Tips For Attracting Birds to Bird Houses

Cavity Nesting Birds are simply birds that build nests, lay eggs and raise young inside sheltered chambers, natural or abandoned cavities or man made birdhouses.

Kyle's First Bird House He Built.  Family Nest Every Year

Over the years of making and selling birdhouses the most common questions I get are:  When do birds use bird houses?  What is the best time to put up bird houses?  How can I attract birds to my bird house?

When Birds Use Bird Houses

Different birds nest at different times, the earliest nesting birds may begin investigating potential nest sites and bird houses as part of their courtship as early as January or February. Other birds may not nest until later in the season, but they may still use the available houses as shelters from predators, cold temperatures and poor weather both before and after the nesting season. 

Best Time to Put Up Bird Houses

There is no bad time to put up bird houses!  Put them up is as soon as you have them available.  The tips below will help you attract birds to your bird houses.

Tips for Attracting Birds to Bird Houses

No matter when you put up bird houses, there are ways to make them more attractive to birds looking for a home for their new family.

• Choose a safe bird house design (three elements are critical for safety: drainage, ventilation and floor size) that will protect the nesting birds from poor weather and predators.
   
• Check that the entrance hole size is appropriate for the birds you want to use the house so larger, more aggressive birds cannot take over.  Make sure its perch free!! 
   
• Position the bird house carefully so it is sheltered from inclement weather but not too far from food to help overworked parents.
   
• Clean out the bird house after the nest is empty or at the end of the nesting season to keep it from harboring mice or parasites that can harm birds.  In order to clean it out, make sure it has a removable bottom, top or side panel.
   
• Take steps to attract birds to your yard by providing a water source, natural plants that supply food and include offering nesting material to make the overall habitat ideal for nesting birds.

http://charswildart.blogspot.com/search/label/birds for more details on purchasing a safe bird house design, or to identify the birds visiting your yard

http://www.50birds.com/birdhouses/bird-species-that-nest-in-birdhouses.htm  for a list of 70 birds that nest in bird houses or on platforms

http://www.shermanstreetdesign.com/bird-houses.html safe bird houses made by Sherman Street Design

National Plant a Flower Day

 

NATIONAL PLANT A FLOWER DAY

There are hundreds of flower varieties grown in Washington state. The spring season brings the verdant revival of everything from heirloom daffodils, tulips, lily of the valley to lavender and wisteria. Don't forget our state flower, rhododendrons are a beautiful addition to your landscape. We are lucky to live in this area where can grow more plants than most other areas.  

With spring just around the corner, March 12th is the day to participate in National Plant a Flower Day. Each year this day is dedicated to the planting of  flowers and looking forward to the spring season.  Flower gardening has become a hobby to many, young and old, and National Plant a Flower Day is a start to the new season each year.  If your looking to add native plants, check out Washington Native Plant Society.

HOW TO OBSERVE
Tips for Starting a Flower Garden

• Start with a potted garden.  If you aren’t ready to tear up a patch of lawn this is a good way to go.  They do require more watering, but less care over all.
• Select plants that grow well in your spot.  Some plants grow well in shade and others prefer sun.  Others love both!
• Did you know gardeners who prefer perennial gardens have to thin their flower beds every couple years?  They also love to share the extra bulbs and seeds with those who are new to gardening, so if you know someone with a green thumb, get to know them better.  You might get some free plants, advice and a budding friendship!
• Local greenhouses stock plants that grow well in your area.  Don’t be afraid to ask them questions and shop there frequently.

Not a Washington resident?  Click here to find your zone.

source:  http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-plant-a-flower-day-march-12/

Winter Feeding - Anna's Hummingbird

One, untypical here in the Pacific Northwest, morning we woke up to about 8 inches of snow, apparently it had been snowing all night.  When I opened the curtains to the back deck I noticed the hummingbird feeder handing there, half full of frozen nectar with snow stacked up on top of it.  Seeing it immediately made me realize we had not taken the feeder down for winter!  I didn’t even get the door open when all of a sudden, right there in my face, was an Anna’s hummingbird.  He let me know he was there and he made sure I knew that he knew his food source was unavailable.

My husband and I spent several minutes admiring his iridescent emerald feathers and sparkling rose-pink throat.  The Anna’s Hummingbirds are among the most common hummingbird, especially here along the Pacific Coast, yet they’re anything but common in appearance!

Here are a few tips we have learned to keep these little guys fed all winter.

