Are you a bird watcher? Do you have birdhouses for them in your garden? Do you know how to attract birds to birdhouses?
Do you have birdfeeders for them? What about a birdbath for them?
Here are some things you can do to attract and keep birds coming to your neighborhood year after year!
Birdbaths
You can attract birds by providing for their needs for water, food and safety. Birds drink water and bathe in it. They even wet their twigs in order to soften as they build their nests. When you have a birdbath nearby with fresh water it will certainly bring them closer. The birdbath should be about 2 1/2" deep in water for them. You will want to make sure that the birdbath is high enough off the ground so that they are not surprised by a cat or some other enemy. Little birdies do not like to be surprised while they are taking their baths and playing in the water!
Birdfeeders
During the summer months, birds can usually find their own food, but during the winter months it becomes more of a challenge. If you live in an area with snow and ice, then you may need to help the birds that visit you with food in a special way. A good plan for providing food in the winter is to start in the fall before the weather becomes harsh and always put the food in one particular spot. Soon the birds will learn to go to that spot to feed even when winter hits and finding food on their own becomes difficult.
Birdhouses
Birdhouses provide protection for birds and most of them prefer houses made of rough wood. Never purchase a metal birdhouse with the intention of birds living there as the metal can become hot. Birds like birdhouses better when they match their surroundings and dull colors like gray-green or brown works best for them. Place your birdhouses some distance apart because you will find that some songbirds like their privacy and will not live too close to other birds of their same kind. You'll also find that three to four birdhouses per acre is just about all that will use them.
Watch the pattern of the birds that frequent your area. Some like living high in trees whereas others like to be near the ground. Bluebirds will usually take to the birdhouse and it works best when they are attached to the top of fence posts or something of this kind. Make sure you place it with some shade from the sun and add some tin around the bottom of the post in order for enemies to stay away.
Cleanliness is important for our little feathered friends too. After the baby birds fly away, take the birdhouse down and clean it well before placing back on the post.
Make sure by the fall of the year that you have little birdhouses in place so that winter birds can use them for roosting if they like. By springtime birdhouses should be back in place and ready for your little feathered friends to return home again.
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