Birds and Squirrels

It’s rare that an average person with no carpentry skills is able to build a bird house at home, but with a dried out gourd, a drill, and a little elbow grease, you can build a great bird house in just a few minutes! First you’ll need a gourd, which can be bought at a local farmer’s market, or found at various supermarkets during the fall. The gourd needs to be sizable, about five inches in diameter. Once you’ve found your gourd, you’ll need a drill and an inch wide drill bit. Drill a hole into the center of the gourd where it is widest in circumference.

Do your best to drain any liquid inside, and then hang the gourd out to dry. This is the tricky part, because it can take months for a gourd to dry completely, so it’s best to do this in the Fall and have new gourd bird houses in the Spring.  Gourd bird houses can house a variety of different bird species, including martins, sparrows, and even chickadees if you drill a smaller hole!

Now that I’ve read up on the lives and behavioral patterns of purple martins, I must admit I’m a bit jealous. I had always enjoyed gazing at their violet-hued plumage and listening to their striking courtship vocalizations, but that was the extent of it. Then I found out that these winged wonders take to the skies in the fall and fly all the way to the Southern Hemisphere; with the weather the way it is up here in November, I can hardly blame them.

The majority of purple martins don’t arrive back in the States until spring, but it’s always a good plan to have your purple martin bird houses set up and ready to go by February. Since martins live in large groups, their houses are built accordingly. The homes should be placed out in a yard by February at the latest to catch the first few groups of martins on their way back up north. Although it takes persistence and more than a little luck to attract these birds, once they’ve found your specialized house they will return again and again.

  Bluebirds were once a common sight in suburban and rural areas. Much admired for their beautiful coloring and their distinctive song. The Eastern Bluebird (one of 3 types of Bluebirds’) is the state bird of both New York and Missouri.

  All Bluebirds are cavity nesters. Due to loss of nesting habitat such as tree holes, and old fence posts or orchards and the introduction of House Sparrows and Starlings from Europe in the later 1800’s the Bluebird population declined nearly 90% by 1970. But today Bluebirds growing numbers can be attributed to the many humans who are putting up nest boxes to help them. All you need is a fairly open area, along with food and water sources nearby. 

  Bluebirds’ mate in the spring and summer, with the female laying 4 to 5 light blue eggs which will take about two weeks to hatch. Both the male and the female will care for the young. In addition during the second nesting, occasionally one of the young Bluebirds from the first brood will remain to help raise the young.

 A Hummingbird’s nest is made out of soft material such as moss and lichen. She also uses bits of willow, animal and plant down. Then she will hold it all together with spider webs (which happens to make a great glue ). With some materials becoming harder for her to find, and having to settle for items such as dryer lint. We can help her out  with the perfect Nesting Material that we provide ourselves!  

 Hummingbirds build their nests on a “Y” of a tree branch, they are cup shaped like half of a walnut shell, and are about the size of a ping pong ball. They are camouflaged so well with their surroundings, it is often difficult to find them. One of the easiest ways to find a nest is to watch the hummer as she collects the nesting material and follow her back to the nest site. She brings a little at a time, so don’t get upset if you don’t see where she goes at first. You’ll have many more chances to find her nest!

  Most, if not all of us have gotten in the habit of recycling. Especially if you’re into nature and birding they just naturally go together, well how about the bird houses and bird feeders in your own backyard? Did you know that there are many out there made of recycled wood or plastic? Two billion pounds of plastics such as milk jugs, water and soda bottles are collected each year! Products made out of these recycled materials help to prevent deforestation and keeps the waste out of the landfills.

  Also products made out of recycled plastics do not splinter, chip, rot, or discolor as easily. They are also easy to care for, you can scrub down nest boxes and feeders with a bleach solution, which also helps to prevent the spread of disease among the birds and other wildlife that uses them. So lets keep the world happy and healthy and Go Green!!

Gardens and backyards filled with foliage and happy, chirping birds are a sight to behold.  They look so natural and full of life, you can’t help but wish there would be more of these places in the city.

If your garden is already teeming with greenery, you need to work on attracting the birds.  A good first step would be to acquire a bird house.  Decorative bird houses are wonderfully appealing outdoor structures that add instant color and vibrancy to a garden.  They come in many sizes and shapes and can be hung or positioned atop a sturdy ledge or pole.  Most are designed to look like miniature houses but a few come in rare, eye-catching styles such as the ones that resemble acorns and a clump of grapes!  Bird houses are commonly made of wood, metal or polyresin.  When you buy one, don’t forget the bird seed to keep your feathered friends contented, and coming back for more.

If you want to bring North America’s largest swallow and only Martin on this continent to be a guest at your house try putting up a Purple Martin House. However  make sure when putting up your Martin House it is in the center of the most open place available, at least 30 feet from human housing and 40 feet minimum from any trees. 

East of the Rockies, Purple Martins are completely dependent on humans for their  houses. For more than 100 years Martins have nested almost exclusively in Purple Martin Houses put up by us (humans). Purple Martins  are unusual due to the fact that several pairs will nest in a Martin House with multiple compartments. Once you have attracted the subadults to your house they will return year after year to you. They enjoy the company of humans and will reward you with their beautiful songs.Purple Martins are unique that they get their food (insects) and water while in flight. They skim the surface of the  water and scoop it up with their lower bill.