Unique Birdhouse Boutique

Most folks start with birdhouses and bird feeders to attract wild birds, and this is the perfect way to explore the great hobby of backyard birding. There are many other ways to increase the number of visitors and the number of species to your yard. Water is the number one element. Many birds who never visit a feeder will frequent a yard that offers a continuous fresh water source like a bird bath. Especially during frigid winters when water sources tend to freeze and become scarce, birds depend on a known spot for fresh water. Our bluebirds even over-wintered here in North Georgia, largely because of the three heated bird baths in the yard. Oh yes, the live mealworms helped too!

Many desired songbirds birds (like cardinals and finches) are not cavity-dwellers either, meaning they’ll never use a birdhouse.

Which brings us to yet another feathered friend favorite. Nesting materials are extremely important to birds in early spring. With a severe shortage in natural habitats, many depend on bird-friendly yards for their residence. There are all kinds of kits which offer refills too. This nesting material wreath is one, complete with feathers, cotton fibers, hemp, and raffia. The Bird Nester is a large, cage-like holder for cotton fiber nesting material, and offers refills as well. Even the Hummer Helper, which is nesting material designed specifically for hummingbirds offers refills.

Offering wild birds nesting materials in your yard really helps them to thrive and flourish. You can even craft your own materials using dryer lint, pet hair, cotton yarns, and mosses used in decorative floral design. Use a standard suet cage for holding the materials, or a mesh produce bag from the grocery store (like the kind apples come in). Late winter to very early spring is the best time to set them outside for birds. Simply hang from a tree branch, where they’ll be easily spotted, or even from one of the arms on your shepherd’s hook……happy birding!

Entice and encourage birds to nest in your yard with simple materials found around your home. Although there are all kinds of cool nesting material kits out there, you can do this one yourself…easily!

Start with a mesh produce bag, like the kind apples come in at the grocery store. Next time you empty the lint basket in your clothes dryer, save the soft, cottony material for your nesting ball. Got a cat or dog? Pet hair is another keeper. If you brush your pet, save the hair that accumulates in their brush. If you happen to have a horse…even better! The nesting material shown here is horse hair. Mostly from the mane and tail, it makes for great stuff to help bind birds’ gatherings into a nest.

Ever work with silk or dried flowers? The decorative moss, especially Spanish Moss is wonderful. Stuff a little moss into the nesting ball too. They even like raffia and feathers. Hang your nest ball from a branch in a visible spot for birds to find. Somewhere in the proximity of existing bird feeders or birdhouses is best.

Simple materials from around your home, that are usually discarded, make for great nesting materials to help birds thrive and flourish in your backyard. Attract end entice birds to stick around, not by adding more feeders and houses, but by offering valuable nesting material for them to help raise their babies.

Although nesting season may be winding down for some wild bird species, others are just gearing up. The bluebirds in our yard are on their second brood for the season. American Goldfinches breeding season is just starting and runs through late July.

You can attract and encourage birds to nest in your yard by offering different nesting materials. There’s a bevy of easy ways to do it, and several great products to use. The Birdie Bell shown here, is a versatile holder for bird nesting materials. The beauty with this item is that it can be utilized year round for birds. Shaped to hold birdseed bells in winter time, it conveniently holds orange halves in summer to attract Orioles and others. Spring, summer and winter, this product offers birds seasonal treats to help them thrive and flourish.

The Hummer Helper Nest Kit is the perfect material for hummingbirds, another species to breed and nest through summer months. Offering these bird nesting materials is even likely to bring more hummers to your feeders. Juveniles born in proximity to feeders will be visiting along with mama, and since hummingbirds practice “site fidelity” they’re likely to return the following year if conditions are favorable. Hummer Helper has even been endorsed by The Hummingbird Society.

The bird nester is a large wooden-back, cage like holder for bird nesting materials. It contains a special blend of natural fibers that are perfect for feathered friends to build proper nests. Refills are available for this, and most nesting material holders too.

Birdhouses and feeders aren’t the only way to entice and encourage sweet songbirds in your yard. You can help them thrive by offering a variety of nesting materials. And as always, a fresh water source will attract even more feathered friends…guaranteed!

Happy Birding…

It’s a known fact that hummingbirds practice site fidelity – if they find great accommodations, there’s a very good chance they’ll return the following season. If you love watching the tiny sprites and have  window hummingbird feeders or hanging ones, there’s a couple more things you can offer to accommodate more hummingbirds, and keep them coming back.

They love water, and if it’s moving water – even better! Birdbath accessories like fountains and drippers act like a magnet for hummingbirds. I think the leaf misters might just be their favorite. The way they dance, back and forth to play and bathe in the fine mist is mesmerizing. I could sit and observe for hours if there were time. We have two misters, one is upright, staked in the ground, wrapped around a simple green plant stake with a twistie to hold the nozzle in place. The other is up higher, and more horizontal, off the front porch railing, attached to a metal bracket. They really love these things!

Another wonderful accessory (actually endorsed by The Hummingbird Society) is Hummer Helper Nesting Material. It’s a kit with a hanging, red flat basket, and nest material. Goldfinches use this material as well to build their nests. The good thing with the kit is that refills are also sold separately. Our kit saw a lot of activity last season, but I never could figure out where the nests were?

Try it and see for yourself!

