Birds and Flight

There is estimated to be over 100 billion individual wild birds on earth, and each one needs to eat certain amounts of food on a daily basis in order to survive. That’s where we come in! Birdfeeders are fun to make and are essential in order for birds to live. Bird houses can be made out of practically anything and are usually hung in different locations around your yard for birds to enjoy. Purchasing a bird feeder is another option, however this can be expensive and both methods serve practically the same purpose.

The following is a fun and easy way for children (or adults) to make a bird feeder:

What You Will Need:

•An empty milk or juice carton (any size will do)
•String (must be strong)
•Scissors
•Stapler
•Hole punch
•2 small sticks or wooden rods
•Bird seed
•Markers, paint or anything which can be used to decorate the carton. Ensure the paint is water based not to hurt your feathered friends and try not to use anything that can be potentially dangerous to swallow.

Directions:

1.Wash and dry the carton thoroughly.

2.Decorate your carton however you would like.

3.Using your scissors cut a square in each side of the carton (a square big enough to fit at least the head of a bird).

4.Using your hole punch (or your scissors) make a small hole below each square.

5.Push your sticks or rods through the holes from one side of the carton to the other (the sticks will form a “t”).

6.Fill the bottom of your carton with bird seed.

7.Punch a hole (or two if you like) in the top of your carton.

8.Hang your finished feeder to a tree branch with string.

Although these bird feeders will not last forever (or even close), they are a fun, inexpensive way for children to learn about birds and the importance of caring for our wildlife.

If you’re a birder, you want to keep a list of sightings when you bird watch. Your life lists should be kept in a bird watching journal.

Life List

A life list is a record of the species of birds you’ve sighted over time. Typically, the list is kept in a journal. Each entry notes the bird species, the date, location and any notes you want to add. Depending on your particular bird watching exploits, you can keep one global list or separate lists as you see fit.

For many bird watchers, one life list simply isn’t enough. So, how can you break down your lists? Here are a few ideas:

1. House Lists – A list of birds sighted around your home.

2. Yearly Lists – A list for each year you bird watch.

3. State Lists – A list for sighting by particular state.

4. Trip Lists – Journals for particular bird watching vacations or tours.

5. Wish Lists – A list of birds you haven’t seen, but hope to. You simply cross them off as sightings occur.

Computer Life Lists

You can purchase computer life list programs or use online variations. Each program is different, but most come in a checklist format. You enter information and the program spits out your list.

The problem with using computer programs is…well, the computer aspect. Unless you are willing to lug a laptop around with you, there is going to be a delay between sightings and your journal entries. Using a computer program is also troublesome if you want to keep a collection of sketches of particular species you’ve identified. For most birders, a computer list is a supplement to a good journal, not a replacement.

Bird watching is an extremely personal passion. If you’re just starting, you may think you don’t need to keep a life list. The problem with this approach, of course, is you will regret the decision if you later decide to do so. All those sightings will be gone with time…

If you’re going to start bird watching, make sure you keep a life list journal from the outset. As I like to say, “Preserve the experience!”

Bird Watching is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your bird watching experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a bird watching journal for your sightings and trips.

Bird Watching Journals

Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent bird watching experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went bird watching. Undoubtedly, you remember few things about the geography, people you went with, every bird sighted and so on. The experiences you’ve forgotten are lost to time. If you had kept a bird watching journal, this wouldn’t be the case.

There are famous instances of people keeping journals throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank’s Diary is the best example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding from the Nazis. While your bird watching experiences better be more lighthearted, keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass.

A good bird watching journal combines a number of characteristics. First, it should be compact so you don’t have to take up unnecessary space for other things. Second, it should have a case to protect it from rain, spills and so on. Third, the journal should contain blank areas to write your notes. Fourth, the journal should contain cue spaces to remind you to keep notes on specific things. Cues should include:

1. Who you went birding with,

2. Where you stayed and if you enjoyed it,

3. Who you met and contact information for them,

4. The geographic and weather conditions, and

5. The birds you sighted and added to your life list.

At the end of the trip, you should be able to get the following from your journal:

1. Contact information for other bird watchers and people you met,

2. Enough detail to provide you or a friend with a guide if you travel to the location a second time.

3. Memories to reflect upon years later, and

4. Something to pass on to your children and grandchildren.

To get the most out of your bird watching journal, you should write in it during and immediately after birding. Every sighting brings new experiences even if you’re just sitting in your backyard.

