Appropriateness of size considerations are vital to bird house success. First to attract the right birds and distract the wrong ones. Next to ensure that the parents and nestlings are safe from predators. And finally correct temperature and ventilation.

How elaborate you make your bird house depends on your personal sense of aesthetics. For the most part, all the birds care about is their safety and the right dimensions: box height, depth and floor, diameter of entrance hole, and height of hole above the box floor.

Nesting Box Dimensions

Minimize the Chance of Predator Access

Proper box depth, roof, and entrance hole design will help minimize predator (raccoons, cats, opossums, and red squirrels) access. Sometimes all it takes is an angled roof with a three-inch overhang to discourage mammals.

The entrance hole is the only thing between a predator and a bird house full of nestlings. By itself, the 3/4″ wall isn’t wide enough to keep out the arm of a raccoon or house cat.

Add a predator guard a 3/4 inch thick rectangular wood block, to thicken the wall, and you’ll discourage sparrows, starlings, and cats.

Refer to the above chart, keeping in mind that birds make their own choices, without regard for charts. So don’t be surprised when you find tenants you never expected in a house you intended for someone else.

Ventilation, Temperature and Drainage

Now that you have the correct dimensions for your bird house, take a look at how to make it safe: ventilation, drainage, susceptibly to predators, and ease of maintenance.

Without air vents, boxes can turn into bird ovens. There are two ways to provide ventilation: leave gaps between the roof and sides of the box, or drill 1/4″ holes just below the roof.

Water becomes a problem when it sits in the bottom of a bird house. A roof with sufficient slope and overhang offers some protection. Drilling the entrance hole on an upward slant may also help keep the water out.

Regardless of design, driving rain will get in through the entrance hole. You can assure proper drainage by cutting away the corners of the box floor and by drilling 1/4 inch holes in the box floor. Nest boxes will last longer if the floors are recessed about 1/4 of an inch.

Entrance Hole Sizes

Look for the entrance hole (and exit) hole on the front panel near the top. A rough surface both inside and out makes it easier for the adults to get into the box and, when it’s time, for the nestlings to climb out.

If your box is made of finished wood, add a couple of grooves outside below the hole. Open the front panel and add grooves, cleats, or wire mesh to the inside.

Never put up a bird house with a perch below the entrance hole. Perches offer starlings, house sparrows, and other predators a convenient place to wait for lunch.

Don’t be tempted by those beautiful duplexes or houses that have more than one entrance hole. With the exception of purple martins, cavity-nesting birds prefer not to share a house. While these condos look great in your yard, starlings and house sparrows are the only birds inclined to use them.

Filed in: Bird Houses, Wild Birds

Search by: bird house, predator, purple martins

At least once in a lifetime, no matter where you live, you’ll come across a baby bird orphan. Perhaps laying on the road, your lawn on even on your front porch.

At that point, you’ll have to decide if you should rescue it or leave it to fend for itself?

In most cases, and yes I do know how hard it is to walk away from a helpless animal, it is best to let nature take its course without your intervention. Of course I say this, but I don’t always do this. Usually I’ll back off and sit nearby for an hour or so just to protect the orphaned baby bird from predators should they come by.

But making that decision – should I rescue or walk away – is hard. If the baby bird is fully feathered, chances are pretty good it doesn’t need our help anyway. Each spring, baby birds leave the nest and have to learn to be adults. Their parents are often watching nearby (something I’ve learned by sitting for an hour and waiting). The wild bird parents really are best equipped to take care of the babies. The best way to help these tiny fledglings is simply to keep dogs, cats and hawks away.

On the other hand, accidents do happen. So if the baby bird is unfeathered and you know the location of the nest, try to return it to the nest. You always want to have gloved hands (even slip your hands inside a few plastic shopping bags for the transfer) before touching wild birds of any sort.

If it’s not possible to put the unfeathered baby back in the nest, put the baby in a shoe box and cover it. Phone your local wildlife authority or take the orphaned bird directly to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Do not attempt to take care of that baby yourself. First off it will drive you crazy with it’s needs but also without knowing what species it is there is a good chance you can inadvertantly kill it by supplying the wrong food.

No matter what the ‘first aid for baby birds’ books say, a diet of human baby foods, ground hamburger meat, canned tuna, regular bird seed, milk, hard boiled eggs, or bread crumbs are not suitable for any unfeathered orphan.

