Stiles Thomas, who was the driving force behind creating the Celery Farm Natural Area and who founded the Mount Peter and Hook Mountain hawk watches, also was the Eastern Bluebird equivalent of Johnny Appleseed in North Jersey back in the 1950s.

He even supplied farmers with free bluebird boxes. The boxes were stamped:

Bluebird House

Stiles Thomas

Allendale, N.J.

... so, perhaps, that bluebirds knew they were moving into the correct birdhouse, and whom to thank.

Also pictured below is Mr. Thomas with a few of his incredible bird carvings. If anyone knows when and where the photo was taken, let me know.

Stiles was kind enough to share these old photos with me (and now you).