Bird Houses, what birds do you want in your garden?

[HoneyBerry]

Rare Yellow Cardinal:

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/0 ... /23373508/

[jal_ut]

"I looked up bird names everyone suggested, those are some of the birds I see in our yard that I never knew there names."

Do you have a field guide? Look for the field guide to the birds in your area.
Hey, good job on the bird houses. Hope you get some takers.

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America is a good one.

[LGrammer]

I love all the birds but crows. So I welcome them all

[gumbo2176]

I love all the birds but crows. So I welcome them all

I live in an urban area and it's not the crows, but the pigeons we pretty much can't stand. Nothing but rats with wings is how we look at them.

I once had a neighbor who had several bird feeders on her property and once the pigeons found out where the food was------in about 15 minutes------they congregated in her yard and on every roost they could set their feet around and crapped on everything. It took a while, but she finally got the hint and removed the feeders-----problem solved.

[applestar]

Squirrel chewed through/off the herb shaker top, so now it looks like a round porthole — yeah I meant it to look that way
Sparrows and finches find it a handy access. I even saw a male cardinal in there the other day... but he flew away when I had just managed to fit the telephoto lense on my iPhone....

[digitS']

I saw a pair of robins days ago and miles and miles from my house. (But, they were north of the place .)

I'm out and about as much as usual and often find a few robins in the winter months. Not this year ... however, there was a robin just a few hundred yards from my home, yesterday! And, after a brief time away - the California quail were back in my yard.

I wonder what the birds will think of the return of the snow this morning ... The weather service promises warmer and sunnier days once we get thru this stormy weekend.

Steve

[applestar]

...I wasn’t going to share this because it’s not a very good photo, but I saw a robin, too, to my complete surprise. Because the normal “rule” in this area is the Snowbirds (Juncos) fly south here to spend the winter just as Robin’s fly further south for the winter, and just about when you see the Juncos for the last time in spring, the Robins start streaming back.

Well, it’s not time yet! There are Junco’s all over the place still. In fact, during the snowstorm that resulted in the pictured accumulation, Junco’s were the ONLY birds very busy raiding the bird feeders, even hanging ones that only have short perches — I thought juncos were ground-feeders and only came to platform feeders.

This Robin was looking so pathetic all fluffed up and cold! Obviously a male, so maybe an advance scout? While I watched, he sat huddled and fluffed up, trying to stay warm, then eventually gave up and hopped down and ...again to my surprise... creeped under a fallen and snow covered fencing where I suppose there was a nice cozy shelter.

[jal_ut]

I heard a Robin singing this morning. Didn't see the bird. Lessee, coming to the bird feeder: Magpie, Junco, RW Blackbird, E Sparrow. For a time we had a lot of the House Finches, but they are MIA.

[Gary350]

Birds do not like the factory made hanging feeders they swing is the wind and swing when birds land on them.

I built a new bird feeder to replace the one that was the most popular in the center of the picture. It was a 6"x8" wooden pan that filled up with water every time it rained then seed sprouted and weeds grew in the feeder. I tried several things to make the water drain but seeds kept stopping up the drains. I built a new feeder with a very large over hanging roof to keep out rain. This is the most popular feeder now. I have been watching birds this morning they come and go just as fast as they can get a seed then fly away. There are, 4 titmouse, 2 chickadees, 2 red birds, 2 blue jays, & some sparrows.

[Gary350]

It has rained hard ON & OFF all day so I built another bird house to match our little vintage camper trailer. It might be too late for birds to live in it this year just have to put it in a tree and see what happens. This is the easiest bird house I ever built it only has 2 pieces of wood 3/4" thick 5.5" x 6" with a 1.25" diameter hole for the door. The corner radius were traced around an green bean can with a pencil. The door hole cut out becomes the trailer tire. Wrap the 2 boards with a thin sheet of aluminum 5.5" wide 22" long attach it with 1" paneling nails. Drill a 3/8" hole from a peg so bird has a place to set. Then paint it with your favor colors & vintage trailer design. Looks like I forgot to paint the blue strips across the front of the bird house I will do that when it stops raining. I forgot to put a hand full of soft pine needles inside the bird house to help the bird get started building a nest.

[applestar]

That is so CUTE!! I hope an adventurous couple discover it and move right in.