Filed in: Wild Birds

Search by: baby bird, wild birds

Part of being a responsible bird house landlord is your willingness to look after your wild tenants. If you monitor your bird houses every week and evict unwanted creatures such as house sparrows, starlings, rodents, snakes, and insects, you’ll have much more success in the long run.

For your own safety, please be careful when you inspect those wild bird houses. You may find something other than a bird inside! Don’t be surprised to see squirrels, a mouse, a snake, or a nest of bees or wasps. As for insects, inspect the house for fleas, mites, larvae, and lice on the bottom panel.

If you find insects or parasites try to temper your first reaction to grab the nearest can of insect spray. If you use insect spray use only insecticides known to be safe around birds. An easy check is the label on the can; 1% rotenone powder or pyrethrin spray are known to be safe for wild birds. If wasps persist over time it will help to coat the inside top of the box with bar soap.

Here’s how to check your nesting boxes or bird houses:

Watch the nest for awhile. If you don’t see or hear any birds, go over and tap on the box. If you hear bird sounds, open the top and take a quick peek inside. If everything’s okay, close the box. If you see problems (parasites or predators), remove them and close the box.

This is one time when a bird house with easy access comes in handy! Most bird houses can be opened from the top, the side, the front, or the bottom. Boxes that open from the top and the front provide the easiest access. Opening the box from the top is less likely to disturb nesting birds. On the other hand, it’s absolutely impossible to open a box from the bottom without the nest falling out. Side and front opening boxes are convenient for cleaning and monitoring but they have one major drawback: the nestlings may jump out.

If this happens, don’t panic. Just pick them up and put them back in the nest. Don’t worry that the adults will reject the nestlings if you handle them. That’s an urban legend, old wive’s tale or myth. Most birds have a terrible sense of smell.

If you clean out your nesting box after each brood has fledged, several pairs may use the nest throughout the summer. Many cavity nesting birds will not nest again in a box full of old nesting however so a good cleaning says “We’re open for business!”

In the fall, after you’ve cleaned out your houses for the last time, you can put them in storage or leave them out. Gourds and pottery nests will last longer if you take them in for the winter. You can leave your purple martin houses up, but be sure to plug the entrance holes to discourage starlings and house sparrows habitating the bird house before the martins return.

Leaving your wood and concrete houses out provides shelter for birds during the harsh months as well as flying squirrels.

Filed in: Bird Houses, Wild Birds

Search by: bird houses, birds, nesting box

Contemporary homes and modern office buildings often use insulated and reflective glass in their windows and even to replace entire walls. Although these windows may be aesthetically pleasing to humans they are lethal to birds. Unfortunately, many birds cannot distinguish the difference between the real sky and a reflection of the sky in a plate of reflective glass.

In the United States alone, it is estimated that each year during migration, millions of wild birds fly full force into windows and are seriously injured or instantly killed.

You can minimize these collisions by breaking up the reflection on the outside of the window with a window screen, flash tape and bird netting or a combination of all three.

Life-size, animate scare devices such as plastic falcons, owls and balloons, or the falcon and owl silhouettes attached to windows with suction cups are not effective deterrents.

You could also try planting trees and installing window awnings to block the sun from hitting the window to eliminate some of the reflective qualities of the glass.

But wild bird migration seasons aren’t the only time homeowners have trouble with birds and window collisions. Birds may hit your windows during breeding season, for territorial and instinctual reasons, and in the winter as well.

During breeding season, male cardinals, woodpeckers and mockingbirds may ‘fight’ their own reflections in windows (and car mirrors). Readers of this site have also claimed to have yellow and gold finches acting in the same manner. Generally these birds will stop banging into the window (or fighting with the window) as the breeding season ends. You can discourage them with screens and other barrier techniques.

Regardless of the season, birds can also fly into your house windows when they’re frightened while visiting a feeding station. Try moving the feeders a considerable distance away from the window, or immediately adjacent to the window so that wild birds don’t get up to flight speed before hitting the window.

That’s all for today!

Veronica

Filed in: Wild Bird Feeders, Wild Birds

Search by: wild bird

Well, perhaps not the only factor, but without considering the placement of the nesting box, you have minimal chance for success.

