"Build a birdhouse ready for spring nesting." Your birdhouse tenants may change every year but they always keep themselves to themselves... having said that, if you grow fruit in your garden, the birds will help themselves. So if you want to save some for you, protect your fruit with 'bird-friendly' netting. ( garden birds can easily get tangled in ordinary netting )  Where to set up your birdhouse
Location is the most important decision you'll make if you want to attract birds. If you already feed birds in a particular area, build a home there! Otherwise here are a few things to note when deciding on the location: 1. Not too close to your veggie/fruit plots 2. High enough to be safe from animals but not too high to be able to enjoy the entertainment! 3. Go for semi-shade or shady area, not direct sunlight. 4. Not too close to a regular path or play area. Birds like a little privacy! 5. Close to hedges or trees is good. And of course, the birdhouse must be made secure from cats and other climbing creatures.
Building a basic birdhouse can be fairly straightforward if you have basic DIY skills. Use solid un-treated wood. The birdhouse needs to feel sturdy and safe. Most birds don't like a front step ( perch! ) so it's not worth having one. We had a family of nuthatches once who made it their business every morning to tap away little by little until they'd removed the perch completely. Fascinating to watch though! Once you have your finished your wild bird home, don't be tempted to paint it in wild colours however wonderful it is. Paint with an environment-friendly paint/preservative keeping to natural colours. And it's not advisable to paint around the entrance hole or the inside surfaces. Even if the paint is environment friendly, the birds won't like it! If you fancy a quick fix on this, browse the beautiful designs available. Have a look in your local garden centre or online. I found some great bird feeders and bird houses around the net.....( These pictures are my favourites! Browse the websites for more designs. )
All sorts of food can be used to encourage birds - fats, meat, fish, berries and especially seeds. This webpage has a few good pointers... Click here for chart of wild bird food Sunflower seeds are attractive to many birds and you could grow your own sunflowers in the garden and around the house. Leave the drying heads on the plant to encourage the birds and collect the ones they miss. Feed these seeds to the wild birds later in the winter months when other food is scarce. Don't give up if the birds don't move in to your birdhouse in the first spring, give it another year. Build or buy another one in the meantime and locate in a different part of your garden.
Happy Gardening! More "Bird House" Reading
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