Bird watching is a great way to commune with nature. Make sure to preserve the experience.

An Empty Nest is For the Birds

by S. M. Calhoun



It was just a simple child’s book, its total vocabulary consisting of only five words. Yet, as I listened to a student read it on this particular day, I felt like weeping! What was wrong with me?

The story was about a young bird getting booted from the nest and gaining independence. As a mother, I had just begun to experience the reality of an "empty nest."

While the mother bird was cheerfully kicking her youngsters out, however, I had been holding onto mine for dear life! When the time came for me to relinquish my hold on them, I thought I had handled it very well. But when this little bird book threatened to drown me in tears, I knew it was time for me to come to grips with this unwelcome change.

I am sure that neither the author nor the illustrator ever dreamed that their simple words and drawings would evoke such strong feelings from a reader! It was just the timing in my life—the emptying of my own nest. On the first page, a mama bird was literally kicking her fledgling out of the nest!

The poor little creature plummeted out of the tree and fell toward the ground. He frantically flapped his wings up and down. It was the only movement he knew. He was in luck! The frenzied flapping halted his downward plunge and the wings stopped his fall.

The whole event had been observed by an enemy—a feline who was up to no good. She sneaked in for a closer look. Still a novice in flight science, the baby bird breathed a sigh of relief. Disaster, for the moment, had been averted. He rested his aching wings a moment. Big mistake! The downward plunge began anew—and this time, the hungry cat was waiting below, ready to take advantage of the little bird’s ignorance.

Perhaps he sensed the new threat to his well being, for once again, he beat his wings anxiously against the invisible air. At the last moment, just as he came within an inch of that outstretched claw, his life was saved. His panicked flight carried him upward toward the nest—and his heartless mother!

On this particular day, I was infuriated by the mother robin in the book; she did nothing but watch her innocent child’s perilous adventure. On this particular day, eyes hot with unshed tears, I was in no mood for reading about the hazards of bird life. In my mind, they too closely paralleled the dangers my children would be facing.

What kind of a mother is she? I thought, indignantly. Why is she not flying alongside her baby, lending a supportive wing—or strapping him into a parachute? Why has she not offered a demonstration in navigation, and warnings about Newton’s law or the cat’s paw before shoving him out into the world? Why is she not hopping up and down in a frenzy, screeching, "You’re in danger, Son! Flap harder!" And, finally, why isn’t that mother waging an all-out war against the mortal enemy who is drooling for an opportunity to devour her child?

Then the analogy hit me squarely in the heart, leaving me gasping for breath. Detachment. . . then anger . . . tearfulness . . . devastation . . . this was grief in its rawest form! So that’s all there is to it? I asked myself. I spend 18 years deeply involved in the lives of my children and suddenly, without warning, it’s over? Like the excruciating amputation of an arm—or the painful separation of death or divorce?

Suddenly, in the course of a day, life swings from one set of extremes to another. One day there is noise—boisterous laughter, angry arguments, constant conversation, water splashing in the shower, toilets flushing and loud ka-thumping music. Then . . . there is utter stillness—broken only by the cat crunching her Kit’n Kaboodles.

From busy-ness to aimlessness. From comfortable companionship to loneliness. From the peaceful sleep of knowing that everyone is tucked safely into bed, to feeling the hollowness—the arrested breathing—of an empty house. From worries about the kids getting safely across our busy street, to the sheer helplessness of being separated by 500 miles of interstate.

How was I to respond to this unwelcome upheaval that was supposed to be the normal way of things? Surely I wasn’t expected to stand aloof and pretend not to notice as life shoved me, unwillingly, into the next phase. Was I to pretend that my entire being hadn’t been focused on nurturing, loving, and protecting my children all these years?

