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Big Seed Ornaments and the Edible Birdhouse are Back!
With cooler weather heading our way, the natural foods birds forage for will become more scarce. Insect populations are dying off, and the once vivid flowers seed heads’ of late summer and fall have pretty much been picked over. Now’s the time when birds (and squirrels) are caching food in tree cavities and crevices for winter feeding. Woodpeckers, chickadees and titmice are famous for this behavior. Some birds will even steal others caches!It’s definitely the time to gear up in the bird feeding department if you happen to partake. Suet always offers a calorie-packed meal for most backyard birds. But in the fun department, big seed ornaments and the wren casita edible birdhouse are back!
Coated with premium seed, nuts and fruit, these big ornaments are an excellent food source for birds and some even make real houses for nesting and roosting once the seed’s been consumed.
Birdie Cottages are other edible houses that offer a cozy roost for smaller songbirds. In a set of two cottages, there’s one to keep and one to give!
These decorative feeders make for awesome gifts for any nature lover on your list… and the birds will love them too!
Save 10% on these fun wild bird accessories through 11/15/13
Enter code MC10 at checkout, the name in above header takes you to our place 🙂 - Bird Houses, Decorative Bird Houses, Recycled Birdhouses, Uncategorized, Unique Birdhouses, Wood Birdhouse
What Makes them Unique Birdhouses?
Up-cycling seems to be a popular word these days, in fact it’s even a trend. The art of re-purposing, recycling and reusing materials and things to make new and useful things. From the artsy perspective, most of it centers around vintage finds, so it’s no wonder new stuff is made to look old and worn. Even designer jeans with their acid washes and holes can fetch a few hundred bucks!It’s part of what makes these unique birdhouses appealing. But why? First and foremost, you won’t find them stacked on shelves in a huge fulfillment center awaiting mass purchase and shipping! Because they’re handcrafted from scraps and vintage materials, no two are ever even the same. That’s makes them pretty unique right there.
A primitive or folk art design is usually timeless, not a phase that’s here and gone. In fact these houses are actually designed with birds in mind (yes, many designs don’t even take birds into consideration).
Some of the bird-friendly features are:
A screen set above the floor. This makes it easier for mom to construct her nest with less material, it allows circulation and inhibits insect infestations which can be fatal to new hatchlings and nestlings.Locking door on back for easy clean-out. If nests are not removed after babies have fledged, many birdhouses are deemed useless. Very few birds will re-use an existing nest. Also, removing the nest provides another spot to raise young for those birds who have two or three clutches per year. In fall when nesting is through, the house provides a roosting spot for cold nights, and protection from predators.
Proper ventilation and drainage are important things in the nest box world, and many designs don’t even address the issue. Placement of entrance is a big deal too. The hole should never be at the very bottom where predators have easy access. And the size of the entrance matters as well. When you see little tiny houses with large entries, or huge birdhouses with little tiny entries, well… this makes no sense, and it’s not good for the birds 🙁
This artist is local, which to me is a positive aspect on many levels. These reclaimed materials have been outdoors withstanding elements for a long time, which means they’ll continue to do so over the years. Now that’s good for the environment, good for the local economy, and above all… good for the birds!
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Why Go USA made on this copper roof birdhouse?
In the spirit of the Labor Day holiday, we say go USA.
Most times it’s true, you really do get what you pay for from a quality perspective. Although these two stunning birdhouses appear identical, they are not. Looks can be so deceiving!
One is proudly crafted in the USA (in a mom & pop shop-supporting American jobs and our own economy) while the other is a mass produced knock-off from overseas. Can you tell the difference? Barley noticeable just by looking at the images, right?
Both seem to have identical features, from the finial down to the decorative brackets… great knock-off, huh? The main feature that sets this copper roof birdhouse apart is the basic material: vinyl versus wood. Bet you still can’t really see the difference! That’s because the vinyl one made in the USA is such superb quality… it looks like wood! We’ve even had a customer or two over the years call us with concerns that their order was for a vinyl house – but they received a wooden one!
Sure the price tag is higher for the vinyl version, but it’s guaranteed to last because it’s impervious to weather and insects. In fact it’s even guaranteed to look new 5 or 10 years down the road! How many manufacturers can give that kind of assurance on their products? Actually very few come to our minds. The wooden house will absolutely fall prey to the elements, it may take a year or two, but down the road cracks, splits and warping are inevitable. And heaven forbid a pesky squirrel decides he likes the house enough to chew on it! We’re not knocking the wood version because it really is a great copy, it’s just a well know fact that with any wooden item left outdoors over time-Mother Nature and the elements will take their toll.
Making an investment in your landscape, be it for curb appeal, the birds, or both shouldn’t cause heartache down the road. Know what you’re purchasing, where it’s made, and any guarantees that come with it… regardless of the item. Please support USA made and keep small business in business.
Oh yeah, which is which? The one on the right is durable vinyl and proudly made in the USA 🙂
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