Birdhouses by “Pancho”


Mr. Frank, or Pancho, is one of our community’s master craftsmen. This gentleman, who has an exciting and interesting story – one which will not be told here, as Mr. Frank is quite a private man – has been a resident of Natalia for over 20 years. Retired from construction management and cabinetry, Mr. Frank found that he was “cutting his lawn every other day,” in search of activity, and was flatly bored.
So, Mr. Frank found inspiration from the TV reality show, “The Last Frontier,” which features lifestyles in remote Alaska where folks build log cabins from their local forests. Mr. Frank got the idea of building himself a log birdhouse and log house bird feeder.

One of Mr. Frank’s birdhouses.

Shopping around for ideas, Mr. Frank found nothing that was suitable; so, he began to design his own. Once completing his first birdhouse, he showed a friend to get his opinion. Not only did this friend like and admire Mr. Frank’s handiwork, he bought it for himself on the spot. This was about a year ago. Since then, Mr. Frank has been constructing one log house and feeder after another.
Using only cedar and milling the wood himself in his garage, Mr. Frank creates his log birdhouses in either single dwellings or duplexes. Some are complete with a “handicap” entrance for the “second” floor. They include windows, which creates not only an aesthetic touch but also provides ventilation. They include a “chimney”. Some have “recliners” and “Martini” tables on the porch. They also have a hinged, old-fashioned entrance door which allows for cleaning.
The feeders feature a top/roof which has one side that opens up to put the feed into a bin. The seeds then drop down and onto the “porch”. The entire design is not only functional and creative; it is built with attention to detail. The result is that both the feeders and birdhouses are unique and beautiful.
Mr. Frank will welcome Christmas orders. You may contact him at the following number: 210-788-9642