Was I, like the mother robin, supposed to simply say, "You’re an adult, now. Go start a family of your own!" (Boot!) I don’t think so!

In the past, I had thoughtlessly accepted the analogy of the "empty nest" to that of children leaving home. It was a tidy way for psychologists to view life in stages—cramming every aspect of life into an orderly filing system of human development. But at this point in my life, I rebelled at those experts who would nod with knowing boredom at my predicament, toss the file containing my current crisis into the drawer marked "Empty Nest Syndrome" and, so casually, compare my situation to that of a bird!

Conducting an amateur counseling session with myself, I had to acknowledge the fact that I was grieving the end of family life as I had known it. I didn’t want my kids to grow up, leave home, and become independent! Well, SOMEday, sure. But not yet! I cried and patted my shoulder sympathetically in an attempt to come to grips with this new phase of my life.

Stepping back to take a more objective look at our years together, it was humbling to acknowledge all of the mistakes my husband and I had made along the path of parenting. Ours was not a soft, downy nest. It was hurriedly and crudely built, with more than its share of thorns.

Guilt warred with excuses as my thoughts continued down this painful path. What imperfect parents we had been! How many times had I caused my children to flinch at an unreasonable tongue-lashing from my lips? Yet, how many times did I walk away from their tears to cry into my own pillow, pleading for God to soothe the hurts we had inflicted?

And unlike the mama bird in the story, hadn’t I fanatically protected my children and loved them with a passion? Knowing from experience the dangers that lay in wait for them . . . knowing there were hidden enemies just waiting to find them unprotected and vulnerable to attack, I had introduced them to our Protector. So, now, why was my jaw gaping open in amazement to see God standing in the shadows of our past, gazing lovingly at our turbulent family life . . . unobtrusive, unobserved, often touching us in an attempt to draw our attention to Himself?

Angrily, I shook Him off, recalling each painful event that my children had endured at the hands of a teacher, a coach, or a youth leader. How many times were their talents ignored, passed over or shredded as they tried to serve Him? How many times did I cry out to God, begging Him to intervene so that their spirits would not be crushed? Where was He, then?

Taking a deep breath, I removed myself from the role as mother for a moment. Trying to view my children as the young adults they had become, I searched for the festering wounds I knew I would find in their character---scars inflicted by myself and by the world’s neglect. Instead, I found gentleness, compassion, patience, determination, confidence, self-control, and an inner strength!

I was in awe, recognizing God’s handiwork in the chiseling, shaping and sanding of my children’s character! They had long since cast aside those hurtful experiences that still haunted me. As young adults, they were pushing onward with integrity, eagerly anticipating what God had in store for their lives.

Hadn’t this been our goal while our kids were still toddling around, grasping onto furniture to keep from falling . . . to raise them to be young men and women dependent solely upon God? And despite our interference, it had happened!

"Get a grip," I told myself. "You can survive this separation. That’s what life is all about. Get used to it!" My husband saw my tears each night, and he knew the homesickness for my kids wouldn’t recede without some special care. He made some suggestions that were heaven-sent.

First, he suggested that our phone budget be adjusted to include a weekly, 20-minute phone call to each of our kids (sure, we had e-mail, but there’s something about actually hearing their voices. . .). And for my peace of mind, we allowed them freedom to call home if depression or any other emotional catastrophe hit them.

Then my husband suggested that we set aside several long weekends on our calendar (in big, red letters) to visit the kids. I found that going without a hug for 2 ½ months was my limit. Ironically, by experiencing the 500-mile trek at its worst (bumper-to-bumper traffic, overheated cars in a summer traffic jam, and icy mountain interstates), my fears of the unknown were lessened! I could visualize my kids driving home and predict where there were at any given moment.

