Derek And The Blackbirds Of Southport

Years before the internet and cell phones became a constant part of our lives, Derek, a young father of three, devised an interesting and fun way of teaching his children. He enjoyed whistling back and forth with the blackbirds living in the trees on his property and it wasn't long before his children noticed, and believed he was able to communicate with the birds. This presented Derek with a unique opportunity – to make learning fun.

Mr. Peepmatz was a male blackbird and a father himself, helping his mate to raise their own clutch of children. When Derek's children had a question, he would whistle to Mr. Peepmatz as if relaying the question to the wise bird. When the bird whistled back, in what appeared to the children as responding with an answer, Derek would relay the answer to his children. Conferring with Mr. Peepmatz proved to be a unique and fun way for the children to learn.

As the years passed and his children became adults with children of their own, Derek continued the tradition and introduced Mr. Peepmatz to his grandchildren.