Where you put your bird house is as important as the design, entrance hole size, materials used, and construction of the box. Cavity nesting birds are very particular about where they live and begin their families. No matter how perfect your nest box, if you don’t have the right habitat, the birds aren’t likely to find it and use it.

Not everyone has the perfect habitat and location for a wood duck, purple martin, or screech owl. On the other hand, just about anyone can attract and entice a robin, titmouse, wren, or chickadee to their yard to rear nestlings.

If you’re reading this artilce I’m going to assume that you have either just built or bought the perfect bird house/nesting box.

But what happens when the birds don’t nest in it? After all it’s been sitting in your yard since February and now months have passed, and not one wild bird has landed on it much less been seen coming in and out of it. What could be wrong?

It may be that you don’t have the right habitat to attract the bird that would love the size and shape of your nesting box, or it may even be as simple as the height you’ve mounted it.

You have a lot of options but I’d always suggest starting with a good field guide or backyard birder’s resource. This will tell you the precise bird your box will suit, the precise bird house you need to attract the birds you’re after, as well as proper placement of the nesting box. You can also learn ways to make your yard more suitable to birds. This really can be as easy as adding a bird bath or planting fruit trees or berry shrubs in your yard.

Of course the easiest is to first identify the birds that are already pleased with your yard and then buy the appropriate nest box.

Should you hang it from a tree limb, nail it to a fence, or mount it on a pole or a tree trunk?

There’s a wide range between how high and low your preferred bird will want their nesting box.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• bird houses mounted on metal poles are less vulnerable to predators than houses nailed to tree trunks or hung from tree limbs,
• use no more than four small nest boxes for any one species or one large box per acre
• put about 100 yards between bluebird boxes and 75 yards between swallow boxes (if you have both species, “pair” the houses with one bluebird box 25 feet from a swallow box. Put the “pair” 100 yards away.)
• don’t put bird houses near bird feeders
• don’t put more than one box in a tree, unless the tree is extremely large or the boxes are for different species
• if you have very hot summers, face the entrance holes of your boxes north or east to avoid overheating the box.

Filed in: Wild Birds

Search by: wild bird, backyard birder, bird houses

Nesting materials can also be hung in a wire cage. These cages are especially popular in the spring when birds will come and choose those that are suitable for them. Try thin strips of clothing or rags, small twigs, wool, and even feathers.

There are more than two dozen birds in the USA and Canada that are happy to nest in bird houses. The most important measurement in any nesting box and the birds it attracts is the diameter of the entrance hole. An inch and a half is small enough to deter starlings. Starlings and house sparrows have been known to kill many baby birds as well as adults sitting on the nest.

Nesting birds have problems with other predators as well. The easiest way to discourage predatory cats, snakes, raccoons, and chipmunks is to mount the nesting box on a metal pole, or pick up a metal predator guard for wood post mounts.

Here are a few of the most common, and preferred, wild birds that you can help in your neighborhood:

Bluebirds – If you put up a bluebird house near an open field, orchard, park, cemetery, or golf course, you’ll have a very good chance of attracting a pair of nesting bluebirds. These beautiful and beneficial birds prefer nest boxes on a tree stump or wooden fence post, elevated to between three and five feet high. Bluebirds will also nest in the old nesting holes of woodpeckers so if a dead or dying tree isn’t posing any troubles and you see a woodpecker hole in the trunk you might like to leave it standing – at least until autumn.

Robins – Robins are our largest birds of the thrush family. They prefer to build their nest in the crotch of a tree or a nesting platform. These birds like to nest six feet or higher up in a shaded area. We get them under the overhang of our hay shed and front porch. Creating “mud puddles” nearby assists robins in the spring, as they use mud to line their nests.

Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Titmice These smaller birds share the same food, feeders, and habitats. If you put a properly designed nest box in a wooded yard, at least one pair is sure to check it out and one may stay to grace you with babies that return year after year! Chickadee nesting boxes are perfect at 6′ elevation. Nuthatches can be between 5-6′ elevation. You can hang them from limbs or secure them to tree trunks. The entrance hole should be 1-1/8″ to attract chickadees yet exclude house sparrows. Encourage these birds to stay in your yard by continuing to fill your suet and peanut feeders through the summer and keep a bird bath or dripper going at all times for them.