[jal_ut]

I feed the birds year round. On the feeder I feed millet, cracked corn, and sunflower, then hang one of those suet feeders on a tree limb. I put a handful of dry catfood on the feeder for the Magpies. Though I do hear a crow now and then, they don't seem interested in coming to my feeders. I get Eu Doves and Starlings, both miserable implants, but I guess if you are going to feed birds, you take what comes?

[Gary350]

This morning I spent a long time setting in the yard watching the birds while drinking my coffee and eating breakfast. It took about 20 minutes for birds to get comfortable with me being there. Once birds started coming to the bird feeders they all started coming. Blue Jays came first then the red birds, then the titmouse, then the chickadee, then sparrows, then birds small as chickadee that look like sparrows not sure what those are called. Wow birds were coming fast soon as 1 bird was gone another one arrived in a flash it was a non stop stream of about 15 birds until seeds were gone. The little titmouse and chickadee came 2 at a time while larger birds often come 1 at a time. The little birds like the swinging feeders landing area is too small for larger birds land. Birds are so funny to watch red birds land on the bottom ring of the tomato cages they tilt their head to 1 side to use 1 eye to inspect a tomato plant then tilt their head the other way to use the other eye to inspect a tomato plant. Red birds go from cage to cage inspecting each tomato plant 1 by 1. There were 2 red birds inspecting tomato plants when 2 more red birds arrived. Mocking birds walk under the tomato plants looking up a the leaves they also walk in the potato patch looking at the leaves. Birds have no interest in, onions, garlic or herbs I guess there is no free lunch there. Wrens are chirping their lungs out I keep hearing them but so far I have not seen any wrens. Some bird houses show signs of bird activity but so far I am not seeing birds going in & out. Soon as eggs hatch there will be babies to feed there will be birds coming and going all day from the houses. Yesterday was the 1st day I have seen Robins, I have not seen any doves yet. The 2 squirrel families had babies a few weeks ago 8 baby squirrels sure are cute to watch. Little birds are too fast to get a pictures they fly down get a seed then they are gone is a flash. Larger birds stay 5 to 10 seconds and they are gone. First pic you can see the Blue Jay setting on the fence above the flower pot, not picture blue jay is in the feeder. I am only 20 ft from the feeder I should have zoomed the camera lens in closer, oh well maybe next time. If you click the picture it gets larger, if you click it again it gets large enough to see the bird.

[Gary350]

There is a new visitor coming to the bird feeder it is a Mountain Blue Bird. Yesterday it came and stayed about 45 seconds an I did not have my camera. I will keep trying to get a photo in the mean time here is an online pic of a Mountain Blue Bird. The birds seem to be getting use to me watching them every morning they start coming a few minutes after I arrive to watch them. Chickadees are not as fast now I have gotten some pictures.

[applestar]

I moved this feeder by the gate arch trellis and the birds love it — primarily House Finches like the male in this photo alternating with Cardinals. Even cardinals squeeze inside the bottle to eat.

When I start hearing the sound of seeds and shells being kicked against the side of the bottle, I know it’s time to refill — I’m Guessing it’s the finches that does this — but It might be sparrows since I’m not sure if finches are actually ground feeders that do the back-and-forth shuffle to dig for food.

[digitS']

It's interesting to me how the bird population changes through the years I have been in one current garden.

House finches used to be so common. They seemed to disappear in recent years ... only to reappear, this year! I looked at the range map in Cornell's All About Birds (link) and discovered that I'm at the northern edge of their range.

That isn't the only bird species with a varying population. Some years, there are more American Goldfinches than you can shake a stick at . I think it helps that there are so few English Sparrows laying claim to every yard in that neighborhood.

Steve

[jal_ut]

The "Sibley Guide to Birds" is a great book.

[pow wow]

I'm growing a few birdhouse gourd vines in my GH. Already been watching videos on how to turn the gourds into bird houses. Chickadees and Red Breasted Nuthatches are what I want to attract more of.

[Gary350]

We are seeing a lot more birds in the yard and garden than we have in the past. There are birds in several of the 40 bird houses. The mocking bird sings non stop from sun rise to dark every day. Red bird, blue bird, indigo bunting, wrens, are in the garden all day. Wrens have moved into one of the blue bird houses. Tit mouse, red bird, chickadee, are at the bird feeder early morning and evening. Squirrels are nesting in the largest bird houses. Doves pick up fallen seeds from the feeder. The elusive Red Head wood pecker hammers in the trees. Robins are eating in the grass. The past 4 days Blue Jays have been very loud squawking and flying from tree to tree all day I think babies are out of the nest. Sparrows stay busy coming and going from several bird houses.

