Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Thomas F. Burke birdhouse display

A couple of Sundays ago, I caught a news piece on one of my favorite shows, CBS Sunday Morning. In it, they were reporting on a display of birdhouses created by former architect, Tom Burke. The display of 21 homes for the birds can be found along the Riverwalk in Wilmington, DE, the city where Mr. Burke resides. The path runs along the Christina River and because of the show, I made plans to go the following weekend when my friend, Reena, was coming to visit me.

We met at my house, then drove the short distance to Wilmington’s riverfront and had a fabulous lunch at Harry’s Seafood Grill before picking up the path that runs right in front of the restaurant.

 

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We saw the first birdhouse right next to the restaurant. Several of the birdhouses depict the homes in paintings by Andrew Wyeth. The one above is a replica of the Olson Farm, made famous in Andrew Wyeth’s 1948 painting, Christina’s World.

 

 

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Although it was unseasonably chilly, it was a beautiful day for a stroll.

 

 

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The Christina Riverwalk is short (1.3 miles) but pleasant pathway along the Christina River, between the Russell Peterson Wildlife Refuge and the end of S. Popular Street, just beyond Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park. The trail offers access to the Shipyard Shops and downtown Wilmington. It's nicely landscaped and passes through small parks where you can stop to sit on a bench along the river. Hare Pavilion overlooks the Christina River at the foot of Old West Street and is a nice gathering place. ~TrailLink.com

 

 

 

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And what fun to see these houses.

 

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The path is beautifully landscaped.

 

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If you live in the area, I highly recommend this little trip.

 

 

 

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This is a replica of the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club, host of the annual Masters Tournament.

 

 

 

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There are several small parks along the way to rest your feet. And several restaurants from which to choose.

 

 

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This is another right outside Harry’s Seafood Grill.

 

 

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This one was made to look like Martha Stewart’s home in Beford, NY, even using her paint color – Bedford Gray.

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Here’s the video from the show. It’s not very long ~ and worth viewing after you get through the short commercial.

CBS Sunday Morning – Tom Burke birdhouses

Hope you enjoyed ~ I’ll be back when can. It’s been busy here at Casa de George.

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30 comments:

Michelle said...

What a lovely outing; I would love to take that walk and see those fantastic birdhouses!

Michelle said...

What a lovely outing; I would love to take that walk and see those fantastic birdhouses!

Christie - Fine Lines said...

I saw that Sunday Morning show, too. How lucky that you live close enough to go see the birdhouses live!! I'm jealous:)

Debbie From Illinois said...

Thanks for sharing this. They are much bigger than I thought they would be. I would love to have a birdhouse that looks like my house. The manor house would make a lovely one too. :-)

jinxxxygirl said...

Unbelievable!!!Thanks so much for sharing!! Hugs! deb

mrs mediocrity said...

These are great, I just love that area... sigh.

I want a bird house like that in my backyard! ;-)

Tammy said...

Wow, thanks for sharing that, those bird houses are fantastic and the walk looks so beautiful!!

JaneK said...

Lucky birds! Them some right fine houses fer sure!!!

The Weaver of Grass said...

What beautiful little works of art.
What always strikes me when I see your small towns is how neat and tidy they are - I have been to many of them over the years and i have never seen a scruffy small town.

Kerri Farley said...

Oh, now that's a walk I would love! Birdhouses at every stop :)
What a beautiful place!

Connie in Hartwood said...

I can barely imagine the work that went into each of these bird houses ... especially since they are meant to be outside, not protected in a glass case inside. Each of them is wonderful. (Hi, Reena! Glad you and Kate had such a nice day for a visit.)

Carolynn Anctil said...

I have a 'thing' for bird houses and those are fabulous, although they're decidedly more mansion than house. Beautiful spot and it sounds like you had a great day together with your friend.

Blessings,
Carolynn
A Glowing Ember

Anonymous said...

Beautiful and amazing...

Pam

Daryl said...

oh these are wonderful .. wonderful .. xo

Cindy said...

Sounds like a nice day out. Love the bird houses and the video.

beth said...

dang....now i totally want my hubby to build me a birdhouse like one of these.....when he retires, that's number two on the list !!!

thanks for showing us these !!!
xo

Acorn to Oak said...

Wow! Those birdhouses are amazing.

donna baker said...

CBS Sunday Morning is my favorite show too. I've been watching it since Charles Kuralt was on it.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

ooh, these birdhouses are amazing!...

Jeanne Walker said...

The attention to detail in the birdhouses is amazing. Thanks for taking us along with y'all on your walk!

DesertHen said...

Such detail in those bird houses! Beautiful! I enjoyed the walking tour.

Rambling said...

Wow - what amazing birdhouses.

Annie said...

Love the birdhouses Kate. What a great place! Hope you have a good weekend.

GailO said...

What amazing birdhouses! Were there any birds living in them? Maybe the next time we are visiting the in-laws in VA I will talk the mr into a side trip to Wilmington!

So chilly last week and now we are in the hot and humid weather! Strange!

Mental P Mama said...

Those are amazing! Are there lots of birds in them???

xoxo

Jan's camera said...

Hi Kate, what fun to see those birdhouses. Did you see any birds dwelling in them?

Anonymous said...

these are amazing! i want one now!

Mary said...

Wow, those are amazing! The details are so intricate! It looks like a fun place to walk, too.

We are deep into cicada season here... Our walk today was so noisy! And it's been HOT! I'm hoping we see some cooler temps soon. If the rest of the summer is like this, I will be spending it upstairs in the AC!
xoxo

BB said...

Quite amazing but I do have one question: do birds actually USE these birdhouses?
:-)

The JR said...

Wow doesn't quite express how great these birdhouses are.