We also found that 2 ½ months of separation changed their attitude toward us. . . they were actually excited to see us! Whenever we visited them, they included us in excursions with their friends. We went to their college classes, drove 10 miles to their favorite shopping haunts and restaurants, and got to know their friends. We experienced their famous "walking bridge" in the heart of Chattanooga. We waded in my son’s favorite mountain creek. We perched atop the windy heights of Lookout Mountain and gazed down at the glowing autumn colors. I felt God’s peace as we shared the beauty of His creation.

I cried as we left the mountains and our hearts behind, but the tears were gentler, now. "How can I continue to grieve," I asked myself, "knowing that my kids are in God’s will, 500 miles from home?"

From above, an invisible Protector continues to smooth out imperfections as He watches our relationship transform from that of mother and child, to a firm, forever friendship. What a blessing! What an honor!

As the sun sets in the evening sky, we see a young bird soaring confidently back to his nest. With a sense of exhilaration, he shouts to his watching mother, "I can fly!" He has been given his independence—and he has survived. Maybe there is something to this "empty nest" thing, after all.

(end)

If your nest is too quiet, consider sharing your backyard or garden with a family of feathered tenants. You'll find birdhouses, birdbaths, garden plaques and more at www.poshbungalow.com.

If the “tweet, tweet” of little beaks is in your future, bird cages are undoubtedly on your mind. Bird cages are available in every price range. They are also available in an increasingly diverse range of styles.

Bird cages are made in many different materials. Some of the most popular are wood, metal, and acrylic. Powder-coated and stainless steel cages are also available.

When choosing a bird cage, there are several main considerations. The first is, of course, price. If you are on a limited budget, you will not be able to buy a custom cage. The second consideration should be the type of bird you are buying. Different birds have different needs. Some birds, such as Amazons, cockatoos, conures, or African grays, require large cages. Others, such as canaries, parakeets, and finches, do better in smaller cages.

The next consideration is purely cosmetic. You will need to pick a cage that matches your décor. This is especially important if your bird is to be a focal point of your home. Bird cages are offered now in styles ranging from simple to elaborate, elegant to whimsical.

Keep in mind that the main purpose of the cage is to keep the bird happy and safe. To that end, there are a few additional considerations. First of all, your bird cage should have a large door. This gives you easier access to your feathered friend.

For convenience sake, look for a cage with food and water containers that can be filled from the outside. Ease of cleaning is also important. Generally, metal is easier to clean than wood or acrylic.

“Mommy, come see! There are fairies in the garden!”

And so they might have been to the eyes of a five year old who grew up on tales of pixies, elves and fairies. The magical visitor this time, though, was a ruby-throated hummingbird. Hummingbirds have a unique ability to hover in one place by rapidly fluttering their tiny wings which may truly have made them the ‘fairies’ that many people saw hovering around brightly colored flowers.

It’s not difficult to create a garden that will attract hummingbirds, but if you’d like to build a habitat in which they will happily nest and live throughout the northern summer, you need to provide them with more than a sugar-water feeder and a plant or two. An active hummingbird garden doesn’t need to be large, but it will have all of the following key ingredients to attract and keep the attention of nature’s fairies.

Choose nectar producing plants that bloom at different times throughout the spring, summer and autumn.

Flowers are, of course, the key ingredient in attracting hummingbirds to your garden. The tiny birds feed on nectar that is produced by flowers, and seem particularly attracted to plants with trumpet or tubular bright red and orange flowers. Among their particular favorites, though, are rhododendrons, azaleas and rose of Sharon bushes, so the red trumpet isn’t a hard and fast rule. For northern gardens that attract the ruby-throated hummingbird, choose from the list of plants below, making sure that you choose plants that flower at different times during the blooming season to provide food for them throughout the spring, summer and fall.

Spring Bloomers
Azaleas, rhododendrons and rose of Sharon bushes make a great ‘background’ for hummingbird gardens. They bloom early in the spring and continue blooming through the early summer. Pink and bright red varieties are favored, but hummingbirds love ALL rose of Sharon varieties.

Summer Bloomers
Bleeding hearts and red mountain columbine bloom in the early summer, as do petunias, morning glories, trumpet vines, trumpet honeysuckle, and impatiens, all of which attract hummingbirds. An expanse of shade-dappled impatiens is a powerful attraction for hummingbirds, who are ‘sight’ hunters, finding their feeding grounds by sight.

