Planning your bird house placement |
Ready for spring? Us too! |
How is January almost over already? Even though the year is flying fast, we have had springtime on our minds at the bird store basically since 2021 started. So, in preparation, we want to talk about planning your nest boxes, protecting your seed from those spring showers, upcoming classes, and the coming February in-store special.
Our upcoming Spring Birding Class in March, has one or two spots left! Get in while you can! This class will be informative and fun with one lecture and two field trips. You can check our website for details. We have also begun planning a lecture series to take place this May. This series will include three online lectures from ornithologist Marae Lindquist, a PhD student at UNCW. Topics will cover the biology of coastal birds, individual bird movement & how movement is studied, and impacts of sea level rise on bird populations. Lectures will be held over three weeks: May 11th, 18th and 25th from 4-5:15, the cost is $65 per person. This is going to be a very informative lecture series! Give us a call for more details (Wilmington: 910-343-6001; Southport: 910-457-9453)!
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Nest Box Planning
202o through the start of 2021 has felt like one long winter, and we are ready to plan for spring. We want to see those beautiful baby birds, and more of them than ever!
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We've been thinking of ways to strategize your space for the most variety in nesting bird species. After all, increased species diversity is great for your mental health (see our Facebook page for an article about this). You'll need some nest boxes, mounting poles or 4x4 posts, and baffles to limit predation.
There are about 85 North American species that nest in tree cavities, and of those, roughly three dozen will nest in nest boxes. Some of them don't live in the area, and others might not live in the general habitats available in your neighborhood, but others are totally up for grabs!
If you want to attract birds to your yard, you have to be thoughtful about which types of houses you make or buy and where you place them. Birds are very particular about which type of houses they prefer. Factors like depth and opening diameter, as well as location are important. Build or purchase the right type of house for the birds that you wish to attract and then place them strategically, and you’ll have better luck attracting birds and you'll provide your beloved birds with a safe home!
We usually recommend avoiding mounting houses on trees because of predators. Especially if there are cats or raccoons in the area. If you use a pole or a post, install a baffle below the birdhouse to keep out snakes.
Mounting height preference varies per species as well. Mount houses from 4 to 8 feet above ground for chickadees or titmice, 5 to 10 feet above ground for bluebirds, house wrens, nuthatches, and tree swallows. If you're feeling adventurous, 15 feet high mounts are good for purple martins, and mounts of 8 to 20 feet high work well for woodpecker species.
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If you are mounting a bird house in a chemically managed yard, consider halting treatment during the breeding season, or at the least, don’t place them where pesticides are used. These chemicals not only harm birds, but also will destroy their main food source—insects.
For attracting the most bird species you may consider offering several different types of houses, in different parts of your yard. Take a look at the bird house opening picture from Cornell above. Another option is to pair houses back to back, or on poles about 25 feet apart. While birds of the same species usually won’t nest closely, different species such as tree swallows and bluebirds will.
There are a lot more important tips and tricks for attracting birds to nest in your yard. If you have any questions, feel free to ask us in the store! Our employees are very thoughtful and informative and are happy to talk you through the specifics of your yard and preferences!
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Thank you to University of Vermont and the Cornell lab of ornithology for some of this information |
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Spring Showers? No problem! |
Keep seed fresh and dry by using weather guards!
We have weather guards of all shapes, sizes, and colors at either location. These protect your seed investment, as well as provide your birds with a nice dry area to grab a meal.
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February Sale!
The upcoming February Special is the "Be My Valentine" sale which gives you 20% off jewelry and anything red!
Happy Shopping friends!
Thank you for reading! We hope to see your faces in our upcoming classes!
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