Brown Creepers and Prothonotary Warblers – Brown creepers generally like to nest behind the curved bark of tree trunks. If your yard or garden is heavily wooded, slab bark houses will appeal to creepers. Prothonotary warblers also prefer slab bark houses, but they will only nest in boxes positioned over water.

Wrens – Wrens don’t seem to be very picky about where they nest and are a beautiful wild bird to watch rear their young. Try nest boxes with a 1″ x 2″ horizontal slot (larger for the Carolina wren) instead of the standard circle shape entrance as these rectangular openings are easier for the wrens to use. Wrens are notorious for filling up any conceivable nest cavity with twigs, regardless of whether they end up using the nest or not. Since male house wrens build several nests for the female to choose from, hang several nest boxes at eye level on partly sunlit tree limbs. Wrens have always been one of my personal favorites because they are not ‘put off’ by humans being near their homes so they can be poisitioned quite close to the house and are perfect for smaller lots.

Tree and Violet-green Swallows – Beautiful white-bellied birds with iridescent blue-green backs and wing, are a joy to have nearby. They’re also beneficial as they are insect eaters. Tree swallows prefer nest boxes attached to dead trees. Space the boxes seven feet apart, the ideal setting is on the edge of a field near a lake, pond, or river. The gorgeous violet-green swallows from the west, nest in forested mountains. Nesting boxes placed on large trees in a semi-open woodland attracts them.

Barn Swallows and Phoebes – Barn swallows and phoebes are another easy and beneficial bird to attract. It’s their nesting behavior, not their plumage or song, that you’ll fall in love with over and over again. These birds tend to nest where you’d rather not have them: on a ledge right over your front door or at the far entrance to the barn. To avoid a mess by your door, offer the birds a nesting shelf nearby where it’s more convenient and you may get lucky if they prefer it. These birds are not bothered by human activity nearby.

Purple Martins – Many people want martins because, it’s been said, each bird can eat 2,000 mosquitoes a day. While it’s true that Purple Martins eat flying insects, don’t expect purple martins to wipe out your mosquito population. Martins actually prefer dragonflies, which are far more benefical for mosquito control as they prey on mosquito larvae. Don’t cross martins off your list because they don’t live up to their mosquito killing reputation though, these gregarious wild birds from the swallow family put on quite a show for human observers! Martins prefer to nest on the edge of a pond or river, surrounded by a field or lawn. As they nest in groups, the houses you may purchase for a colony are often the most elaborate. Look for a house with a minimum of four large rooms, 6 or more inches on all sides, with a 2 1/2″ entrance hole. You might also like to check out bird house gourds as purple martins seem to prefer these.

Flycatchers – The Great Crested Flycatcher and its western cousin, the Ash-Throated Flycatcher, are common in wooded suburbs. Their natural nesting sites are abandoned woodpecker holes (see note on dead or dying trees above). Flycatchers may nest in a bird house if it’s elevated about ten feet up, in a tree in an orchard, or at the edge of a field or stream.

Woodpeckers – Beautiful and funny wild birds that are easily attracted with suet feeders. However, only the flicker and the red-bellied woodpeckers are likely to use a nesting box to rear their young. These birds prefer a box with roughened interior and a floor covered with a two-inch layer of wood chips or coarse sawdust. Flickers are especially attracted to nest boxes filled with sawdust, which they “excavate” to suit themselves. For best results, place the box in direct sunlight.

Owls – Owls seldom build their own nests. The Great horned Owl and the Long-Eared Owls prefer abandoned crow and hawk nests. Other owls (barred, barn, saw-whet, boreal and screech) will nest in tree cavities and bird houses though. Barn owls are best known for selecting nesting sites near farms. Where trees are sparse, these birds will nest in church steeples, silos, and hay mows. If you live near a farm or a golf course, try fastening a nest box about 15 feet up on a tree trunk to see if you can attract them onto your property (they’re great to keep the rodent population down!). Screech owls prefer abandoned woodpecker holes at the edge of a field or neglected orchard. They will readily take to a nesting box if you line it with an inch or two of wood shavings. If you clean the box out in late spring after the young owls have fledged, you may attract a second tenant–a kestrel. Trees isolated from larger tracts of woods have less chance of squirrels taking over, and often ruining the nesting box.

Filed in: Bird Specific, Wild Birds

Search by: bird houses, wild birds

Did you know that almost two dozen species of North American wild birds will consider a human-made nesting box? It’s true, but how on earth can you be sure that the bird you want will use your nesting box?

