Bird Houses

how wonderful
We have a few birdhouses and enjoy watching the birds from spring til fall.
Hope to have even more birdhouses up this year.

Not sure if Rick is going to get his “extreme birdhouse” done .. but it’s on the list.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

I’d seen those on LJ… Freakin insane birdhouses.. How on earth do you clean those things..

I’ll stick with my nice, rustic houses.. Though appreciate the insane work th at goes into those things..

But, like the wife always tells me… KISS… Keep it simple, stupid.. ;)

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

lol they are all designed for easy cleaning (and I think John uses a wire hook to reach in and scoop out)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Just a correction. The birds above are common Grackles. Not blackbirds. Just a FYI for anyone.. ;)

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Nice work Scott , my father used to build hundreds just like that.

Debbie all the birdhouses that i consider small like the one you have plans for all have removable insides. Even some of the larger houses do too but i have found that a pair of bun pichers work just as well and much faster. The end of these are just over a inch wide so they fit in the holes no problem. The nest come out pretty easy with these and you can find them anywhere.

-- John in Cranbrook , http://www.extremebirdhouse.com http://community.webshots.com/user/cranbrook2

Hey John,

Yeah, they’re simple to crank out by the dozen, no doubt..

I’d gone through all your projects on LJ and wow there are some nice houses there. Amazing stuff. Maybe one day I’ll build something as intricate as that but for now, I’m still rather utilitarian.. Doesn’t have to look pretty, just needs to work.. ;)

Oh, corn tongs are a good idea for sure for pulling out nests in any bird house.. Saves the trouble of getting mites, ants and who knows what else on your hands plus is better than haphazardly flinging them through the air with a wire hook.

hehe.. Ok. back to planning the yard…. Hmmm.. 110’ hedge… What to do.. WHAT TO DO…

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

I knew you had some trick for cleaning them out!!
lol yes.. our “small” birdhouse plans.. lol
I hope Rick finds time this week to start it.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Those blue birds houses look exactly like mine. Amogst so many other hobbies, bird watching, bird carving and “birds” are another. You most lilely know this but BB’s like the nest removed and I have found they like a bit of distance between homes.

Wrens. I fianlly have Wrens once again. A single male wren will feed several mates (females and their young at once, busy little fella. I read once that the uglier the wren house the better the odds of getting a wren so I wrapped barbed wire, tin foil, burlap etc around a wren house…......bingo…...Nesting wrens.

Thanks for posting….............Gracles are gluttons

-- Central northish Ontario

Yeah, knew about having the box cleaned of prior nests.. Define a little distance though.. Most of the ones I put up are at around 20’ apart with the exception of the back to back pair on the pole.

Also, what height do you think is best for bluebirds?

Love the wren house, sounds like quite a sight.. You’ll have to post a picture of it.. ;)

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Scott

Honesty is always best soooo to be honest I have never placed the BB box/house back to back soooo….nothing ventured nothing gained. Let me know if it works??

I have mine 4 to 8’ apart (on each fence post/pool post/barn post etc) and hung from 5’ to 6’ off the ground. I put about 6 more every year and every year they are all full.

Now those wrens….....I like em and have them scattered in no fixed pattern or hieght, some hidden, some in plain view, some in trees, some hang,.........very arbitrary.

Cheers

-- Central northish Ontario

How long does it take you to clean those things out at the end of the season? Sounds like you’ve got a ton of houses to keep up with.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Hi Scott

Not long, either the roof pops off, or the bottom swings down. ........I prefer the bottom swinging down. My guess is that it takes an hour, maybe two.

I’m hoping the two swans that did several fly bys and a few attempted landings last year, return this year and take up a nesting spot at the back pond.

-- Central northish Ontario

Greenthumb … swans in your back pond … man, how lovely would that be!!! Bet that would afford some great pics and just plain enjoyment to watch … :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

GrandmaT

yes, that would nice but the pond that is 6’ deep come April is nothing but mud come August so maybe its best they flew on by or maybe they just know?

When I win the lottery I will put a liner in the pond.

-- Central northish Ontario

Well one can always dream …. :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Well, didn’t take too long for someone to move in.. Spotted a couple scoping out Suite B yesterday and managed to get a few snaps of the male today.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Wow, guests already!!! That’s wonderful!!!!
Great photos Scott!!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Yeah, I was kind of surprised that they stopped by so soon after I put them up.. But then again, I had birds checking out the house no sooner than I stepped off the ladder.

Guess they figured it’s prime location and didn’t want to loose out.. Has what I think was a Bennetts Woodpecker poking about the house on the other side. Though think he was just checking it for snacks.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Yah, looks and sounds like a “prime location” to me!!!! :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

sweet!! how exciting.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Quite..

I hadn’t seen them today so hoping they hadn’t moved on.. I’ve got a 40lb bag of bird seed in the car, was running low, so going to top off the feeders.

On the bright side, the Grackles have moved on. Now we just have the odd blackbird and crow that tend to follow them.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Scott, just love your pictures!
We do not have BB here as far as I can tell!
How are they doing, did they fill all your “houses”?

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

Loved the bluebird pics Scott.We don’t get them here in the village.Such a colourful bird.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Eklectic, naaa.. Only two of the houses are occupied. I keep expecting sparrows to move into the others, but not yet.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Nice shot of the Blue Birds, Scott. My neighbour and I were just talking about how we hadn’t seen one here in Rockwood for years. Maybe I should build some also. How big are the holes for the Blue Birds?

-- jroot

1 1/2” wide hole, with the top 7” above the floor. This one measures out just about the same.

http://www.50birds.com/MPb040907112.htm

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Thanks for that link, Scott. It has me thinking.

-- jroot

The bluebirds are beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.

-- Helen, Stratford, ON

We had bluebirds here the summer before last, and that is why I built so many of my houses to their specs. Alas, none last year. Here’s hoping for this year.

-- jroot

nothing sweeter then a BB going into the BB’s house ?

BBs dont like Graclkes and they dont like Starlings, nor do they like and or get along with House Sparrows

for those who have made a home for them, watched them take up residence, its no wonder why so much poetry was written about them.

-- Central northish Ontario

I missed this post the first time around. I am glad Helen called it up. I really like your photo of the bluebird. I don’t see any around here. I hope they come back for you again this spring.

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

I see them from time to time… Goofy squirrels have chewed up the openings on several of the houses though. Will have to fix them up for next season.

I’m going to put together a few squirrel houses some time or another, when I get a chance.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b