This morning I had the opportunity to tag along with George Brown as he checked nest boxes along the bluebird trail he maintains. You may recall from a previous blog post that George is the Ramsey and Washington counties coordinator for the Bluebird Recovery Project (BBRC). Checking on the nest boxes weekly is a critical function of maintaining a bluebird…
All Seasons Wild Bird Store (wildbirdstore.com) put together recommendations for nest boxes based on information from the following sources: http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/fact… https://bbrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2… https://bbrp.org/ See also: https://wildbirdstore.com/resources/a… https://wildbirdstore.com/2021/03/08/… This video discusses placement for bluebird nestboxes, selection of bluebird houses, monitoring bluebird nests, and resources for learning more about hosting bluebirds. Special thanks to George Brown, the BBRP and Ray Marshall for photographs…
Nesting season is almost here! This year, consider providing a place for your backyard birds to raise their young. It’s a great way to get an up-close look at the different life stages of your favorite birds! The best bird houses are made with quality materials like untreated wood (order of preference: cedar, pine or cypress or non- pressure treated…
Note: this is the full article by Guest Contributor MELISSA BLOCK. An excerpt is featured in the March/April 2019 edition of our Bird’s-Eye View Newsletter NEST DESCRIPTION : Cardinals Males sometimes bring nest material to the female, who does most of the building. She crushes twigs with her beak until they’re pliable, then turns in the nest to bend the twigs…
Why it’s important to clean birdhouses Cleaning out the birdhouses in your yard is one way to protect your backyard birds from pests and disease while making your birdhouses more attractive for new nesting birds. The fall clean up is very important. Dirty birdhouses can harbor rodents, insects, feather mites and bacteria that can spread disease to nesting birds and…
Providing a healthy home for backyard birds isn’t difficult, but there are some simple tips you should observe in order to make sure your bird’s abode is a safe and attractive place to create a nest. Pay attention to dimensions. With birdhouses, size does matter. A birdhouse should have the proper dimension; entrance hole size, floor size and entrance height.…
Hosting Eastern Bluebirds in your yard is rewarding. You get a close-up look at these beautiful, iridescent birds. You also get the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping to restore bluebird populations. It’s not difficult to host bluebirds, but you should be aware of what’s involved before you get started. This video gives you an introduction to hosting bluebirds. For more information,…
Our favorite songbirds can be open nesters or cavity nesters. Open nesters build or weave nests out in the open in cattails, bushes, trees or on top of ledges. Cavity nesters use a bird house/nest box or hole in a tree to raise their young. Open nesters include birds like: Northern Orioles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Cardinals, American Goldfinches and Blue…