There is only one way and even that way will not guarantee success. After all, birds are wild creatures (as are the animals that harass them) and have minds of their own.

First, learn all you can about the birds you want to attract and offer them an appropriate box. All nesting boxes are not created equal, you want the right size with the right sized opening for your preferred bird. It’s also helpful to you to have one that opens at the top, and the front or side (I’ll tell you why later).

You’ll need to monitor the nest box once you place it in a suitable location (again, birds do have preferences about these things), and you’ll also want to be tough enough to evict starlings and house sparrows. These two are not native North American birds and have done considerable damage to our eco-system so it is wise not to assist them in their breeding habits.

Perhaps one of the biggest responsibilities is ensuring that the boxes don’t become infested with insects. If this happens you’ll want to physically remove the insects and soap the inside top of your nesting box. Of course you can’t do this if you currently have inhabitants. If insects infest the box during nesting, simply apply a light dusting of rotenone or pyrethrin (available at your country supply or home hardware store). Do not use chemical sprays.

Next you’ll have to watch out for the wild predators, namely snakes and climbing rodents. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – set up physical barriers to these pests to deter them right from the start! You could try inserting a PVC pipe over your metal bird house pole, or add metal sheeting to a wood pole. Smear the PVC or metal with Vaseline laced with hot (cayenne) pepper. Avoid automotive grease, it can be lethal to wildlife. You could also put a predator guard over the nest entrance hole. Finally, do not use bird houses with perches below the entrance hole.

If you find other bird species attacking the nesting adults, eggs or nestlings, you’ll have to take a different action dependant on the attackers. Eliminate house sparrows and starlings. All other birds are protected by federal and state laws such as hawks, owls, falcons, crows, grackles, jays and shrikes.

Finally, when your babes have flown the coop (so to speak) remove and thoroughly clean the nesting, soap up the lid again and replace for the next season.

Filed in: Wild Birds

“HELP PLEASE I have this yellow finch throwing himself at my window trying to gain access I think. This has been happening for two days, he regains strength overnite and is back this morning. What can I do to stop him. I do not want him to get hurt. Thanks Tina”

After a few emails back and forth with Tina, and a photo she sent me, the bumping bird is definately a male yellow finch.

“Tina:

Put up a curtain. What a nutty bird! Depending on your location it may be mating season. He sees his reflection and he’s likely trying to start a fight to fend off ‘that other yellow finch’ he sees in the reflection of your glass.

Unless you’ve got pet finches inside…and he’s trying to get at them?

If you still can’t shake him off and help him to move on, you might want to call the local animal control unit (usually run by a municipality). They’ll come and relocate him.”

As it turns out Tina has no birds in the house, and has tried drawing the curtain but the yellow finch (an American Goldfinch) keeps flinging himself at the window. It’s a large picture window with a big pine tree butting right up to it.

————

Yes, you’ve got an American Goldfinch there. He’s performing a territorial defense on your window. He thinks your window is another male, and your house has been marked as his territory (in his mind at least) so he’s fighting off the other bird. He won’t stop until early Fall or until he kills himself by bumping into your window.

That is quite a large window (otherwise I’d suggest covering it from the outside until he gets a grip on himself). At some point your window is highly reflective – almost mirror like on his side – likely at a certain point in the day with the sun’s reflections. Have you noticed him doing this at any particular time? Say, for instance that he does this from 3-5 pm you could hang a sheet on the outside of the window for just those few hours every day. As the sun changes position due to the season, this time may change and/or diminish altogether.

I wish I had a quick fix suggestion for you. Some people put stickers on their windows, attach those ugly plastic owls to their windowsills to scare off the wild birds, etc. but these don’t always work. The mirror like reflection and the need to fend for their territory is too great.

Animal control may still come and try to catch him (or give you tips on how to catch him if he knocks himself out – be very careful here) so he can be relocated by the experts. However, chances are pretty good he’ll find his way back, or another will come and do the same thing.

If your property is large, you could maybe distract him and his mate if he has one (they’re monogamous and in the breeding season now), by putting out a wild bird feeder with black sunflower seeds or thistle, far away from the window. I’m thinking that if he has a mate she’s probably nested in that tree right by the window. The eggs incubate for about 10 days, the young in the nest for another 10-17 days, and they may have 2 broods a season.

