Archive for the 'Blue Birdhouse' Category
Okay…so this may not be a bluebird house, but it does represent a typical squirrel-enlarged entrance. Has this happened to any of your birdhouses?
Early fall is the perfect time to clean birdhouses in preparation for winter. Resident birds like chickadees, titmice, and wrens will use houses to roost on cold winter nights. Our bluebirds actually stuck around and over-wintered here in North Georgia last year, so blue bird houses should also receive a thorough cleaning.
An old spatula works well to remove nesting materials, and makes the perfect scraper to remove stuck-on debris. Discard nest material away from the birdhouse, as this will likely attract predators. For the safety of your health, never breath in the dust from the nest materials either. Rubber gloves are helpful too.
To salvage an enlarged entrance and restore your birdhouses, predator guards are available. Simple metal portals work well, and fit right over the entrance, denying large birds or squirrels back inside the house. Two small nails will tack these down securely and in a jiffy! Decorative predator guards are also available, and will undo the damage done to your birdhouse.
Silly me! I seriously thought that by placing blue bird houses in the yard the sweet birds would just appear and decide to take up residence. Not the case though. After some time, the bluebird feeder was introduced with offerings that weren’t too enticing to bluebirds. Suet crumbles, bluebird banquet, roasted mealworms, and a host of other foods claiming to be” their favorite” were not attracting bluebirds to the yard.
Then after biting the bullet so to speak, live meal worms were offered and it worked…in fact, it worked great! I noticed in the dead of winter there were eastern bluebirds in my yard…everyday! There’s a heated bird bath in the back, and they frequented it daily. Now added to the list of chores was feeding the worms everyday, but it was just so rewarding to watch these sweet little birds chowing down!
When it started to warm up, the bluebirds were busy building a nest of pine needles in one of blue bird houses. In and out for a few days, the nest was completed quickly. I watched the process over the next few we
eks, afraid to even open the house and peek inside. The parents dutifully fed the chicks mealworms over the next few days. Feeder to house, house to feeder, I watched in delight.
Fledglings! Three healthy bluebird chicks learned to fly. I watched as they’d follow their parents over to the meal worm feeder, land on top and scream for food. After a few days they learned to enter and exit the openings to get their own worms. This was very cool to witness, and I would suggest to anyone with the least bit of interest in Bluebirds to try it and see!
Weathered wood is always lovely, until it starts to disintegrate. This happens to many a birdhouse and feeder over time. But these new vinyl bluebird houses are better than wood, and guaranteed to last a lifetime with little to no maintenance.
In classic, architectural styles, they offer your choice of patina or bright copper roof. The vinyl is PVC, just like the siding on people’s homes, and each piece is made to order. They’re complete with a vinyl sleeve post that has attached decorative brackets and fits on a standard 4×4 post.
These great bluebird houses range from a six-inch diameter, up to a ten-inch model. Larger sizes with multiple compartments are available, but not geared towards bluebirds.
The secret to attracting bluebirds? Open space away from trees, and the coveted live mealworms. Entice most any wild bird with fresh water in a birdbath, it’s the single most effective way to get birds coming to your yard. Our bluebirds even stay through severe winters as their bath water is always heated, and the meal worms make for good pickings!
Wishing a Happy Easter to All!
Easter might be considered a family holiday…so its a great time to start putting up birdhouses for feathered friend families as the nesting season is well underway. In the yard male bluebirds are busy constructing their best nests to attract females in hopes of raising a brood…they’re very family oriented you know!
Providing a blue bird house for this endearing little bird is well worth the effort. They’re amazing to watch, and if you’re lucky enough to have two broods in one season, you’ll see young bluebirds helping mom and dad with feeding the babies.
There’s an ultimate blue bird house made from recycled plastic, they call it poly lumber, but the best thing is it’s guaranteed to never crack, split or fade. It has a viewing window to see nestlings, a chew-proof predator guard, screened wall to help the babies fledge, and a raised screen floor to prevent blowfly infestation for birds’ health. With a pretty blue roof, it will last a lifetime, and if properly placed, will host many successful broods of which you can be proud.
