He needs the boots to protect his feet from the tall grass he treks through after he leaves the bare trails in the parks. The hook is to reach into the trees for the homes of his feathered charges.

Pauser's role is a unique one: he is a steward of bluebirds in Almaden Valley.

Working as volunteers for the California Bluebird Recovery Program, he and his wife, Janna, monitor and maintain several nesting boxes in area parks.

"I get a great deal of satisfaction from being a volunteer in the program," Lee says.

Year-round and on a regular basis, the couple hikes through Guadalupe Oak Grove Park and other parks checking on the boxes they have strategically placed to attract bluebirds. Bluebirds are drawn to a rural, country-like terrain and don't like to have their "homes" too close together, preferring their nearest neighbor be at least 100 yards away.

Janna--known by frequent park-goers as the "bird lady"--with her binoculars around her neck, is always on the lookout for any bird. She can look skyward and rattle off the name of whatever species is winging overhead, while Lee visits the various boxes to see if a bluebird has taken up residence and built a nest inside.

Bluebird populations in the United States began to decline dramatically in the 1950s due in part to loss of habitat in the wake of suburban spread, increased use of pesticides on lawns and gardens, and competition from non-native species. Groups such as the National Audubon Society have been working since the 1970s to assist bluebirds in returning to areas such as Almaden Valley.

Almaden's Pausers are in their fourth year as bluebird trail monitors for the California Bluebird Recovery Program in conjunction with the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, a chapter of the national organization.

Faithfully committed to the cause, Lee and Janna hope to encourage bluebirds to become a more common sight in the community.

"Many folks don't know what a bluebird looks like, and too many think of the scrub jay when bluebirds are mentioned," Lee says.

The noisy squawk of the scrub jay and other identifiers differentiate it from the bluebird that Lee refers to as a "sweet thing."

Dozens of the specifically designed boxes are placed throughout the county and monitored by volunteers like the Pausers. Because human disturbance can disrupt the recovery process of the bluebird population, the boxes are placed in areas that are not easily visible to trail or park users. Those involved in the program have asked that the exact locations of the nests not be disclosed or identified in any way.

Bluebirds nest in cavities such as a hole in a tree, but they do not possess the capability to create a cavity on their own, so the nesting boxes help them find a place to brood.

Research has found that successful bluebird nesting boxes have specific dimensions, such as an entrance hole about an inch-and-a-half in diameter and placed two inches from the top of the box, which allows room at the base for the birds to build their very messy nests with rough grass, leaves and stems.

Lee noticed activity in the nests in Almaden in mid-March. He regularly photographs the boxes and created an extension system for a video camera so that he can document the birds.

As recently as a few weeks ago, his camera lens was peering in on some wee baby birds seemingly piled atop one another. He says this is one of his favorite experiences in the monitoring process.

"It's pretty exciting when there are little baby bluebirds in there and I open up the box [to check on them]. I know that I'm the first person it has ever seen," Lee says.

Lee and Janna document every visit, keeping notes on nesting activity, egg count and hatching and fledgling activity and each year they have noticed a greater degree of success. The project is not without some sadness though, and they say they do have their share of losses when they find an egg that has been cracked either by the fall from the box or the attack of another species, such as the house sparrow, which will kill a bluebird or its young.

"The downside is the tragedy, but there is a lot more happiness and joy than there is tragedy," Lee says. "I get insight into the private lives of the birds as I watch them build their nests, lay eggs, and raise their young--all over a period of weeks."

For more information on the California Bluebird Recovery Program visit www.cbrp.theblaines.net/ or contact the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society at 408.252.3747 or visit the website at www.scvas.org. More photos of the bluebirds can be seen at the Pausers' website at www.birdsfly.info.