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Opt for Dovecote Birdhouses that Really Lasts
Say it ain’t so?That majestic dovecote birdhouse has seen better days. It now sites like an eyesore, rotted and crumbling. The only thing remaining intact is the beautiful copper roof.
Sad but true, in all cases wood eventually succumbs to weather. Our dovecotes are meticulously crafted of vinyl/PVC although they look like wood.
Folks think of vinyl as cheesy, slick-looking plastic… but it’s the furthest thing from the truth. Over the years, some customers have even had concerns they’d received a wooden birdhouse- when in fact it was a vinyl dovecote!
But do the birds use these birdhouses?
You bet! This male Eastern Bluebird is actually feeding mealworms to nestlings. How do we know this? The smaller dovecote happens to be our own! Installed about 6 years ago in an open area, it’s hosted many successful broods over the years. Yes, the copper roof could use a cleaning which simply entails a soft cloth, gentle soap and water… and time!
After these babies fledged, nest clean-out was in order. Climbing up and lifting the roof revealed that three other old nests had hosted chickadees, nuthatches and a prior bluebird family.
When making an investment in your landscape, it’s a good idea to opt for quality, and something that carries a guarantee is always best.Stunning copper roof dovecote birdhouses are USA made and made to last a lifetime. Wood is never used in their construction, neither on finials nor decorative brackets. This means deterioration simply won’t occur because the material is inert. Resisting insect damage, the dovecotes will never warp, rot or peel as wood behaves.
Real estate’s tough out there! Consider Fall Spruce-Up and housong the birds at the same time 🙂
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Copper Roof Birdhouses for Earth Day- No Trees Please
To celebrate Earth Day, here’s a few cool birdhouses & feeders that don’t require cutting down trees… we’d much rather save the trees for birds!
The real beauty lies in the textured vinyl because it looks like wood. Many folks do prefer a natural look in the garden, and our copper roof birdhouses and feeders really do pass for wood. In fact, some past customers have insisted they received a wooden bird house!
Vinyl, poly-lumber and recycled plastics have numerous advantages over traditional wood when it comes to birdhouses and feeders.
Wood is good but it will always weather. These man-made materials are inert, in other words, they’re impervious to the elements and to insect damage. They will never crack, split or rot, and there’s no maintenance (except for regular cleaning of bird feeders). A soapy rag and forceful spray from the garden hose will cleanup environmental grime in a snap, leaving the house or feeder looking new again.
The inside non-porous texture is much healthier for local birds in the yard because mold and bacteria can’t settle into cracks and crevices as it typically does with wood. It also makes cleaning much easier and more effective.
Color is integrated with materials so scratches, dings or dents are barely noticeable. Recycled plastic or poly-lumber helps keep plastics out of landfills. One manufacturer uses labels saying how many milk jugs it took to make the item.
Of course there will always be wood birdhouses too, but the trend has shifted to salvaged, found, vintage and reclaimed wood from barns and other structures. These unique birdhouses are usually handmade by artisans with a passion for birds, with each piece possessing an individual character and charm.Many styles are even one-of-a-kinds. Birds love them too and will be quite happy calling these places home to raise a brood or two!
Happy Earth Day… time to go get out and garden!
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Let Them Decorate Their Own Birdhouse
Years ago, in a well-meaning gesture, the nice lady only wanted to help the birds. She’d purchased 4 or 5 birdhouses but phoned us a few weeks later to advise there were no takers. In the Southeast, nesting season was in full swing, and she related the many species of birds in her garden.Since none of this made much sense, we asked about birdhouse placement? Clustered together, attached to a once mighty tree that succumbed to storm damage, this was not the ideal locale as most birds prefer solitary housing on a post or hanging from a branch in a quiet, secluded area. Strike number one.
Upon further discussion, she told us that placing dryer lint inside each birdhouse was meant to lure the birds to their new homes. Say what… dryer lint? Would a bird ever really find dryer lint and use it for nest construction? Chances are slim to none because it’s not natural, it’s not something found in nature. Strike number two.
Birds prefer to decorate their own digs, be it inside a birdhouse or natural cavity found in trees and snags. They use materials that suit their liking, materials readily found among nature. Things like grass clippings, mosses, feathers, pine needles, weed stems, twigs, leaves, wood chips, hair and fur, bark, mud and plant fibers. The list is varied and mostly species-specific. They’ve been doing it a really long time too… before we ever started offering birdhouses or feeders.
To celebrate spring’s arrival and the start of nesting season, we’re in the midst of our spring promo… free nesting materials with all orders! No codes, no minimum purchase required. You’ll receive a bag containing horse hair, alpaca fur, 2 kinds of moss, a bit of short raffia strands and feathers. An instruction sheet is included with easy ideas for offering the materials. The main trick is to be ready before the birds start claiming territories and nesting!
These natural materials (not dryer lint) will further entice friendly fliers to new birdhouses. Please steer clear of this man-made material as birds are unfamiliar, and it retains moisture as well. Also if saving pet hair for birds’ nests is up your alley, please avoid doing so if your pet has been treated with flea/tick medicine.Help house the birds at your place… but allow them the courtesy of decorating their own birdhouse 🙂
The commercial below absolutely rocks, definitely worth a view!
Birding Tips, Information & News
Say it ain’t so?