Hoping some of this information assists you with a solution!

Veronica

——————————

At a later note I received many more emails of this sort. One kind reader told me he picked up a $4 feeder and placed it on the other side of his yard. “This seems to have done the trick,” he said, “the birds are just as pretty to watch over there – without all the tap-tapping at my window!”

If you stop into the discount bird supply store now, you’ll find pretty Finch feeders selling as low as $3.99, with a wide variety to choose from.

Finch Feeders
Finch Magnet Feeders
Thistle Feeders

Hoping this solves your problem too!

Filed in: Bird Specific, Wild Birds

Search by: American Goldfinch, wild birds, wild bird feeder

If you’ve never seen these darlings, they look like small brown birds whose heads have been dipped into and stained by a wine, fuschia clothing dye. They are striking, either alone or in small flocks as they light into a tree and have a quick bite to eat on their way to find suitable nesting sites and raise this year’s young.

A few years back we had a few wild cats around our property for about a week. They couldn’t be caught and I knew they’d move on if they didn’t find a food source here so we took measures to ensure that the wild bird feeders were well out of reach.

But before those cats moved on, one of those pretty purple finches was knocked out by the reflection of my truck window parked in the driveway.

He was most certainly in shock and even though they usually come to in a few moments if let be, I scooped him up and placed him in a care cage with a towel over the top to ensure he wasn’t further shocked when he came around.

I’ve done this before with our chickadee visitors (not too often), but most are tame enough here to land on your shoulder or hand to feed.

But when the purple finch came around I was shocked! I’ve never heard such a racket from a wild bird!

When that little finch came to, about 5 minutes later, he squawked and screamed so loud I thought for sure I’d have a migraine in minutes! He did not jump happily on my hand like the chickadees when it was time to set him back out into freedom. So, being careful not to stress him, I had to release the cage top and let him fly out.

The first time I saw these wild birds I wondered why they hadn’t been domesticated like other finches – they are so pretty. Having had one in my house for just a few minutes, now I know why!

Veronica

p.s. It is never advisable to capture wild birds in shock or otherwise and try to tame or keep them. The best course of action is to stand by (at a respectble distance) and ensure they’re safe until they ‘come to’. If you do have to touch a wild bird, use a towel, be very gentle and wash yourself very well after contact and release.

Filed in: Bird Specific, Wild Birds

Search by: wild bird feeders, purple finches, chickadee, wild bird

The chapter I’m on now is discussing nesting box success (dimensions, placement and predator prevention), but the fact that escaped me on the first read, and that shocked me the most is this:

“Everyone engaging their lives with the lives of birds should understand that 90 percent of the birds born in any given year fail to see the next. Nest failure is the first major cut on the way to maintaining the population at a healthy level that does not outstrip resources.”

You see 90% of the birds born this year won’t make it to the next year and nest failure is the biggest reason for the mortality rate.

90%!

Nest failure takes the most, with these secondary causes: natural predators, starvation, hypothermia and insect infestation (these ‘killers’ can be kept at bay with your intervention as well – all with correctly placed and maintained bird houses).

Those numbers are shocking, but I don’t doubt Pete Dunne for a moment. As Vice-President of the New Jersey Audobon Socieity and the director of the Cape May Bird Observatory, I’m sure he has his numbers right.

With all the adversity our wild birds have to cope with in North America I think the more we can help our wild birds, the better.

Providing, maintaining and protecting nesting boxes is one huge step in the right direction and it serves us as well. More birds in our backyards and gardens means less bugs and insects. It’s fun and rewarding to know that we helped a few birds get their start – many of which (if all goes well) will return to our property the following year.

Now is the time, in fact it may even be a little late for the first clutch of some species.

• With the return of spring and warmer weather most wild birds have already scouted out their nesting selection, if you’ve got boxes get them cleaned or re-hung.
• If you don’t have nesting boxes you can buy some really cheap (here’s a $10 off coupon – use promo code: SW-8937 in the category Bird Houses).
  Even if the birds don’t arrive on your doorstep for a few weeks you are still helping. Many birds will have two or more clutches per season and may be looking for a more suitable spot than they had on round one.

I thank you all, who happen upon these pages, and who make a concerted effort to assist our backyard birds, both at the feeding stations and with their nesting needs.

