Ideas For Your Backyard

The Barn Wood Birdhouse Beginning

 With the development of our country side, migrating birds sometimes have trouble finding food and shelter.  By placing birdfeeders in your backyard garden you will be helping them and can enjoy watching the different species while they feed.

Winter is here and its time for the birds to be hunting for food and it is very important for us to help them make it through the winter by filling and keeping the birdfeeders full.

Most birds do enjoy sunflower seeds so if you are in doubt just fill your bird feeders with sunflower seeds.  You can always purchase the birdfood mix at any local store.

In 1948 Lawrence Schlottman built a 720-square foot home in Portland, Oregon. Mr. Schlottman lived in the home for 54 years until his death in 2002. The elderly man was known as the Birdman by locals because of his passion for the animals of the same name. During the last few years of his life Mr. Schlottman was visited often by a crow that regularly came around his house to eat from one of the many bird feeders. When the gentleman passed away in 2002 he left his entire estate to the crow. The house then became known as the “Birdhouse.”In 2003 the group Save the Birdhouse obtained the property from the Portland Audubon Society. Over the years the property has suffered some deterioration, but it’s mostly in its original condition.

Popular movies and myths have made many people fear bats, specifically the vampire bat. But the vampire bat is hardly the blood-sucking monster Hollywood has portrayed it to be. The truth is that bats are harmless to humans, and are often hurt by humans. The unfortunate relationship between humans and bats is made worse when bats are forced to live near humans because their natural habitats have been destroyed. Bats are often known to nest in trees near people’s homes, and sometimes on people’s houses.

Many people aren’t comfortable living side by side with bats. But misunderstanding doesn’t need to lead to ousting the bats entirely. Bat houses are built specifically for bats to nest in. These specially-built enclosures are designed to offer bats the darkness they prefer, and provide dozens of bats a safe shelter.

Those considering buying or building a bat house may like to know a little bit about the bats they might see in they backyard. There are more than 900 species of bats, and they make up one fifth of the world’s mammals. There are two groups of bats—larger, fruit-eating megabats and tiny insect-hunting microbats. Microbats live all over the world, while megabats live only in tropical areas.