Add a bird bath, some live meal worms, and you’ve got the winning combination for a bluebird family in your yard!
As the days become longer, a birds’ instinct to nest becomes stronger. Regardless of temperature you know it’s a sure sign of spring when birds are scurrying and flitting about with twigs, straw or grasses in their beaks.
Today I was thrilled to witness such behavior by a male bluebird. I had cleaned out the old nests a few weeks ago and was afraid I’d chased away my little blue friends. Nope…they’re here, happy and getting ready for babies! This little guy was working hard, carrying piece after piece of pine straw into the house. Guess he has a pretty woman to impress!
The two blue bird houses in my yard are in close proximity. Although bluebirds are very territorial – which is why they say houses should be placed 100 feet apart, this close placement (10-15 feet) helps to alleviate competition from other birds for the coveted nest box.
So You’d Like to Attract Bluebirds?
One of the favorite of all songbirds is the bluebird. Their gentle disposition, and sense of family are amazing, not to mention their color and song. Placing a bluebird house in your yard is a great way to start, but may not do the trick in and of itself.
Fierce competition for nest boxes exists between house sparrows (a non-native species) and our beloved bluebirds. House sparrows are known to kill babies and adult bluebirds alike. One way to help alleviate the fighting, is to place an additional bluebird house about 10-15 feet away from the first one.
Adding a bird bath will not only help attract bluebirds, but other wonderful songbirds as well. The all-time favorite treat for bluebirds has got to be live mealworms! They are coveted for the high protein content, and most birds will gorge on them…literally eating you out of house and home! The way to exclude these little piggies is to feed meal worms in a bluebird feeder. There are very few birds, besides the bluebird, who will use this type of feeder – having to fly through a hole to reach the prize inside.
Bluebird babies are absolutely irresistible, and if you’re lucky enough to witness two broods in the same season, you’ll see the young from the first brood help mom and dad feed the new babies. Whether you choose a wooden bluebird house, or a recycled plastic one, pay close attention to placement – approximately 5-6 feet high, and in an open area. If you pole-mount the house, it’s best to use a baffle below it to thwart predators. A portal protector over the entrance will also help to ensure a successful brood.
Happy Birding!
If you have the dreaded spring cleaning blues, just step outside and switch to spring cleaning your bluebird houses. Now’s the time when males start trying to lure females to the best, and most beautiful house in which they’ll raise their brood.
Clean out old nests, and discard the nest materials away from the house so as not to attract predators. It’s best to scrub the inside with a mild bleach solution as well, (1:10) to kill any infestations, bacteria or molds. Rinse well and let air dry before putting the house back.
Wooden bluebird houses may appear rough around the edges, especially at the entrance…a usual sign of squirrel damage. Don’t fret though, the house is likely still usable. Just add a metal portal, or protector over the existing entrance. They’re inexpensive and work well to repair bluebird houses.
If you’ve just put up your first bluebird house, and are hoping to attract these wonderful birds – try adding live meal worms to your feeding regimen. They really do magically attract bluebirds. A Bird bath with fresh water is helpful too. Our eastern bluebirds braved the harsh winter here in North Georgia as the heated baths, suet and live worms kept them fat and happy. Just know that when feeding live worms, most birds will literally eat you out of house and home, which is why a bluebird feeder works best. The bird must pass through an entrance hole to get the worms. Very few birds, besides bluebirds will do this.
Happy Spring and Happy Birding!
What would make this bluebird house so special?
Aside from the handsome architectural details, this house is constructed similar to the ones people live in…it’s vinyl! PVC, just like the vinyl siding used on residences, it withstands elements and lasts a lifetime. These bluebird houses are manufactured on a CNC router to ensure absolute precision and quality. Bluebirds nesting here will never experience leaky roofs or drafty walls. With a cypress shingle roof and copper portal, the look and feel are high quality.
The other great advantage with this high quality bluebird house is the vinyl sleeve post that’s included. It’s meant to streamline the look of the house, while fitting over any standard 4 x 4 post. And with the cellular expanded PVC board, there’s never any worries of rotting, cracking, splitting or fading…guaranteed!