Veronica

p.s. Here is the Pete Dunne book that I reference above, just for your info. If you don’t have this, but love birds, you’ll enjoy this book for years to come.

Filed in: Wild Birds

Search by: bird houses, wild birds, nesting boxes

Now I don’t keep a birding log or journal for my backyard bird visitors – and I’m sad about that this year – because for the first time in years, I feel that something is not right with our wild bird count.

All things the same – the feeders, the frequency of feeding, the type of wild bird feed I put out – and yet the wild birds who frequent is not the same.

Plus, living here in rural Ontario, there is no more competition for the birds in our area (the human population here doesn’t grow). So what is amiss? Could it be the avian flu?

I’ll tell you whom I’ve missed this winter…

Blue Jays

Where I’d been used to their squawks and reminders that the feeder was empty daily, this year we only had one blue jay. One. Usually we have 5-10 regular visits per day.

Chickadees

The numbers were down, but at least they came and brightened each day.

Juncos

The juncos were late and in short supply. This time of year there are usually 20-30 feeding daily for over a month. They finally arrived, and there are only 6 of them.

Gray Jays

We affectionately call these friendly and silly birds Whiskey Jacks. Like the blue jays they’re usually here in good numbers. This winter I’ve seen a total of none. Zero, nilch, nada.

Other Changes

I have noticed other wild birds at the feeder this winter that are not regulars in our area. I’ll tell you more about them, and hopefully have a photo for you, tomorrow.

Cheers!

Veronica

p.s. If you’ve also noticed changes at your feeder this winter, leave a comment below. I’d be interested to hear what region you’re in and what changes you noticed. I think the birding world has been thrown for a whirl this year – what’s happening at your wild bird feeder?

Filed in: Bird Specific, Wild Birds

In northern and eastern Canada and the United States we have over 10 sparrows that frequent the feeder and fields. Telling them all apart can be a bit daunting, but there are some differences in appearances, mannerisms and song that help us to identify each of the species.

The first, my favorite, is the Song Sparrow, aptly named for their lovely voices. If you’re not prone to watching for Spring, but can’t help but hear it coming the Song Sparrow will alert you to the warm winds on the way. They arrive, singing short and sweet, in March in our territory. There’s no mistaking the sound, if you spend any time outside during the colder months, because the Song Sparrow’s voice is one you haven’t heard for many months.

Next, I’ll introduce you to the Fox Sparrow – the largest and most beautiful in my opinion of the sparrows. This bird likes cooler summers so they are usually quite north in Canada during summer, but in the fall they begin heading south with their young.

The same can be said for the Canada Sparrow, the White Crowned Sparrow and the White Throated Sparrow. I can’t say for certain if they travel together, but they do seem to show up at the same time. I’ve noticed this both in Massachusetts and in northern Ontario.

Sparrows that you’re likely to see in the summer, on your country walks or treks through uninhabited fields are the Vespers (aka Field Sparrow).
Not quite as large as the Fox sparrow, but a little bigger than the Song. These are the birds who seem to fly up at you from the ground showing only a slight flick of white tail feathers on the way. They nest and roost in the grass and are often seen in country road ditches either foraging or dusting their wings in the soft earth. Vesper sparrows are also known as grass finch, and bay-winged sparrow. They sing as sweetly as the Song sparrow, but because they sing in the evening I like to think of them as my lullaby bird.

Now if you’ve had the experience of happening upon a sparrow in the field but it’s not a dry grassy plain, only slightly boggy or marsh like, you’ve likely run into the the Savanna or swamp Sparrow.

The Chipping Sparrow is another of this family. He has a slightly reddish coloration on his head – I’ll get you a picture shortly of all these sparrows so you can tell them apart in your own yard. The Chipping sparrow is said to be the most sociable of it’s family and is the only sparrow who builds their nests in trees.

Filed in: Wild Birds

I had high hopes for a place where we could all come together and share our birding stories, where we could post photos we’d taken and help others to identify birds in their area.

But in truth in 6 months we were still only at 20 readers and writers to the forum (and not one of us very active at keeping it full of interesting content). However, new users registered very often, sometimes 3 or 4 of them in a day -pretending to be birders but really just creating accounts for links to their spam sites. Sad, because a forum link won’t do a thing for search engine ranks, nor will bird watchers be the least bit interested in the types of sites those users were linking to…

But this is better! A blog where we still can interact (I’ll write posts, you comment) and if you’re interested in writing articles for this bird space just email me and I’ll set you up with an account so you can write articles about your experiences as well! That is, if you’re interested in that type of involvement.