• Do NOT adjust the mix ratio.  Always make it 1:4 sugar to water.  Too much sugar will damage their kidneys and liver, some research reported too much sugar can also rot their tongue.   Experts recommend staying consistent with a 1:4 mix, that’s 1 part white sugar ONLY and 4 parts water, mix, bring to a boil, after it cools you can fill feeders with it.  NEVER use honey, brown sugar, maple syrup or the like – ONLY WHITE SUGAR. 

• Don’t add Red Dye.  Instead, buy red feeders.

• Have two feeders and rotate them.  The mix will begin to freeze around 29 degrees.  Rotating feeders throughout the day will keep the fluid moving and available to the birds. Alternatively they do not feed at night so you can bring them indoors.  However, they start feeding at dawn, so put them out as early as possible.

a.       Don’t want to get up at 5 am?  The Audubon Society suggested stringing Christmas light around the feeder, the ambient heat can be just enough to keep things thawed.

b.      Duct Tape a hand warmer to the feeder.  These pouches can emit heat for approximately 7 hours.

c.       Another method to try is plumber’s heat tape.  They have a built-in thermostat in the cord and can be easily wrapped around and taped to many types of feeders.

So in general, don’t stress too much about the welfare of the Hummingbirds.  Our winters here are mild and the occasional cold snaps are usually not that long.  Hummingbirds are wonderfully created with the ability to reduce their body temperature at night and conserve their energy.  Don’t try and put a bird house out or some other structure, they roost in trees and shrubs and do not use nesting boxes or cavities.  Keep their feeders filled with clean, nectar – especially in the colder weather.  Remember they also get their protein, vitamin and mineral requirements from consuming insects.

If you’re looking for unique, handmade hummingbird feeders, click here.

Thanks for reading!  Happy Hummingbird watching!!

Indoor Herb Garden

Gardening Indoors Can Be Done Easily Gardening Indoors can be done easily if you have the proper conditions in your home. The key to success is having enough light for the plants to do well. West and South facing windows provide the most light. If the herbs are not getting enough light they will just stop growing and may eventually have insects or diseases attack them. Humidity Another problem with growing indoors is humidity or lack of it. Our heating systems are primarily dry heat and the plants can suffer from lack of moisture in their leaves even though they are watered. This can be corrected by misting or washing your plant's leaves every 2 weeks. Most Herbs Prefer Temperatures from 65-80 Degrees Most herbs prefer temperatures from 65-80 degrees and watering when the soil is dry to the touch. Never let your plants sit in a tray of water as their roots will drown. Also, make sure that the pots you use are large enough for the plant to grow for up to 6 months. Pots that are 8" in diameter are best. Moving Your Plants Outdoors It is generally best to move your plants outdoors as soon as it is warm and they will really appreciate an afternoon of sunshine on warm days, just remember to bring them back indoors during the cool nights. Preparing Perennial Herbs for Winter In very mild winter areas nothing needs to be done except a light pruning, cutting off about a third of the plant to trim up and encourage a nice form for spring. Cold Winter Areas In cold winter areas, the annual herbs will die as soon as the first frost hits them. The perennials can last if they are hardy to your zone. Rosemary, Sage, Lavender and others need to be pruned (about a third) and then mulched with anything that will protect them from the cold and wet. Cover their stems and root systems with hay or leaves or pine straw to keep the freezing wind from doing damage. Taking Cuttings of Your Plants You can also take cuttings of your plants and root them indoors keeping them moist and in a humid environment until they are rooted and then pot them. Another option is to dig up your herbs and put them in large pots to bring indoors for the winter.   Sherman Street Design offers wooden and mason jar planter's to our Facebook fans.  Click here to be a fan! thanks :)

What Bird Is That?

Birds can be enjoyed simply for their color, movement, and song, but anyone with a little curiosity wants to know which birds are visiting their yards.

While we get simple enjoyment from sharing our yard with birds, and even more pleasure from making it attractive for them by putting up feeders, water features,  nesting boxes, and organizing our gardening with birds in mind, we can obtain even more pleasure from the birds that visit us if we watch and understand what they are doing. The first step in this is to positively identify the birds we have.

Field Guide - see  below for link

 What bird is that? - Positive Identification

To identify a bird, you can either use a field guide or ask a birder.  Both work only if you observe and note the bird's features carefully.  Some things to jot down are:

• physical features (see chart)
• voice
• flight
• posture
• how it walks or hops
• where did you see it
• size: length of wing & tail
• its bill shape & size

It takes time to develop an eye for the significant details while bold features are easy to remember but they may be shared by more than one species.  Tiny but vital details are often easy to miss.  You may find it helpful to make notes or drawings.