Bird video. https://www.facebook.com/acrobolix/vide ... 055170361/

[imafan26]

You have a larger variety of birds than we have here. Most of the birds here are aliens and threaten native habitat so they are considered more pests. Mynahs do eat lawn worms and insects. Sharma are beautiful and was a deliberate import many years ago and they eat insects but also fruit. The cattle egret was imported by the plantation to manage field pests and rodents. The plantations are mostly gone now but the birds will occasionally swoop down after I weed whack the grass and weeds. There are a variety of society finches and released pets and they are mostly seed eaters. The mejiro is a small but aggressive bird that will attack cats and other birds are afraid of it. They like to hollow out ripe papaya. Bulbuls are universal pests to everybody. They eat fruit and seeds and reproduce prolifically. They will leave nothing but caps on a Hawaiian pepper. I don't mind the doves, they do eat the seeds from my pots so I have to cover the trays, but they don't go after fruit. I have a few volunteer plants in my yard like bitter melon, and papaya that are planted by the birds. We also have cardinals, there aren't as many of them, but like the doves, they go after seeds and fruit.

[Gary350]

3 new bird houses facing EAST. When we lived n town bird house facing east had birds others did not. I found a picture of bird house apartment complex. LOL

[applestar]

Ha! I wouldn’t have been too surprised if you had said the bird apartment tree/complex was YOUR creation and is occupying your front yard.

[Gary350]

Ha! I wouldn’t have been too surprised if you had said the bird apartment tree/complex was YOUR creation and is occupying your front yard.

I wanted to do something like that bird apartment complex to my tree but did not have enough free wood to build 100 bird houses and did not want to spend a week or 2 building them. I put several bird houses around my tree like steps so cats can get to the top easy. First 3 pictures gray color cat is on top sleeping. I did not notice any birds living in these houses this summer but end of summer 3 houses have nests inside. I assume anytime we were setting on the patio birds stayed away until we were gone that is why they were never seen. It is not often I set still more than 15 minutes I am on the go all the time. Even if my back is hurting I only need to set for 2 minutes until pain is gone then I can go another 10 minutes before I set for another 2 minutes.

[Gary350]

Year after year birds get more friendly. Does anyone know if the same birds return to bird feeders year after year?

I notice a month ago birds seem more friendly. Birds come to the feeder 20 ft away from me they are very quick to come get food and be gone is less than 1 second.

Last week birds were coming to the feeder 20 ft away and staying longer 2 to 5 seconds. Then started coming to the feeder that is 10 ft away long enough to get 1 seed then be gone.

This morning I am setting in a different location 6 ft from 1 feeder & 10 ft from another feeder & 12 ft from the other feeder, birds are coming for food and don't seem to care I am setting closer. There are 4 birds at 1 feeder, 2 at the feeder near me, and 3 at the other feeder, several birds of feeder roof waiting their turn. Even the chick-a-de and Red birds and Blue jays are coming. I was so funny this morning several birds came to the feeder 6 ft away look right at me and sing. Blue jay did a whistle song at the bird feeder looking right at me, I was hearing that same song up in the trees yesterday and wonder which bird is doing that. Mocking bird sings several songs last summer this bird would never stop singing. Red head wood pecker came to bird feeder too I did not know they eat sun flower seeds. Chick-a-de comes stays long enough to eat 8 or 9 seeds. Titmouse is even coming to feeder 6 ft away but only staying long enough to get 1 seed then fly up into the trees with it.

It is fun to watch about 10 birds so close up. This is the first year birds have let me be this close to them. When I lived at the other house a Wren use to land 3 ft away on the table that I was setting at look right at me then sing over & over for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. I always felt like that bird was trying to tell me something.

[TomatoNut95]

There are three birds species around here that I HATE. Wrens, Phoboes and Cowbirds. Wrens and Phoboes are total pests and Cowbirds are evil and destroy other birds eggs.

I would love to attract more doves, 'cause they're sweet and adorable birds. Is there such thing as a dove box? Will doves nest in boxes?

[digitS']

Okay, doves can't be as bad as geese but they're messy!