Autumn Bloomers
Butterfly bush, day lilies, garden phlox, bee-balm and impatiens all will keep hummingbirds returning through the autumn and attract late migrators.

Provide a source of water in the hummingbird garden.
Unlike larger birds, hummingbirds will seldom take advantage of a bird bath or bowl of water. Instead, they relish cool mists. A garden hose with a misting attachment or a small fountain that can be adjusted to a fine mist will keep them happy.

Create vertical space for hummingbirds to perch and nest in your garden.

Hummingbirds need shelter from predators and small branches for perching and resting (yes, yes, they do perch sometimes!). By choosing a few taller bushes or trees, you can provide both.

A few strategically placed hummingbird feeders will offer an easy treat in your hummingbird garden.

There are dozens of commercially designed hummingbird feeders designed to be attractive to the little wanderers. Choose feeders with bright red accents, and a capacity for about 8 ounces of sugar water. Rather than using one large feeder, place 2-4 of them around your garden, out of sight of each other if possible. Hummingbirds are notoriously territorial. By providing several ‘private’ feeding stations, you’ll increase the number of hummingbirds that you attract.

When it comes to birding, Acadia National Park is a mecca for sightings. The Park has 338 bird species, which is a record for any national park in the United States. The list of species includes such rare birds as the bald eagle, 23 warbler variations and falcons by the bushel load. If you’re looking to fill out your life list, Acadia is the place to be.

The park has such a wide variety of bird species because of a unique environment. Part of the park consists of offshore islands that provide protected nooks and crannies that are ideal for nesting. To this end, numerous species use these island nooks as their southern breeding headquarters. Nesting species include eiders in addition to other sea birds, herons and raptors. Sandpipers and a wide variety of ducks can also be found on the islands.

In addition to the nesting areas, Acadia is famous for its rare, predatory species. The park is home to a wide variety of eagles, including the bald eagle, and falcons. Indeed, Acadia is the home of the very rare Peregrine Falcon, which was nearly pushed to extinction in 1964. Reintroduced to Acadia in the mid 1980s, the Peregrines have flourished and established nesting patters in the park.

If you’re looking to add to your life list, Acadia National Park is a destination you must visit. Here’s a list of bird species you just might see:

Red Throat Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
American Bittern
Least Bittern
Glossy Ibis
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Dovekie
Common Murre
Thick-billed Murre
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Gyrfalcon
Common Nighthawk
Whip-poor-will
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
Solitary Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo

This list is a very small sample of the species you will find at Acadia. Located in Maine, the park is highly recommended as a destination for amateur and fanatical bird watchers.

Making Gourd Birdhouses takes a little patience, but can be well worth the time and effort. Watching birds nest in your own homegrown gourd birdhouse will bring you joy and satisfaction.

Harvesting:
Harvest a hard-shell gourd when the vine has withered. Be careful to leave the stem attached. It's best to cut the stem with pruning shears so you don't bruise it. Hang it in a sunny spot or put it on newspaper in a warm dry place for 3 - 6 months.

If it is lying on a flat surface, be sure to turn frequently, A proper size for birdhouses has a diameter of about 8 to 13 inches. Wash thoroughly in water, rinse in a solution of 1 part bleach and 10 parts water, and dry with a towel.

Drying:
As it dries, it will begin to mold. This is a natural part of the drying process. If dried indoors it will grow more mold and should be frequently wiped clean with the bleach solution.

Discard any that become soft or wrinkled. To check if it is dry, give it a good shake - if the seeds rattle, you can begin making your birdhouse.

Turning Your Gourd Into A Birdhouse:
Soak the gourd for 15 minutes in hot soapy water, and then scrape with a dull knife to remove the outer skin and mold. Scrub in the water with fine steel wool. Rinse it well and allow to dry thoroughly.

To locate the birds entrance hole, hold it by its stem between your index finger and thumb and let it hang. Mark a center point along the outermost part of the curve so the hole faces straight out. Not toward the sky or the ground.

