Simply For The Birds

There’s nothing quite as exciting for bird watchers as witnessing firsthand the caring for and development of baby birds. From the egg to the nest to that first tentative flight, this can be an exciting and truly amazing process to witness. And if you want to be a part of it, make sure that you put up your bird houses now. This will give the birds a few solid months to acclimate to and trust your bird houses.

Once the birds are confident that your houses are safe and secure, they are all the more likely to build their nests inside the bird houses in your back yard. So if you want to make sure that you can enjoy the baby wrens next spring and summer, make sure to put out your wren houses now. Birds are migratory creatures. If you provide them with a desirable place to eat, rest, and roost, they’ll return to you. But it’s best to start now to reap the benefits next year!

Bird lovers are usually enamored with all winged creatures, and that includes household pets and the migratory birds that temporarily make your backyard their home. If this sounds like you, your number one concern is most likely bird safety. To that end, there are several things to keep in mind in order to keep your pet birds (permanent and temporary) as safe as possible.

For your permanent pets, make sure that all the products in their cage are completely safe. Teflon, for example, shouldn’t be used in any bird cage. The self cleaning feature of the oven also shouldn’t be utilized, as the intense heat can burn off dangerous chemicals that can be harmful for your birds. And for the birds that are temporarily taking up residence in your backyard, make sure that you provide them a spacious and safe bird house. Also, put out a fresh supply of bird seed and water for them to enjoy until they are ready to move on.

As I was looking out my window this late winter day, I observed much bird activity.  There were Robins grubbing for insects, Hummingbirds flitting around, House Finches taking a rest on the bare branches of a nearby tree and ducks splashing in the pond.  As spring draws near, we will start seeing the arrival of even more birds - Bluebirds, Orange Orioles, Goldfinches and Ruby Throated Hummingbirds.  It made me think that not only flowers bring spring colors, but our backyard friends do as well.

We can easily attract these colors of spring by providing nesting material, water, birdhouses and seed feeders.  Now is the time to get prepared for their arrival.  Don’t procrastinate; spring will be here before we know it!

Providing nesting materials for the birds that will be arriving soon, is a great way to watch the birds building nests.  Watch them come and peck out a bit of the nest material and fly off to where they are building their nests.  If you add nesting boxes and seed feeders, you will increase you chances of having the Nesters build closer to you.  Watch the fledglings open their mouths in anticipation when they see their parents coming with food. You will be able to watch them grow and if you are lucky - their first flights.

There is nothing more rewarding than to be a part of providing for the birds.  If you haven’t tried it, you should!

If you want to put up a Purple Martin bird house, you must do it just right or you will never attract them.  Once they do come, they will continue to come year after year unless some change is made in your situation that discourages their return.

Here is a brief overview of what is required to draw Purple Martins to your house:

• Place house in center of the most open space available – 30 to 120 feet from your house

• There shouldn’t be any trees taller than the Purple Martin house closer than 40-60 feet

• Mount the houses on poles 10 to 20 feet high

• Boat docks make excellent locations for mounting martin houses.

If you are serious about bringing Purple Martins to your yard, do your research first before mounting the houses.  It will pay off in the end.

If there are lots of chickadees in your area, you can get a birdhouse for these birds.  There are different chickadee bird houses to choose from so you can get the one that you like.  There are ordinary looking birdhouses and there are more whimsical houses that are really fun to look at.  But all the houses are just as functional as any house.

You just have to make sure that they have the right size nesting cavity and entry hole.  Some houses have side openings so you can clean them out easily.  The birdhouses should be mounted at least 6-10 feet off the ground.  You can use a post or back mount to secure them on a tree.

If you would like to do your part to clean up the environment, purchase recycled plastic bird products.  You can find recycled bird houses and bird feeders on the market today.  Rubicon, Gadjit and Woodlink are a few manufacturers of these products. These products are resistant to splintering, chipping, rotting, discoloring, impervious to insects and easy to clean.

To help prevent the spread of disease among the birds, take a bleach solution and scrub down feeders and bird houses made with the recycled products.  Be sure to rinse well. 

Thank you for helping the environment.

If you provide suitable housing and nesting material, your chances of attracting nesting birds to your backyard will be greatly improved.  Now is the time to start getting prepared with a purchase of a bird house and nesting materials.  If you wait until spring you might be too late!

It is such a delight to witness the birds building their nests in their bird houses.  Then there is the added enjoyment of hearing the little chicks chirping, watching them being fed and if you are lucky enough - seeing them leave the nest and take first flight!

There are so many styles of bird houses to choose from.  Anywhere from utilitarian, decorative, kits to make yourself and the unusual and unique.

There are three types of Bluebirds found in the U.S.  The Eastern Bluebird found East of the Rockies which is the most numerous.  Across the Western one third of the U.S. you will also find Western Bluebirds and Mountain Bluebirds.  The Mountain and Western Bluebirds are a little larger in size, so keep that in mind when acquiring a bird house.  A Bluebird house that has a floor measuring 4″ x 4″ with an opening of 1 1/2″ is suitable for the Eastern variety.  Whereas, if you are looking to accommodate the larger Bluebird - you need to look for a 5″ x 5″ floor with an opening of 1 9/16″.

The female typically lays four to five light blue eggs that will hatch in 13 to 15 days.  The male will bring food to the female and young during the first few days after the chicks hatch.  The young Bluebirds will fledge in 15 to 20 days.

Key elements to attracting Bluebirds to your backyard are housing, food and water.  They prefer open areas - not heavily wooded areas.

Chickadees are small agile birds that are a joy to watch, and are an integral part to maintaining a healthy garden.  Chickadees feed on harmful insects and caterpillars, helping to keep your plants safe.  In addition, chickadees provide a breadth of aesthetic appeal with their pleasant chirps and unique feather coloring.  To attract chickadees to your yard, you will want to install a number of chickadee houses.  These special birdhouses have a smaller than usual entrance hole, designed for a chickadee to fit inside and to keep out other kinds of birds.

Chickadees will also eat various types of nuts and seeds, so a birdfeeder filled with mixed seed, or a suet feeder will often attract chickadees.  The birds will also work to cache seeds for the winter months, so if you have chickadees in your yard, continue to fill the feeder during the fall and winter months.