I enjoyed having pigeons for about 10 years - Rollers. They were fun but messy. A backyard laying flock was bad enuf. I guess that I did okay with the Rollers, DW says that it would be nice to have them in the yard, again.

That being said. I'm putting dove feed in the backyard just as soon as I see doves in the neighborhood again . The English sparrows dang near drive me crazy and, at least, the neighbor with 8 or 10 birdhouses for them has moved away. Another neighbor who feeds them has been very conscientious about food supply recently. The neighborhood hawk appreciates that, I wish that he would take them somewhere else to pull them apart than in my backyard tree.

Okay, back to the doves. I have safflower seed especially for birds other than English sparrows and starlings (if I've got that story right about starlings ). Also, I know the squirrels don't like it. There are chickadees, song sparrows and house finches that are supposed to like it. I tried the feeder last year and the squirrels stayed out of it.

We are right at the northern boundary of house finch territory. They only show up some years. I've noticed that the English sparrows will keep the house finches on the power lines and even pester them there. Doves don't seem to like to be in confined backyards. I've come up with an idea: put a rope around safflower feeder and hoist it to the peak of the neighbor's garage. His garage wall forms a boundary along the backfence. I recently put siding on it just the way that he wanted it done and put a device to hold the rope to hoist the feeder. I told him that it was my intention and he is the guy with the bird feeder on the other side of that garage .

Steve

[imafan26]

Actually, probably only the cattle egret. They only come after I mow the grass to catch whatever was exposed. Do do catch some of my lizards. But, at least they leave afterward.

Mynah's do snack on insects, but they are loud, noisy, and messy.

Bulbuls are a rats with wings.

I do like the Sharma, it is a beautiful songbird, but they are not common sightings and they prefer to stay where the trees are so they are rarely in my yard. I do see them at the botanical garden.

Java rice birds, society finches, cardinals, ring necked doves. and mejiro hang around and they like seeds and fruit. I have gotten volunteer tomatoes, papaya, peppers, and cutting celery, and weeds. They also nest in the trees and like to nest in my walls. Not so nice, and hard to get them out, they come back every year. I used to keep a bird feeder in the yard mainly to entertain the cats in my house. Doves and cardinals also will patrol my seed bench so I have to keep seed trays especially of peppers covered or they will eat the seeds out of the pots.

Sparrows used to be commonplace, but now they are rarely seen as well as the other birds have taken over.

The cattle egret was imported by the plantations for pest control in the fields. The other birds were pets that were let go and all of them are alien species.

There are very few native birds living in urban areas. Many of Hawaii's native animals and plants are endangered due to habitat loss, and competition and predation from alien species.

[Gary350]

Calm before the storm, 30 mph wind stopped so I put sunflower seeds in the bird feeders. Before I could get set down in my chair birds were already coming. About 3 minutes later I though Indigo Bunting has arrived but this is a much darker solid blue bird with no marking on, breast, wings or head. Bird is very deep dark blue its head is so dark blue it almost looks black. I am not finding online pictures of any such bird but I found a pic that is very close but still not dark blue enough. Maybe this is indigo bunting? I hope storm goes past we need warmer weather & no rain. 64 feels very cold in 30 mph wind.

[TomatoNut95]

Aww, what a cute little blue bird! Looks like an indigo bunting to me. I've got those little blue sweethearts around here to.

@Gary, how much would you sell me one of your bird houses, I'd love to give one to my mother, she loves Bluebirds. I have no idea what to get her for Mother's Day....

[Gary350]

How to identify birds.

[Gary350]

Yesterday was 71° sunny & nice. Several times I sat on the patio & enjoyed watching the birds. I notice Blue Birds search for food and eat the same food as Robins. Blue Birds will not eat anything in the bird feeder they are meat eaters. Blue birds stand in the grass looking around when they see a worm they jump over there pull it up and eat it, identical to Robins. The most amazing thing Blue Birds set on a tree limb 15 to 20 feet above the ground looking for worms & bugs then bird dives down grab the worm and eats it. There is no way I can see a worm or bug from 15 feet away in the grass, I wonder if birds have some type of telescopic vision so they can zoom in on small things far away?

Blue Birds are still setting on eggs, online says 12 to 20 day incubation. I think it has been about 2 weeks so far. From 10 feet away I use my spot light to see there is a Blue Bird setting on the nest. I think birds probably take turns setting on the nest but I never see them trade places. It won't be much longer Blue birds will both be very busy feeding babies.

