit"at"prodigy.net (bonznit)
To: dsheldonjr"at"hotmail.com, BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

According to an aticle that was from the Baltimore Sun and reprinted in our South Bend Tribune this past Sunday, the print is available from Smith himself ($26 matted and signed), from Duncraft birding supply, Signals catalog ($58 framed 5 x 7), and Orvis catalog ($95 8x10).

I'll hope to have the four column article scanned to share with anyone who wants it within the next few days, if you will just email me I'll forward it to you. It is a charming story with a huge photograph and background of this print and photographer. What a life! he was able to quit his day job!!

A quick search on www.profusion.com turned up these links:
http://www.buyitonline.com/duncraft/p17.html

http://www.buyitonline.com/duncraft/p18.html

http://bestfootforwardinc.com/page/g275.htm (stained glass)

http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/catalog/gift.html
The National Bluebird Society has the stained glass, but I did not see the print.
ASIDE: For those of you interested in the music/medleys of bluebird tunes, they have this: On the Wings of a Song music cassette tape of charming medleys of bluebird tunes including Gonna Find Me A Bluebird, Bluebird of Happiness, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Sung by K. Hindsley, soprano (Item # BBC-4). Cost: $8.00. Plus other beautiful gift items with bluebird theme.

http://catalog.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/182072.html

http://www.sedgefield.com/glassmasters.htm

Oddly enough, my very rapid search during this little window of time when I can't sleep but should try...I did not find links to either Orvis or Signals. But I'm sure a little more time would yield results. Since I do have my day job, I must bid you adieu.

Julie LaFollette
Elkhart, Indiana

----- Original Message -----
From: dean sheldon
To:
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2000 11:44 PM
Subject: THE MAD BLUEBIRD

To The Faithful: Had a call today from an Ohioan interested in purchasing a
print of Michael Smith's famous 'Mad Bluebird' photograph. Please let me
have your thoughts on where that can be accomplished. Many thanks....Dean

Subj: Re: THE MAD BLUEBIRD
Date: 1/27/00 8:50:28 AM Central Standard Time
From: gailtown"at"intercomm.com (Gail Townsend)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: gailtown"at"intercomm.com
To: dsheldonjr"at"hotmail.com
CC: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

Hi, I asked the list for that information before Christmas and received two replies:
Duncraft catalogue sells 5x7 for about $35.00.
Signals, the public television catalogue, is a bit more expensive, around $50.00

Sorry, I don't have either catalogue (must have been thrown out in post-Christmas cleaning frenzy), so I can't provide an address or phone number, but I don't think you will have problems finding either company.

Gail Townsend
from a rainy desert out here in Spanish Springs, Nevada

Subj: Mad Bluebird
Date: 1/27/00 3:57:02 PM Central Standard Time
From: Tsapling"at"aol.com
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: Tsapling"at"aol.com
To: dsheldonjr"at"hotmail.com, Bluebird-L"at"cornell.edu

Sorry, the catalog I was thinking of wasn't selling a photo of the Mad Bluebird it was selling a glass round thing that you hang in the window that had the Mad BlueBird on it 6.25" round, glass surrounded by lead, Item #4274A for $29.50 at Paragon 1-800-657-3934 page 15 F.

Tina

Subj: Mad Bluebird
Date: 1/29/00 5:29:53 PM Central Standard Time
From: tenataylor"at"tycom.net (Tena Taylor)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: tenataylor"at"tycom.net
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu (BLUEBIRD-L), dsheldonjr"at"hotmail.com

From Tena Taylor, Calhoun County, Mississippi

"The Mad Bluebird Print" is on the back page of the National Wildlife Federation's spring catalog. Two sizes, framed, are offered. Shop online at www.nwf.org.

Michael Smith and the Mad Bluebird

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