Bird House Basics – Do’s & Don’ts

Like weather vanes and sundials, bird houses can be as artistic as they are functional.  Bird houses come in many styles, from gaily painted wooden antiques to sleek metal models to plain old wooden ones.  However delightful they may look to you, you’ll want to make sure the birds find them attractive as well.  Learn about what birds use bird houses and how to acquire the most success in housing wild birds.

                

   

Cavity-Nesting Birds   

                                               

Only cavity-nesting birds (those that nest in tree hollows) use bird houses.  This group includes bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches, swallows, and wrens.  The type of bird house you install determines the kinds of birds you’ll attract.  However, this is a most inexact science as a bird house may be intended for a wren or a bluebird, but it will be fair game for any birds of similar size that find it to their fancy.  This can be a fun feature to providing bird houses in your backyard.

Small Birds

Small birds, such as chickadees, nuthatches, and most wrens, prefer a hole that’s 1 1/8 inches across.  Medium-size birds, such as bluebirds, swallows, and purple martins, need a nest box with a hole 1 ½ inches wide.  White-breasted nuthatches need a 1 ¼ inch opening. 

Larger Birds

Larger birds, such as flickers and kestrels, take boxes with 2 ½ inch entry holes.  Flickers usually like to dig out their own nests, but sometimes you can attract them with a large nest box.  If you happen to fill it with wood chips, they’ll dig it right out.   

Do’s & Don’ts

To keep bird houses safe from raccoons and cats, mount the bird houses atop metal poles.  If you want to put a bird house in a tree, hang it from a branch.   If you supply bird feeders in your yard keep the bird houses away from the feeders.  Mealtime can make nesting birds nervous and scare them off.  Wherever you plan on putting your bird house make sure the entrance is facing away from any prevailing weather.  You can also remove the perch if your bird house comes with one; they are unnecessary and house sparrows may sit on them to heckle birds inside the bird house.  When choosing a bird house make sure it’s made of good insulated material.  Bird houses made out of at least 1-inch-thick wood usually is good insulation.  If you make your own bird house, steer away from using plastic milk cartons as they are too thin and have poor ventilation.  The heat created with this kind of material can bake chicks inside or make them fledge too early from your bird house.  You’ll want to make sure you can easily clean bird houses so look for an opening at the top or side of the house.  Also drain holes in the bottom of your bird houses and ventilation holes high in the sides of the house for summer heat are good things to watch for.  Bird houses should be up before migrant season begins around late February because they will be looking for nesting sites soon after they arrive.  And lastly, if you decide to put up more than one bird house keep them well separated and out of site from one another.  Just like humans, birds most like their space!

These bird house basics should get you off on the right foot.  After deciding which types of birds you want to attract and choosing the right bird house for them, you should start to see a more active wild life in your backyard.  Providing bird houses in your lawn or garden is a delightful hobby.  Enjoy picking out your bird house or bird houses because there a lot to choose from.  

Grandma's Tip of The Day

If you are using Oriole Bird Feeders or Hummingbird Feeders and are having problems with bees and ants getting into the feeders, try Grandma's little trick that works well.  Whether it be oriole bird feeders or hummingbird feeders, either one you can use this tip for.  Place or hang a plastic water or pop bottle (no cap on it) around the hummingbird feeders and oriole bird feeders filled with a little bit of the nectar.  This will reduce the amount of bees and bugs from getting into the oriole bird feeders and hummingbird feeders.  The bugs will more often than not opt for the more accessible source of nectar verses the hummingbird feeders and oriole bird feeders.  Hope this helps you out!

Funny Video Featuring Droll Yankees Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders

This video is a great and comical demonstration of how Droll Yankees Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders really do the job right!  Squirrels are safely prevented from getting any bird seed.  We offer the four main types of Droll Yankees proven-to-work squirrel proof bird feeders:

 Yankee Dipper      Yankee Whipper

 Yankee Tipper      Yankee Flipper

Check out our Wild Bird Feeders page for more squirrel proof bird feeders and other wild bird feeders!

Why you want to make bird feeders squirrel proof

Does your backyard bird feeder attract more squirrels than birds?  Squirrels are persistent and almost anyone who has installed a backyard bird feeder has soon realized that squirrels are smarter than they thought!  Installing squirrel proof bird feeders is just one way to stop squirrels from eating your bird seed. 

There are some options available to make squirrel proof bird feeders. Using a bird feeder pole is certainly one of those, but the pole should also be properly positioned. If you have a large enough area, try to place the bird feeder approximately 10 feet or more away from the nearest tree. Although this is not going to keep all of the squirrels away, it may help to cut down on any squirrels jumping to the feeder from a higher location.

Another thing that many people try in order to make their bird feeders squirrel proof is to hang them from a line that is suspended between two different poles or trees. This is something that can work for a while, but squirrels are rather clever and some of the more brazen of these animals will end up finding a way to get to the feeder eventually. I can tell you that there are many people who love birdwatching who have been disappointed at looking out the window and seeing a squirrel dangling from a line, eating all the feed out of the feeder. Putting corn out on squirrel feeders doesn't effectively distract them, either.

One other option that you have available to you is to buy a bird feeder that was built in order to be squirrel proof. A few of these models are quite effective at keeping the squirrels away. This is one way for you to make all of your bird feeders squirrel proof and to enjoy the hobby without their interference.  Two companies that make the most popular bird feeders like this are Brome Bird Care and Droll Yankees.

A finch perched at a Squirrel Buster Plus feeder from Brome Bird Care.