[digitS']

Blue Birds have that blue color from eating butterflies.

Kidding!! They and the American Robin are thrushes.

We have the Townsend Solitaire thrush here in the forests. They aren't red or blue but are a pretty gray bird, anyway.

The Robins weren't here in January this winter as they were in our very mild January, 2020. At that time, I thought "What's the matter with them?!" They were in flocks eating the Mountain Ash berries. They soon disappeared and returned about their usual time. It was months before it occurred to me that they may not have been coming north in January but may have been kinda over-wintering in the valleys. Finally, they decided that they should get the heck outta here, flocked together, and this was just a stop along the way.

Some years, I see a few Robins during the winter but not 2020-21. I've seen 3 so far over the last week!

Steve

[Vernbena]

Husband is a late 'carpenter untrained' and makes lots of items with Wood. Birdhouses being one of them. Here in S W France we have Hoopoe's and they arrive around April and nest nearby as they are regular visitors to our Garden..have some photos from last year....so looking forward soon for there arrival...

[TheWaterbug]

I want a Barn Owl to eat all of my gophers:









No one has moved in yet, but I definitely have a Barn Owl in my neighborhood. Here s/he is, about 30' away from that box:



And here s/he is flying a bit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=accL9JdGwOo

[digitS']

Well, maybe she can Get

Those

Varmints!!!

[TomatoNut95]

I would like more hawks and owls around my house to eat up the nasty pests like wrens and mice.

But I don't want my whippoorwill eaten, it's too cute.

[Gary350]

I would like more hawks and owls around my house to eat up the nasty pests like wrens and mice.

But I don't want my whippoorwill eaten, it's too cute.

Wrens are your organic garden friends, they eat their body weight in bugs every day. Wrens are so funny they will land 10 ft away then look right at you and chirp their lungs out light they are trying to tell you something.

[TomatoNut95]

I would like more hawks and owls around my house to eat up the nasty pests like wrens and mice.

But I don't want my whippoorwill eaten, it's too cute.

Wrens are your organic garden friends, they eat their body weight in bugs every day. Wrens are so funny they will land 10 ft away then look right at you and chirp their lungs out light they are trying to tell you something.

I would happily send you my wrens, Gary; they're pests that build their nests in the STUPIDEST places, sometimes tearing up potted plants to do it, attracting snakes and I am not fond at all of their high pitched shrill song, especially right outside my bedroom window at the crack of dawn. Give me cardinals or blue birds anyday!

[Gary350]

Wrens arrived here May 15. They have been building a nest every morning but no where to be seen the rest of the day. Yesterday wrens are flying quick between 2 different bird houses they appear to be build a nest in 2 places, typical for wrens. I am not hearing any of that fast, chirp, chirp, chirp, chrip, GET OFF MY LAWN, type sound from these wrens??? Wrens are too quick for my camera to get a picture. These wrens are not all brown color they have a white brown stripe on their wing. They have the typical streamline body & head with long pointed beak. They act like wrens too birds will land only 10 ft away and sing a very nice song. I can not find wren pictures online of wrens with a white brown stripe on their side?

[applestar]

I think you have Carolina Wrens rather than the smaller, all brown House Wrens. Carolina Wrens have a white streak behind the eyes and I think somewhat striped belly? About size of sparrows.

They are more timid than House Wrens. House Wrens are bold — they are excellent “Guard Birds” and warn me when there are stray cats in the garden, off-leash dog has crossed the front lawn to the backyard fence... or when they spot the snake, they follow it around chittering at it ...sometimes, Cardinals (male) will join in harassing the snake.

...Of course, there might be another plumage pattern on the House Wrens in your area — I once saw an artist’s sculpture of a House Wren that was different than what I’m used to....
Try here Similar Species to House Wren, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

@TomatoNut — when the weather gets hot, it works out better if I get up at the “crack of dawn” While the temperature is still cooler. I can be more done before it’s gets too hot.

@TheWaterbug — have the owl moved in? I sometimes hear Great Horned Owls hooting at each other across the woods — it’s a wonderful haunting sound and I love it when I wake up to hear it. But I’ve never seen one, any kind of owl around here. So fun that you have a chance to offer a house for one.