PS: Don’t forget fresh water for bluebirds, critical through winter. They’re more likely to stick around for nesting season if you provide heated bath water for them now.
Whether your search is for jewelry, electronics, or blue bird houses…check this out!!
Supporters Turn to Innovative Ways to Help Their Favorite Nonprofits This Holiday Season
The economic downturn inspires people to utilize online shopping mall and search engine – GoodShop.com and GoodSearch.com – to both save money and help their favorite causes generate funds
New York, NY, November, 2009 – As a result of the economy and because of a national drop in donations, individuals are looking for innovative and free ways to help their favorite charities.
More than 85,000 nonprofits have partnered with the online shopping mall, GoodShop.com, and Yahoo! powered search engine, GoodSearch.com, to enable their supporters to generate funds simply by shopping online and searching the Internet. What makes the system so compelling is that it doesn’t cost the users (or the organizations) a thing. It’s a form of philanthropy that works for everyone in this tough economy! 
Consumers are helping their favorite causes by shopping at GoodShop.com where they can choose from more than 1,400 well known retailers including Target, Apple, Macy’s, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Gap, and PETCO among others. The shopping experience and the prices are exactly the same as going to the retailer directly, but by going through GoodShop, up to 30% of the purchase price is donated to the user’s favorite cause. GoodShop also offers coupons and free shipping deals, so not only are the consumers helping their favorite non-profits, but they are saving money while doing so!
Similarly, with every search conducted on Yahoo!-powered GoodSearch.com, approximately one penny is donated to the user’s favorite charity. It’s used exactly like any other search engine and the pennies add up quickly! Just 500 people searching four times a day will earn around $7,300 in a year! And, again it doesn’t cost the users a thing!
Individuals can even add the GoodSearch toolbar to their browser, allowing them to automatically generate donations every time they search or shop online – without going to GoodSearch or GoodShop first.
GoodSearch and GoodShop have quickly spread via word-of-mouth, the blogger community, and a number of celebrities and their foundations including Jessica Biel, Montel Williams, Jeff Bridges, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw among others. 
To give you a sense of how this has worked:
· Supporters of the ASPCA, to date, have raised nearly $30,000 to help animals in need
· The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has earned over $12,000 in pursuit of finding a cure
· The National Inclusion Project, which helps children with disabilities, has used the money it’s earned to send more than 100 children to summer camp.
· A single purchase placed at Gaiam.com resulted in a $284 donation to the Motion Mania Dance Theater in Maryland!
Internet users have found GoodSearch and GoodShop to be a compelling idea. Leslie Philips, a veterinarian in Tennessee, uses GoodSearch and GoodShop to support The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee – the nation’s largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. “There’s no reason not to use GoodShop! It makes me feel so good knowing that when I’m buying my friends and family gifts this season, a portion of that money will go towards endangered species. And with the new toolbar and coupons, it’s a no-brainer!”
The GoodSearch and GoodShop team is revolutionizing online philanthropy so that no one is denied the opportunity to support the causes most important to them. “The response to this idea has been truly overwhelming,” said Ken Ramberg, Co-Founder of GoodSearch and former President of JOBTRAK, the largest online career site for college students (which was acquired by Monster.com). “More than 100 new nonprofits and schools register daily and GoodSearch and GoodShop are making a difference in communities across the country. They are alleviating the strain in resources and making it possible for everyone, regardless of how much time or money they have, to give back.”
In attempting to attract bluebirds to my yard last season, I learned that housing didn’t seem quite sufficient to appease these lovely birds to take up residence. After experimenting with different foods, actually calling themselves “Bluebird Food”, I realized that live mealworms were the only thing that did the trick…and they really worked great, with two successful broods!
If you’re inviting bluebirds into your yard with bluebird houses alone, feeders will greatly increase chances of them nesting and sticking around. Live meal worms are their food of choice since they are basically insectivores. Providing fruit-bearing trees is also a good way to attract many species of wild birds.
Houses should be in a clearing if possible, mounted to a fence, or a few feet away from a treeline. If post-mounting the house, provide protection from predators with a baffle. A fresh water source in winter is also a great help and attractor for bluebirds and others, especially heated bath water.