Today (last week), my wife and I sat on the floor in the second-story hallway of Emerson Elementary to read our son a story about an elephant who sits on a nest. Read Across America Week was the occasion for our cooperative presentation of this Dr. Seuss classic. The Drop Everything And Read time for his class turned out to be just the latest link to birds as I think back on my past week.
A few days earlier, my household was up and ready ahead of schedule. My children usually ride with me to their respective schools. This particular morning, my son asked to go with my wife. The sun, now in the sky for a bit longer in late winter, had brought the temperature above freezing, which prompted me to ask my daughter if she’d like to walk to school together. On the way we heard a few blue jays, a woodpecker and saw a small flock of sparrows with a nest in a tree near Grandview Elementary.
Birds are among my favorite species to look for in town, in the country or camping/hiking. Even though these winged animals can get along just fine without us, people love to offer food and shelter. The benefit for the human landlords comes as birds stop to visit feeders and birdhouses. A well-stocked source of seed or suet will likely bring numerous visitors to the yard if presented properly. The same goes for a house if the small structure meets the approval of the prospective tenants.
A seemingly endless variety of feeders and houses are sold in stores and online. Why buy when you can create? I am not the most crafty person though I would suggest reusing items that would otherwise be recycled to create custom bird feeders, baths and houses.
To promote recycling over the years public relations campaigns have referred to the number of years certain materials take to break down naturally in the landfill. This is a fitting reminder too when thinking of something that will likely last your feathered friends more than a few weeks. Metal is a good candidate. I have admired a birdhouse or two constructed from license plates. Plastic and glass containers, such as spaghetti sauce jars or 2 liter Pepsi bottles, can be paired with dispensers as bird feeders.
Several weeks ago I volunteered to provide items for birdhouses made by my son’s Cub Scout den. With Mo’s help at the recycling center, I secured eight half-gallon milk-style paperboard cartons. Each boy had a carton from a different product and/or brand. They spent the meeting encasing the cartons in masking tape before coloring the future homes, cutting the front doors and adding dowels for hanging.
Importantly, the Scouts experience was for fun and part of fulfilling a requirement. The holes were not uniform and the cartons were not refurbished for any type of bird in particular. Once completed, however, this design has the advantage of coming with a sloped roof, being made of a moderately waterproof material and offering a medium-sized abode that may appeal to more than one type of bird that can be found in the area.
Want the best probability of seeing a bird family in a house from recycled items? See what you have to work with and check out a website like www.birdsandblooms.com for information. First, the bird must be a cavity nester. As mentioned in an article by George Harrison on Birds and Blooms, “How to Attract Birds to a Birdhouse,” diameters of the entrance are specific to species — 1 ⅛ – 1 ¼ inches for wrens, for instance. Harrison also lists these factors: good nesting location, proper design, right size and hanging the house at the right height.
A bird in a homemade house crafted from materials most people would have thrown away . . . worth two in the bush, I’d say.