Squirrel Buster Plus

One of the most popular squirrel proof bird feeders is the Squirrel Buster Plus from Brome Bird Care, pictured above with a cardinal ring installed. This model relies on a weight sensor to detect if a squirrel has descended onto the feeder. When the weight sensor is tripped, the feeder ports close to block access to bird seed. It is long enough that a squirrel attempting to hang from the top will be unable to reach the ports.

Red-bellied woodpecker visiting the Yankee Flipper bird feeder from Droll Yankees.

Yankee Flipper bird feeder

Droll Yankees knows how to make bird feeders squirrel proof! The Yankee Flipper bird feeder (pictured above) is one of the best on the market. This model also relies on a weight-sensitive mechanism to detect the presence of a squirrel. When a squirrel is detected, the lower part of the feeder spins to gently flip the squirrel off without harming it. An advantage of a spinning design like this is that it is hard for the squirrel to get a grip on the feeder in any way to shake it back and forth to get seeds out.

For OutdoorMama's Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders page click here.

It's a Dog's Life Country Kennels

My parents own a boarding kennel so I thought it's time to set up a display stand of our Dog Wind Spinners for the first time this 4th of July weekend!  Here are some pictures:

 

How to water the garden without an outside water faucet!

I've come across this information on how to make your own pop bottle irrigation system for plants and find it to be interesting enough to try out.  I have a veggie garden but do not have an outside water faucet...and there lies my biggest problem. Therefore, my veggie garden relies on Mother Nature for it's watering.  Maybe by making these water/pop bottle irrigation systems and placing them throughout my garden will help!  I'm definitely going to try it and will follow-up on it's results.

Hummingbirds Galore!

This is an amazing video of a couple who dedicate their lives to feeding hummingbirds.  They clean and refill feeders several times a day to keep these hummers happy and returning on a daily basis!  Nearly 4 gallons of homemade nectar (1 part sugar to 4 parts water) A DAY!

How to Enhance Your Backyard with Garden Statues & Stepping Stones

Garden statues and stepping stones can do a whole lot to your backyard space or your garden.  When planning a garden or landscaping makeover, consider using garden statues and stepping stones.  They come in many different forms, shapes, sizes and colors.  Here you will learn of different kinds of garden statues and ways to incorporate those and stepping stones in your garden or backyard to enhance your lawn décor overnight! 

Some popular garden statues you see are garden gnomes.  Many gnomes are silly little old men doing things such as mowing the lawn, sleeping in the grass while while ‘working’ or holding their grand-baby in his arms.  Garden gnomes are a great way to add some color and humor. 

Another form of garden statues you’ll find are the very popular cherub(s) garden statues and little boy/girl garden statues.  These garden statues are popular because they are so cute!  You can add them anywhere in your garden and they are sure to look inviting. 

Some other fun forms of garden statues can be Disney characters, solar light garden statues, frogs and other kinds of wild life garden statues.  Some garden statues come in the form of welcome signs or yard markers (for example by the mailbox, the corners of the driveway, etc.).  Have fun with your garden statues; the possibilities are endless!

Stepping stones are another great way to add a personal touch to your backyard.  You can use them functionally as actual paths to walk on or you can use them to purely decorate an area that may be difficult to do anything else with.  Stepping stones are great because they are so easy to decorate with; you just place them where you want them and that’s it, you’re done!  You can put stepping stones right in the grass to make a path or in an already landscaped area of rock or wood chips.  Either way, stepping stones are surely easy to deal with.    

Stepping stones come in different sizes and materials.  They are often made of concrete, natural stone, resin and/or polyresin.  Some garden stones come versatile with a hook to hang as a plaque.  You may choose to do this when choosing decorative stepping stones.  For example, some decorative stepping stones come with a beautifully painted picture of hummingbirds or butterflies on them.  When using these decorative stepping stones for your backyard you may want to consider using them for decorative purposes only or where they will be stepped on very little.  When choosing stepping stones for the sole purpose of walking on from a day to day basis then you might want to choose stepping stones that are smoother on the surface than the pretty textured and painted ones to avoid damaging them. 

Incorporating stepping stones with garden statues in your backyard is easy and easy to maintain.  No watering, no staining, no maintenance.  Once the stepping stones and garden statues are in their places, you’re done!  You can now enjoy the beautifully landscaped garden you have always wanted for little or no up-keep at all.  Garden stones and statues also make the perfect gift for a friend in need of a landscaping makeover.  With the selection made available today, you will find something for anyone!  

Wild Bird Feeders

Wild Bird Feeders are a great way to invite your avian friends to all the fun in your backyard!  Invite all kinds of birds to your outdoor space using wild bird feeders.  We have tube bird feeders, squirrel-proof bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, platform feeders, oriole bird feeders, mesh bird feeders, bowl bird feeders, hopper feeders and more!  You can't go wrong with wild bird feeders.  Just make sure you choose the right kind of bird seed and wild bird feeders for the specific kind of birds you want to attract!  Good luck finding the perfect wild bird feeder for your backyard and remember, quality lasts a long time so invest in one that will not only do the trick but last long too!

 

Audubon/Woodlink Brushed Copper Mega Wild Bird Feeders

 

The Bird Co. Oriole Wild Bird Feeder Feeder - Fliteline 48oz.

 

Old Elm "Cross Plains" Covered Ground Feeder

 

Aspects Jewel Box Window Hummingbird Feeder

 

Duncraft Super Cling-a-Wing Wild Bird Feeders

Happy 1st Day of Summer..The Longest Day of the Year!

There is nothing better than the sweet smell of the country air on a still summer night while taking in the beauty Mother Nature has bestowed upon us!  These kinds of nights bring back so many memories as a kid.  Makes you wonder whatever happened to time...it just goes and goes.  So precious and you can't ever get it back!  Never take for granted the time you have with your family and those close to you.  My words of wisdom for the day;)