Ideas For Your Backyard

Whether you hang birdhouses or birdfeeders or both really is just your preferences.  Birdhouses will offer shelter from the heat, cold, wind and rain, while the birdfeeders will feed them.  If your goal is to learn more about the birds that frequent your premises I would advise that you hang both.  You also might consider planting trees, bushes and a variety of plants that will specifically lure the birds in.

Swallows are really very pretty. In fact, most birds are.

Swallows are excellent fliers, and use these skills to attract a mate and to feed. Some species, like the mangrove swallow, are territorial, whereas others are not and simply defend their nesting site. In general, the males select a nest site, and then attract a female using song and flight, and (dependent on the species) guard their territory. The size of the territory varies depending on the species of swallow; in colonial-nesting species it tends to be small, but it may be much larger for solitary nesters. Outside of the breeding season some species may form large flocks, and species may also roost communally. This is thought to provide protection from predators.  For the most part swallows are insectivorous, but some will feed on fruits and other plants. Doyou have swallow bird houses?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire and used as an aid to navigation and to pilots at sea.

Lighthouses are used to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals and reefs, and safe entries to harbors and can also assist in aerial navigation. Once widely used, the number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of maintenance and replacement by modern electronic navigational aids.

My Lighthouse Birdhouse reminds me of my trip to the ocean.

As a young child, I was fascinated with birds.  They were small, many were really pretty, they sang beautifully, but most of all they could fly!!  How?  I couldn’t understand how they were able to stay up in the air.  (I guess for that matter, it will always be a mystery to me). 

I was given a gift of an Audobon membership.  Each month I received a book relating to birds and a workbook that I could paste stamps that came with the book in the appropriate place.  I learned so much.  Another way to learn is to add a blue bird house or a birdfeeder to your garden decor.  Your children and grandchilden will absolutely love it!

Bats are misunderstood creatures that are generally quite harmless to people. They do not become tangled in your hair, nor do they attack humans. Contrary to misconceptions, disease transmission from bats to people is easily avoided. Never handle bats and the odds of being harmed will be extremely remote.

In more than four decades, public health records indicate that only 16 people in the United States and Canada have died of bat-borne diseases… Placed in perspective, this means that the odds of anyone dying of a disease from a bat are much less than one in a million.  In contrast, in the United States alone more than 10 people die annually from dog attacks, not to mention dog- and cat-transmitted diseases. - Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle, America’s Neighborhood Bats, University of Texas Press, Austin, 1988. In contrast, several children in a million are likely to die each year from encephalitis contracted through a mosquito bite.

In the Orient these gentle animals are symbols of good luck, long life and happiness.  They are meticulous in their grooming, spending a fair part of the day and night combing and grooming their fur.

When bats fly, they navigate by means of an sophisticated echolocation system.  The bat sends out signals of sound energy, which are reflected back, giving it the location of an object as well as its texture and other characteristics.  They can avoid a single human hair with extreme accuracy, even in total darkness, giving lie to the myth that bats are blind.

If you live in the country you might want to purchas a bat house.

When you think of recycling, what do you think of?  Paper, glass, plastic?, how about barns? Yes, recycling is really a big deal these days.  Well I found some birdhouses that are made from barnwood.  Tearing done an old barn and reusing the wood to make barnwood birdhouses. Pretty unique idea don’t you think?

This two story rustic birdhouse is a unique approach to a unique corner location. Measuring a staggering 18″ tall and 10″ long and wide, this house is the perfect addition to your rustic garden decor. The bird home features three separate holes; each hole is approximately 1.5″ in diameter and the top one goes through to the main dwelling. These beautiful two-story bird houses are also available in a variety of colors (only the main dwelling is painted),and feature square cut barnwood perches and a removable base for seasonal cleaning.

Did you know that all birds do not hibernate? So what do they do?  They still need food and shelter.  And for the most part they do it on their own, and they don’t need our help.  But what if  we have an unusual winter?  The snow is deep and the ground is covered.  I’m sure the birds will be grateful for a full birdfeeder, and it won’t matter whether it is a decorative feeder or a unique feeder.

I  love the look and feel of the rustic birdhouses that are available on the market today.  They just blend into the natural setting of any woodland backyard.  It offers plenty of room for it’s occupants.  What bird family wouldn’t want to move right in?

  Birds are hungry.   We all know by now that birds can survive without our help, but feeding them does help us both.  Some ornithologists have even suggested that bird feeding is more beneficial to humans than it is to the birds. Studies have shown that birds with access to bird feeders in winter survive at a higher rate than birds without access to feeders. Feeding birds in winter is a good thing for the birds.  If you live where there is winter weather , a blast of wind and  snowy weather will mean making an extra effort to keep the feeders going for the birds. 

Here are some ideas to help you prepare your feeding station for the worst of weather.  Be prepared to have plenty of seed, suet and peanut butter on hand. You might place some dried grass or wood shavings in the bottom of your wood birdhouses.  You could even cover the vent holes with some weather stripping (the birds won’t need this source of air in the winter).  Some birds are ground feeders, so you’ll want to be sure there is an area that is clear of snow so you can sprinkle seeds on the ground.

Now is a good time to lower your purple martin birdhouse.  This will make it easier to reach in and clean it out.  You may also need to do some repairs on it.  By doing this now,  it will be ready for new families in the spring and save you very much needed time when the weather breaks