I have discovered a new neighbor in our backyard. I have not seen this neighbor yet, but I have seen the signs that they have moved in. A bird has taken up residence in the birdhouse I recently put up. It is always exciting to find these new signs of life in the yard.

I got the birdhouse and a trellis from the woodworker I mentioned earlier this year. You may remember the post:http://www.blogsmonroe.com/backyard/?p=1146 I think I will be seeing him again soon. I hope to add bat houses and maybe a few more bird houses to help combat the mosquitoes. I will have more on that soon.

I am also planning a butterfly house or two this year. I have discussed this with him as well. I can make these myself, and I probably will try a few. I will see the woodworker for a few also because of their quality. His will go in the front yard. My creations may be better suited for the backyard. I will see how things turn out.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

The mosquitoes seem to be out in full force already this season. I was amazed at the number of those critters that came after me today.

Now is the time to be certain there is no unnecessary standing water in your yard and garden. Weeds and brush that supply them with areas of cover need to be controlled as well. Bird and bat houses are ways to encourage the natural predators of mosquitoes.

I will be adding more detailed information on this subject very soon.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

You may remember when we first talked about the nesting material project.
http://www.blogsmonroe.com/backyard/?p=714

Now is the perfect time to get this project ready to be placed outside. I collected some two quart orange juice cartons to use as dispensers for the materials. We have been collecting nesting materials for some time now. With the snow having melted, I was able to locate a few sticks to serve as perches for the dispensers. I think everything is ready.

Making the dispenser will be quite simple. I plan on making two different types that can be placed different ways. One style allows the dispenser to hang from a tree near the bird feeders. The other style can be secured to a fence post in the garden. They both start out the same way. Two holes need to be cut, on opposite sides, so the birds have access to the materials. These holes will also aid in hanging the cartons. Using a large nail or other pointed object, punch a few drainage holes in the bottom of each carton. Holes should also be punched underneath the access holes to accept a stick. Be sure the stick fits tightly as this will serve as a perch.

Hanging the dispensers can be done quite easily. A string or wire can be put through the top to hang it from a tree or other item. I plan on making a small hole to put a screwdriver through in the front of the dispenser that will be mounted to the fence post. A screw with a large shouldered washer will go through the back of the carton and into a pre-drilled pilot hole in the fence. The small hole in front allows access for the screwdriver to secure the dispenser to the fence.

Strings can be cut into various lengths from 2″ to 8″ in length. These can be placed in the dispensers for the birds to use in their nest building. Other items that can be used as nesting material includes small scraps of cloth, cotton balls, feathers, yarn, hair and animal fur or wool. Even small strips of mylar balloons will be a treat to some birds. The shiny strips remind the birds of snake skins, which some bird incorporate into their nests. They are used to keep predators away. There are numerous other items that may work also. Just give it a try or feel free to ask me about the items.

I plan on adding some food source close to the nesting material dispensers to bring the birds in. I still have dried sunflower heads from last year’s garden. I think those will be an enticing treat to bring them in.

I hope to have photos posted when the dispensers are finished and installed. I want to have them put out in the next week or so.

Quick tip: If you like the idea of this but do not want to make a dispenser, the materials can be put in a wire suet feeder. This will work well also.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

My family has compiled a large pile of strings and such to be used as bird nesting material. We will soon be cutting it into the desired lengths for the birds to use. (I will be posting all the details soon)

We have also saved a few orange juice cartons that will be used as the receptacles for the nesting materials. I will be adding directions and photos of the finished product also.

It will not be long until we will be seeing Robins again. Spring is coming! I keep telling myself that, anyway.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

The birds will be getting a treat today. There is a pot of beef soup cooking on our stove. That is not their treat, but some of the trimmings from the beef will be.

The beef trimmings were put in the grinder to make a shredded pile of meat scraps. To the pile add a small amount of seed mix. Mix the beef mixture and the seeds together. Add more seed as necessary to coat the meat. I had some bacon grease saved for suet as well. Because of that I added extra seed mix. After warming the bacon grease I poured it into the mixture. The mix was stirred again until everything was coated. I popped it in the freezer for a bit until the bacon grease thickened.

The suet mix will then be ready for feeding. It can be formed into blocks to put into existing suet feeders. I occasionally save mesh bags from potatoes or onions. These can be filled with the mix, tied off and secured in a tree.

This is a great winter time treat. Just remember, as the weather begins to warm up this will be a messy treat. It is best to feed this in colder temperatures.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Another bout of nasty winter weather is nearly upon us. Do not forget to fill those bird feeders. When the snow gets too deep the birds are unable to find much food naturally. When we consider our area has a good chance at a significant ice accumulation, it makes our feeders even more important. The birds are even less likely to find food under all that ice.

Here’s a project that can be started during the holidays to be ready for nicer weather. The kids seem to enjoy this.

Save your string. String from packages or any other source. Scraps of yarn, old shoelaces and anything else you can come across. Soon we’ll discuss cutting it into various lengths and leaving it out for nesting material.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I normally clear the garden bare this time of the year. I tried something a little different today. After I cut the last of the cornstalks down, I did not run them through the shredder. I made two piles in the garden. I also added the stalks from the sunflowers. These piles will give birds and small animals cover during the cold winter that lies ahead.

There were a few ears of Indian corn left on the stalks. The rabbits and squirrels will appreciate that. The few weeds in the pile may still have some seeds left for the birds. In the spring I will shred the piles. But for now they can serve another purpose.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I was recently asked an interesting question regarding feeding the birds. The question concerned attracting woodpeckers to their yard. There are woodpeckers in the area but they have no large trees in their yard. They are planning a rustic bird feeding station: http://www.blogsmonroe.com/backyard/?p=13
But they wondered what else they could do.

I think I might have found another way to draw them in. We can create our very own “tree trunk” to draw in the woodpeckers. Simply put a 4×4 timber up in the yard. An eight foot long post would stand about six feet tall with two feet buried. A taller post may be even better. The trick is to cover the post with bark from a dead tree or logs. The bark pieces could be nailed on with shingle nails or using screws with a washer to keep the screw from going through the bark. This will give the appearance of a tree trunk. The spaces between the bark and areas within the bark can be filled with suet for the birds. They will be able to hold onto the bark as if it were a real tree. I’ll be posting some easy recipes to make suet mixes at home.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I just added a link to bird identification chart with photos. It is in the comments section of the Backyard Certification page. Here is a link to the page.

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/backyard/?page_id=107

Here is a direct link to the site:

http://www.wildbirdguide.com/commonbirds.htm

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I recently added a bird feeding chart to the Backyard Certification page. I hope it will assist you in knowing what the different birds will eat when adding feeders to your yard/garden. It may prove a valuable resource even if you don’t decide to certify your backyard. You still may want to feed the birds.

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/backyard/?page_id=107

It is posted under comments on that page.

I’ll see you in the backyard!