Our Bird Home

Nothing ruins a bird’s day faster than a squirrel stuffing his or her face at their favorite birdfeeder. Squirrels are notorious for climbing up on top of birdfeeders, and feasting upon the seeds for hours and hours on end. To prevent squirrels from getting on top of the birdfeeder and stuffing their faces, there are a number of solutions to consider.

In some cases, a squirrel baffle might be an appropriate addition to the bird feeder. However, in some cases, a particularly large squirrel might be able to get around a baffle through careful maneuvering. Now and then a hanging bird feeder can also be a good idea, because depending on where it is hung, it might prevent squirrels from being able to touch it. The final solution is to provide an easier source of food for the squirrels, like a squirrel feeder that distributes nuts or corn. Provided this alternate feeder doesn’t run out of food, the squirrels will tend to use it instead of taking the time and effort to get to the bird feeder.

Have you ever wondered what started people being interested in birdhouses in their yards? Where did the idea come from? After all, birds have been doing this for a long time. It is believed that one reason is that people just wanted to attract more birds. In fact this has been a popular activity since the days of tribal settlements in North America.

The native American tribes used to hang hollow gourds for purple martins to come and nest in. These purple martins kept away turkey vultures which would raid their meat racks. Rustic birdhouses and gourds developed into decorative birdhouses by bird lovers and birdwatchers that you see today. Include your comment about what you know about early birdhouses.

Drawing a flock of birds to the backyard is more difficult than some people think, but it does require a few common essentials. While not all birds will flock to birdhouses, a few decorative birdhouses scattered around the backyard can’t hurt. However, be warned that most birdhouses won’t have birds for the first year, as birds have to become accustomed to the birdhouse being present. It’s also important to have birdfeeders in the backyard, more so than birdhouses. While birds can build their own nests elsewhere, they will want to live near sources of food. It’s also a good idea to have a birdbath around the yard, both as a source of water, and because birds like to splash around now and then.

During the winter, make sure to fill the birdfeeders on a regular basis. While some birds will migrate south during the colder months, a lot of birds stick around the whole winter, and need to have a reliable source of food.