Curious Pair of Old Carved Birds (Falcons?) on Posts handprinted make do sign which from what I understand

which from what I understand were an early took for teaching spelling in school

or an colorful object to set somewhere

Man or woman I am not entirely sure

But one can see a little house and maybe a church with steeple too on the far horizon

this cased photo is I believe a tintype

Curious Pair of Old Carved Birds (Falcons?) on Posts handprinted make do sign which from what I understandI purchased this these from a dealer based in Pennsylvania, but really don't know anything specific about them. I take them for falcons, calling to mind ancient Egyptian ones; they also remind me of a couple of old men standing on the corner talking about sports and neighborhood news! It seems possible they actually functioned as decoys of sorts, as there are a bunch of holes in the wood, as if a woodpecker went to work pecking away at them, and I