The entrance hole can be easily drilled with the proper-size hole saw or by using a keyhole saw.

Wear a facemask, as the dust is a caustic substance.

Drill 2 sets of holes about 2 inches from the neck for hanging and ventilation. Also drill 2 or 3 1/4 inch holes in the bottom for drainage. Drill the size hole necessary to encourage the birds you want to attract.

Remove the seeds and membrane of the gourd through the entrance hole with a long-handled metal spoon, screwdriver or a wire coat hanger.

Dip the whole thing in a wood preservative of 15 minutes, weighting it down with a brick. Then remove it and hang it up to dry for several days. Sand the gourd smooth and paint with and oil-based primer. Allow it to dry thoroughly. Paint the house with exterior enamel paint (do not use water based latex paint as it will peel) Apply 2 coats. Decorate anyway you like and hang it in the proper place to attract the birds you want.

There you are, Well on you way to making your own gourd birdhouses.

Vist Wild Bird Watching for information on the habits and sounds of your favorite backyard birds.

Creating the perfect garden for birds begins by understanding the needs of birds.
Birds, as with other wildlife, require certain elements in the garden to survive.

These elements include:

Food

Water

Shelter

Planting for birds can add beauty as well as function to your backyard.

Food:

Begin by surveying your yard. You may already have some of the ingredients
needed for a bird friendly backyard.

Many flowers you already enjoy provide food for the birds. Coneflowers are
a favorite summer and fall food source for Goldfinches. Sunflowers offer
the seed that attracts the greatest variety of birds.

Consider tubular flowers for attracting Hummingbirds. Favorites include
Trumpet vine, Cardinal flower, and Scarlet runner.

Annuals can also attract these tiny hummers, try including mass plantings of
salvia, impatient, and containers of geraniums.

Adding some of the ornamental grasses will also provide late summer feeding
for birds, while providing beauty in the landscape. Those tall plumes provide
seed Goldfinches, Black-capped Chickadees, and Purple Finches love.

Shelter:
Trees and shrubs in the landscape not only provide beauty but offer the birds
a place to hide and raise their young.

Flowering Dogwoods, and the small fruited crabapples, not only provide a valuable
food source, but will attract Robins and others to nest in spring. Select varieties
that hold their fruit well into winter.

Favorite shrubs include, Service Berry, Honeysuckle, and American Holly. Plant
these and you are sure to be visited by Robins, Thrashers, Mockingbirds, and more.
Shrubs are also a favorite nesting site of the Northern Cardinal.

Evergreens are an essential part of the bird garden. Providing important shelter
and berries during winters cold. In spring, you'll be rewarded by nesting birds
by planting a few varieties of tall evergreens.

Water:
How you provide water isn't important. Whether you add a full backyard pond or
a simple bird bath, just be sure to add water. Birds need water not only to
drink, but also to keep their feathers in tip-top shape.

Even in winter, a water supply is needed. Consider purchasing a bird bath heater.
A heated bird bath will not only keep an open water source available for the birds,
but will offer you a greater variety of birds to watch. Without a winter source of
water, birds will have to use energy used to keep warm and survive to find water.

Allow your plants to remain in the garden through the winter. This allows the birds
to feed on seed heads and insects much longer.

Consider placing feeders and birdhouses in your yard. Once you've watched House Wrens
scouring the soil for insects in your vegetable and flower gardens, you'll be
convinced, gardening for birds is in your best interest.

Visit Wild-Bird-Watching.com for bird watching information on the nesting, mating, and feeding habits of backyard birds.

SONGBIRDS are among nature's greatest indicators of a quality environment.


In and around many industrial centers where pollutants are rampant and in heavy agricultural areas where pesticide use is great, the number of songbirds has decreased in recent years.



Not so in most of Texas, where clean air, excellent habitat and people interested in nature are the rule and not the exception. Many Texans are concerned about the inroads being made upon nature by an expanding human race & receive balm to their spirits each spring via the cheerful melodies of songbirds.