Use the names of the parts labeled on this picture chart I made when taking notes.  You can even trace over it so that you have an outline on which you can quickly fill in the details of a mystery bird.  Note the colors of the plumage, and the size, shape, and color of the lets and bill.  Look for details like is there a stripe on the face, does it run through the eye or above it?  Judge the size of teh bird by comparing it to a well-known bird.
 

Field Guide to North American Birds

etsy.com shermanstreetdesign

Thanks for stopping by!!

March Featured Item - Birdbaths!

 Attracting birds to your yard has never been so beautiful than with Sherman Street Design's elegant glass bird baths!

     You can bring the beauty of local and transient birds into your life when you offer them access to water near your home or apartment.

     A word of caution, birds can drown!!  When considering a bird bath you should make sure its not too deep.  Large birds can use up to 2" of water, while offering smaller birds only 1" of fresh water.

    Our bird baths are lovingly made from vintage glass, metals, pottery and other repurposed items.  We spend many weekends as a family combing antique stores and estate sales to find sparkling crystal, vintage cut, pressed or frosted glass, silver, brass - and other metals - along with pottery.  Each piece is inspected for its beauty, charm and reflective qualities as well as checking its structure and integrity.

 

     They can also duel as butterfly feeders!!  Just fill them with cut up oranges instead of water. 

Please visit our Etsy shop, Sherman Street Design.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Dont Perch On My Birdhouse!

The Nesting Box - Charlotte Sherman

I've been making birdhouses for over 18 years, I've taken many Ornithology classes over the years and have participated in The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "Project Feeder Watch."

One of the very first lessons I learned is NEVER put a perch on a birdhouse!!  Only predator birds use the perch.... WARNING:  The following paragraph contains graphic information:

           They steal and eat the eggs, or they steal the babies, carry 
           them to a puddle and drown and eat them.

 So next point is to consider the entrance hole size.  Most native song birds use a 1-1/2" diameter opening and it keeps out more aggressive non-native birds like house sparrows and starlings. Some birds can use an even smaller opening. It's good to know which species you want to attract, then research the minimum opening size the species requires.

Birds need a certain amount of floor space inside the house so the hatchlings have room to grow. For smaller songbirds like wrens, chickadees, titmice and nuthatches, 4" x 4" is usually fine. Larger birds need more floor space. The height of the entrance is also important, it should be between 4 and 5 inches.  

Each house should be checked for ventilation, proper drainage, the use of non-toxic materials and be able to open them for once a year cleaning. 

One year I was doing an Art Show in Arizona, another vendor was there selling birdhouses, she had perches, no way to clean them out AND she thought it was "cute" to paint the inside!!!  As people stopped and asked me why mine didn't have perches - I had a huge crowd around me - I noticed several people checking their bags and returning birdhouses to the other vendor....I however, sold out all my inventory. 

Log Cabin Birdhouse

Today the only birdhouses that I continue to make are the cabin style’s. I make them to be used outdoors, however almost everyone displays them in their home.  They are ventilated, and have removable screws either on the side or bottom for easy clean out.

• Log Cabin, approx 9x9, $ 165.00 plus shipping/handling
• Rock Cabin, approx 9x9, $165.00 plus shipping/handling
• Lighthouse, approx 7x18, $145 plus shipping/handling
• Shingle Cabin, approx 7x9,$105.00 plus shipping/handling

Rock Cabin - Birdhouse

Shingle Cabin - Birdhouse

Charlotte & Stew Sherman - Thanks for visiting my page today

Dear Spring, I Love You

This little bird is stealing my moss to make a nest

Dear Spring, I Love You!!  This morning before school my son wanted to dig in the garden, he noticed this little bird was digging through the flowers we had just planted the day before on the back deck, it didn't even care that he was there. When it flew away with a mouth full of my moss, he quickly yelled for me to bring the camera as he  told me his exciting discovery.  When we were leaving for school, we noticed what looked like the same bird taking moss into the front yard bird house, we quickly took more pictures hoping  we could catch em flying in or out.  To our surprise we caught it both ways :)

Little bird entering the nesting box

Peeking out, probably to get more moss

 My son glued,  nailed and painted this little bird house two summers ago.  He is very excited that is has had a family raising little one's for the second year now.