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Nesting FAQs By Bill Thompson, III Editor | Bird Watcher’s Digest
Whether you’ve purposely set up a series of nest boxes or just discovered an unexpected bird nest in the bushes in your backyard, you’re likely to have a few questions. Nesting birds are exciting but also inherently vulnerable, and it’s only natural to want to make sure you’re doing the right things to facilitate the birds’ success. Below are answers to a few of the common questions and concerns that come up in spring when nesting birds are busiest!
Q: If you touch a baby bird that has fallen from its nest, will the parents detect your scent and abandon it?
A: No, most birds do not have a very well-developed sense of smell. However, most mammalian predators (skunks, foxes, raccoons, weasels, etc.) do have a good sense of smell and may follow your scent trail to a bird’s nest. If you are going to handle a baby bird be sure to place it out of harm’s way, back in the nest, or in an open-topped cardboard box propped in a tree. However, many bird species are equipped to survive outside the nest at a very young age. These species include many shorebirds, gamebirds, and birds such as robins and wrens.
I have surely missed hearing the birds sing. At last the last few days with the warmer temperatures the birds are coming back! I sit on the porch and listen to them call and sing to each other as they flit about looking for materials to build their nests. I love the decorative birdhouses and have several. Are you a fan of backyard birding?
Spring is coming, whether your local ground hog saw his shadow or not spring will soon be upon us. Are you ready for the return of all your favorite species of song birds to your backyard. If you are thinking of doing your spring cleaning and want to change your indoor decor, how about a theme based line of decorative birdhouses.
A lot of people collect lighthouses and there are several decorative birdhouses with a lighthouse theme.
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.
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.
Barn Swallows breed from Alaska across Canada throughout the United States, and south through central Mexico. With the proliferation of human-provided nesting sites, the North American Barn Swallow population has increased in most places during the 20th century. Numbers are especially up in the central and eastern United States. Barn Swallows show strong fidelity to their natal site, most nesting within 20 miles of their birthplace and some much closer. Members of a pair typically stay together to raise a second brood and return in successive years to the same nest site. If you have the right habitat, barn swallows are easy to attract. A simple nesting perch may be placed under the eaves, inside a garage or barn, or on the side of a building.
To encourage goldfinches into your yard, plant native thistles, sunflowers and other composite plants, as well as native milkweed. Almost any kind of bird feeder may attract American Goldfinches, including hopper, platform, and hanging feeders, and these birds don’t mind feeders that sway in the wind. You’ll also find American Goldfinches are happy to feed on the ground below feeders, eating spilled seeds. They’re most attracted to sunflower seed and nyjer, which is a thistle seed.
The most amazing thing, I think, about birds is their ability to fly. As you watch you’ll notice that each species has its own way of maneuvering about. For example a crow flies petty staight (you’ve heard the old saying about directions “as the crow flies”, while a sparrow is very erratic in its flight. The sparrow twists and turns staying close to the bushes because it is very vulneralbe to being attacked.
As you start watching the birds is your backyard you’ll begin noticing some of their habits and patterns. Like when they arrive in the spring, when they begin nesting, when a storm is brewing and when they begin to migrate. It is really very fascinating. What kind of birds visit your backyard?
Almost everyone that has had a tree taken down wants to remove the stump. They claim it to be unsightly. But what if you only had the tree top portion removed leaving several feet of the trunk standing? It could become quite a focal place in your backyard. Did you know that this would be one of the greatest attractants you could have in your garden? Not only will it attract birds for nesting holes, it will provide a great banquet table for the birds. I will also be a great birdwatching spot.