You can get a front-row seat in your own back yard to this concert by providing nesting places such as a Bird House for the birds of your choice. This is becoming especially important, because habitat destruction by man is critically reducing songbird nesting areas. A good project this spring would be to build a Bird House or two. This is a great family project for Father & Son/Daughter.



Those who enjoy the companionship of birds will find these types of Bird House inexpensive and fun to build. A well-built Bird House should be durable, rainproof, cool, and readily accessible for cleaning. By using some imagination, the builder can also add an attractive touch to the landscape.



Wood, such as Cedar, Cypress, & Pine are the best building materials. Metals other than aluminum should be avoided, for they become extremely hot when exposed to a sweltering sun. Treated Lumber should also be avoided as it is toxic to some birds. Rough cut slabs with the bark left on make ideal material for a rustic looking Bird House.



Roofs should be constructed with sufficient pitch to shed water. At least 3 inches of overhang should be allowed to protect the entrance of the Bird House from driving rain. Some water may still seep into the Bird House, therefore a few small holes should be drilled in the floor to allow drainage.



Builders should plan for several holes near the top of the box to provide ventilation in hot weather. The Bird House should be constructed preferably with ceramic coated screws for easy disassembly when cleaning and the ceramic will keep the screws from rusting.



Entrance holes should be near the top of the box and proportional to the size of the bird which will use the Bird House. A Bird Houses should have the interior walls roughened or grooved to assist the young in climbing to the opening.



Every Bird House should be placed at locations inaccessible to natural predators. The opening should face away from the prevailing wind, and if possible, the Bird House should be situated in partial sunlight. Subdued color tones are best, except for those placed in direct sunlight where white is needed to reflect the heat.



No Bird House should be placed near another. Some birds insist on territorial rights and conflicts could result in an empty Bird House. At least 1/4 acre should be allowed for most types of Bird House.



Different species of birds need houses constructed to suit their particular needs. The following link "Bird Houses" will take you back to the variouse type bird houses we offer here at Cedar Creek Woodshop. Browse the site and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to drop us a line.

Many individuals are fascinated by hummingbirds. So much so, that they will do anything in their power to attract these petite creatures to their yards. So what is the best way to attract these wee feathered friends?



Here are some tips to help make your home a hummingbird hot spot:



What Do Hummingbirds Eat?



Hummingbirds usually feed off flower nectar and sugar water that is left out for them in birdfeeders. They also feed off of small insects like ants, slugs and spiders. If you really want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, make sure your bird feeder is always filled with nectar and sugar water.



What Should My Hummingbird Feeder or House Look Like?



It is a well-known fact that hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. That being said, if the feeder you already have isn’t red get out your paint brush or stick a large red bow on it to get their attention. The best hummingbird feeders have perches for the birds to stand on while they feed. The holes in hummingbird feeders are just big enough for the little guys to fit their heads in, but they’re too small for squirrels and other larger animals so they can’t steal the food.



Refrain from painting your hummingbird feeder or house yellow because bees and wasps are attracted to these colors and also enjoy the taste of sweet nectar. You’ll want to keep insects as far away from your hummingbird feeders and houses as possible.



What Materials Should Hummingbird Houses or Feeders be made of?



Hummingbird feeders and houses are usually made of acrylic or glass. They are also available in wood and plastic; however these do not work as effectively and may cause harm to the birds (slivers and cuts). Hummingbird houses and feeders come in a variety of sizes and shapes and usually contain numerous feeding areas throughout the feeder.



Where Should I Put My Hummingbird Feeder?



Ideally, a hummingbird feeder should be hung near a garden with bright flowers and plants. A flowery location is most likely to attract the attention of hummingbirds. For your viewing pleasure, you may want to hang your feeder in a place that can be easily seen from your home. For example a hummingbird feeder hung in front of a window can be admired all day.



How Much Do Hummingbird Feeders Cost?



The styles and designs differ so much that it’s difficult to determine a specific price. Hummingbird feeders and houses can cost anywhere from $10 to $50 - depending on the style, design and features.