You can entice more feathered friends to your yard, and help them out by offering nesting materials. They’ll seek out their preferred material and if conditions are favorable (mature trees, brush and thickets) will take up residence at your place. If you’re attentive and observant, you may be able to spot the nest and even see the nestlings before they fledge.

Many kinds of commercial nesting materials are available; from cotton balls, to wreaths containing feathers and strings, to baskets, filled with yarns, cotton fibers, and hemp. But you can easily make your own nest ball using some pretty common items that are usually discarded in the trash.

Start with a mesh produce bag-like the kind from the grocery store. Next save your dryer lint a few times instead of tossing it. Got a dog or cat? Pet hair also works well in the mix! The home made nest ball at left is made strictly from horse tail hair, and as you can see…the birds have torn it apart!

Both non-cavity dwelling birds, and birds who use houses will seek out nesting material to build a suitable site in which they’ll lay eggs and raise the babies.

Attract more feathered friends to your yard with nesting materials.

You can encourage nest building in your yard and attract more wild birds by offering bird nesting materials such as; feathers, cotton yarns and strings, hemp and aspen fiber. Several holders and kits with refills make it an easy task that yields favorable results – for you and the birds!

The Birdie Bell shown at left is a versatile nest material vessel that can be used year round. Shaped to hold the common birdseed bells for winter feeding, they also hold orange halves and other fruits for summer time feeding for orioles, woodpeckers and others.

Nesting wreaths contain some of the favorite bird nesting materials mentioned above, and also have refills available.  North American non-cavity dwellers will seek these materials to build suitable nests. Add a fresh water source such as a bird bath, and if there are trees and shrubs in your yard to offer cover, and not too many predators…you’ll see birds who never even visit your feeders.

With spring upon us, it’s quite favorable that feathered friends will take up residence soon!

Backyard birding involves more than just birdhouses and bird feeders. You can take a great hobby (that gives us so much pleasure) to the next level with a few useful bird accessories.

For example, some seed catchers and seed trays will actually provide extra feeding space for birds who may not perch at the feeder itself. The tray also serves as a platform allowing you to add a variety of food and treats that can’t go in the feeder. Fruit, nuts, mealworms, or suet may be added to any platform for additional variety. This alone will attract more species of birds to the feeder.

Nesting material is another bird accessory that is often overlooked. Non-cavity dwellers will seek out nesting materials to build their nests and raise the brood. Cotton yarns, feathers, mosses, even dryer lint and pet hair are useful to these birds. You can make your own nesting ball using a mesh produce bag from the grocery store. We made one with horse tail hair that our birds just tear to pieces!

WindowAlert decals have done wonders in preventing bird window strikes. Barely visible to the human eye, these static cling decals act like a big stop sign for birds. They work brilliantly and truly reduce these nasty accidents if your birds are striking windows in your home.

If you’re new to birding, try one thing at at time and see how it works for your birds and you. The list is endless, from creating moving water in a bird bath, to weather guards for feeders, and squirrel baffles, the bird accessories really make a difference!

Use bird accessories to successfully attract more feathered friends to your yard!

There are many ways to attract your favorite songbirds other than typical birdhouses or bird feeders.  These are great ways to provide food and shelter, but there’s much more you can easily do to create “bird-friendly” habitat.

Adding a fresh water source to your yard is very beneficial, if you can create a moving water source…even better! Moving water is like a visual magnet to wild birds.  Using a birdbath mister or dripper will absolutely attract more species to your yard.

Another great item, is nesting material, as it’s used by both cavity dwelling birds and birds who don’t use birdhouses. You can even make your own nesting material by using items from around the house, such us dryer lint, cotton yarns and strings, pet hair, and moss. Simply collect these items and place in a mesh produce bag like the kind from the grocery store. The one shown above hangs in our yard, and contains horse tail hair, The birds have really gone to town on it!

Bird accessories need not be expensive to have an impact in your yard.  Drippers can be made by using milk jugs with tiny pin holes, hung up above your bird bath.  See what’s out there and modify it for a home-made version, you’ll be seeing more feathered friends in your new found habitat!

Encourage finches and other small songbirds to take up residence in your yard!

If you feed nyjer, or thistle seed, you’re most likely attracting gold finches, house and purple finches, red polls, pine siskins and possibly buntings (depending on the area)

It’s best to keep your thistle feeder out year round to enjoy the vibrant colors of birds in warmer months. Finches and others will also benefit greatly from a dependable food source during frigid winter months.

Another way to entice finches and keep them around your yard is with nesting material. Cotton nesting balls are a wonderful way to encourage songbirds to nest in your yard, provided there is adequate shelter like mature trees, or brush and thickets.

Add a water source to this equation, and you’ve created a wildlife habitat! Food, water and shelter are all it takes to attract songbirds and help them to thrive and flourish.  So get ready for the next nesting season with your thistle feeder, by adding water and shelter for finches and other songbirds.

You’ll be amazed at what a few effective wild bird accessories can do!

Thanks to this Nest Cam, see a female Bluebird make final tweaks to her nest inside this bluebird house!

Video Courtesy of: Help-for-Bluebirds.org (HFBB)
A non-profit organization dedicated to Eastern bluebird conservation.
Name: Bluebird Shepherd
Dedicated bluebird conservationist.
Country: United States
Website: http://help-for-bluebirds.org