Otherwise, stay tuned in. Within the next week I’ll have this birder’s resource ready to roll with articles, products, and photos.

To your birding adventures!

Veronica

Filed in: Wild Birds

That link takes you to a page with a Cardinal faucet spigot for your garden hose and a chickadee hose reel, but there’s actually piles more bird inspired, garden art, type products on that site. If you use the search feature for ‘bird’ you’ll find sparrows and chickadees, hummingbirds and more there. These are really nice pieces that fit right into your garden and make it special.

Wow, I just kept clicking through the link at the bottom of the page that says “country living” and I found bird inspired shower curtains too. Like this one that is all song birds – okay, I have to run and see some more, but I did want to tell you about the site and see if you find any great bird lover’s gifts there.

Veronica

Filed in: Bird Specific, Wild Birds

The bluebird has been known over the years as the peace-harbinger. In him the celestial and terrestrial converge. But the bluebird brings more balance than that he is all that is soft, all that is color and light, and he brings with him the promise of spring in one appearance and the retreating of warm weather on the other.

If the bluebird is migratory in your region you’re likely to first spot this gorgeous splash of color on a bright March or April morning. Listening closely you’ll hear him nearby almost as a whisper, so tender and so prophetic, a hope tinged with a regret.

John Barrows said that the bluebird seemed to sing “Bermuda! Bermuda! Bermuda!” but this bird has origins not quite so south. Likely he came from Florida, the Carolinas, or Virginia.

In New England the sap starts running from the sugar maple about the time the bluebird arrives. If you’ve been wondering why I’ve only spoken of the male so far it is because the the males arrive several days before the females. By the time both arrive, they waste no time pairing and prospecting for a place to nest.

The lady bluebird comes with the sparrows, the robins, the phoebe-bird but there’s no mistaking the brilliant blue hue of the first harbingers of spring amidst the brown and gray birds.

The eastern bluebird is slightly larger than the robin. The bluebird has been nicknamed a blue robin, and the red tint on his breast is similar to the red robin, and the mannerisms and habits of the two species are also similar.

There are at least three species of the common bluebird – in New England and it’s neighbours you’ll find the blue jay and the indigo-bird, as well as the eastern bluebird. The indigo bird is the most colorful of them all. I’d be remiss to forget the blue grosbeak, not much behind the indigo in intensity of color.

Now if you live closer to the west coast of the USA or Canada, you’ll still get your own blue birds, albeit the Moutain bluebird. The mountain bluebird is a little different in voice and color.

The Western or Mountain bluebird is considered an altogether distinct species, perhaps a little more brilliant and showy than its Eastern brother; and some fanciers would state that the Mountain bluebird’s voice is more varied, sweeter, and softer. The coloration is more of a dark teal, but the easiest way to tell them apart other than location, is the shoulder of chestnut-red. (If you live even more northern than the region of the Mountain bluebird, you’ll likely find the Arctic bluebird. This bluebird has a a greenish blue on it’s chest, the wings are longer and more pointed.

Bluebird Nesting Habits

The bluebird usually builds its nest in a hole in a stump or stub, or in an old cavity excavated by a woodpecker, but its first impulse seems to be to start in the world in much more style, and the happy pair make a great show of house-hunting about farm buildings, or specifically manufactured bluebird nesting boxes set out by farmer’s wives or avid birders. When no suitable accomodations can be found however, most settle upon the old family stumps and knotholes in remote fields, and go to work in earnest.

Here so close to the ground the bluebird nesters have to worry about two primary predators – snakes and squirrels.

With bluebirds the male is useful as well as ornamental. He is the joyful companion of the female at all times, and when she nests, he feeds her regularly. But it is the female who does most of the work and nesting selection. The male bluebird does accompany her in her work, even seems to cheer her on while she brings in all the material and does all the work of building. The female bluebird enters the nest with her building material, places it, withdraws and waits outside while he goes in and looks it over. On coming out he sings to her, “Bravo!” and away the two go once more for more material.

Filed in: Bird Specific, Wild Birds