Bird Houses

[MoochNNoodles]

I keep telling DH I want to add a few bird houses to our yard this year before the birds start migrating north this spring. We have a couple feeders, a nice tall bushy hedge and several trees; but I want to encourage the birds to enjoy our yard. (I need a bird bath too.)

Does anyone here have bird houses that get used? It looks like I need to consider the size of openings. I know they need to have ventilation, drainage and the ability to be cleaned out. I'm not sure about mounting options yet either.

I'd love to have more chickadees come around. They are my favorite! We have cardinals year round. The gold finches seem to be seasonal here. The little birds are probably the best to house. We do have blue jays and woodpeckers. I always find she shells of robins eggs in the yard.

The only ones I think I want to discourage are these blackish/brownish birds that like to nest in the roof of the house next door. I caught those guys pulling the marigolds right out of my garden a couple years ago! I use bird netting now. But still! They seemed to move on last year once it got hot. So maybe they'll stick to the woods around here this year!

 

[verna davies]

I dont have any bird houses in my garden but have lots of birds visit. My favourite are the greater spotted woodpecker and nuthatch. I have been told by several people that you should not have the bird house opening facing north.

 

[AbbysMom]

The only ones I think I want to discourage are these blackish/brownish birds

House sparrows. They are a menace.

I do have a few bird houses, some that were mounted on tees by the previous owner. Some do get used, but none fit the bill of large opening, can be cleaned out, etc.

 

[verna davies]

Are you able to get one where the roof can be removed to give you access

 

[neely]

I love birdhouses too but unfortunately the wasps love them more and the raccoons played havoc with the bird feeders. Good luck, I hope you are able to find a birdhouse that attracts the chickadees.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

We have a bluebird box. They nest every year and raise the babies. Then we have a martin hotel.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I remember my Grandparent's neighbor having one of those multi-gourd shaped birdhouse poles for the martins. Between his yard and my grandparents they had a lot of birds!

Last year was the first time I've seen bluebirds in our yard. I might try a house for them.

House sparrows. They are a menace.

We do have those in the area but these guys are different. They are like a small blackbird but some have yellow beaks. I have never gotten a good picture of them. I can't find them on any bird identification chart I've found either.

I ordered this birdhouse today along with a copper plate to put over the opening:

I'd like to put up at least 3 birdhouses. I'm wondering if it's better to have a variety of them or to try to attract several of the same kind of birds. I'm thinking we could put one on or next to the tree I always put my shepherds hooks with the thistle feeder and baskets of flowers. The hummingbirds liked that last year. Maybe that would encourage the finches to nest there.

 

[Furballsmom]

Those little black garden menaces with yellow beaks are starlings, I've had to cover the young plants in my garden for three years now otherwise the little brats steal the leaves for nesting material.
My neighbors put up a plain old homemade birdhouse late last summer, scrap material and just nailed to the fence, and the little cutie birds, --chickadees were already checking it out already last fall while it was still warm.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Those little black garden menaces with yellow beaks are starlings

Ah ha! Thank you! I haven't seen one close enough up to recognize it online: European Starling It looks like some have brown beaks and some yellow. They have much more color and patterning than I can see from my kitchen window. I can't get good pictures through the screen of it either so zooming has always been out.

We get the huge flocks of them here in the spring and fall. The girls LOVE it of course! Since they leave my feeders alone I wouldn't mind them if they'd stay out of the garden! The first several years we had one they didn't bother it.

I was just thinking we may try a metal pole for the birdhouses instead of wood. DH had to pain the woodshed to stop carpenter bees. They've never bothered the wood beam my weather station is attached to. But still! I wouldn't want to disturb a nest by trying to paint it's post.

My dad sent a box of goodies for my kids for Valentine's day and he put a couple packets of seeds in them. Between that and looking at birds and birdhouses I am SO ready for spring!

 

[Furballsmom]

heh, your dad rocks!!

 

[Willowy]

I know someone who put hanging baskets in front of their business every spring/summer. Every year the house finches (the ones with a red patch on their heads) nest in the hanging baskets. She puts them inside for the night, and the mother birds don't even mind. But if she doesn't put them back in the right order there's a real kerfluffle until each mama finds her own nest! I think finches prefer an open nest arrangement instead of a birdhouse.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My MIL had something nest in one of her hanging baskets. I never have. Maybe they aren't hung high enough. I do find little nests blown out of the back bushes from time to time. Or one of the trees. The robins like my neighbor's big pine tree. I always find the egg shells near that. I think the cardinals like the back bushes too. I always see them back there. But I don't purposely poke around for their nests. I wouldn't want to accidentally hurt anything.