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Edible Birdhouses are Back for Holiday!
Ya just can’t go wrong with two gifts in one that birds love. Not to mention that edible birdhouses also put a smile on the recipient’s face!
From the heartland USA made, premium quality seeds coat these fun and festive birdhouse-feeder delights. More than just a pretty little whimsy, underneath is a real wooden bird house that serves as nesting spot and winter roost once seed is consumed.
The Bed & Breakfast Chalet or Wren Casita will see lots of winter feeding, and then host many successful broods over the years!
To get the most from any edible birdhouse:
For use as a feeder: Best to hang in a sheltered area- away from squirrels and the elements. A weather guard or squirrel baffle is ideal, allowing it to feed more birds over a longer period of time.
Once the seed is consumed: The birdhouse may be stained, painted, or left natural. Simply hang from a branch in a quiet area to provide songbirds the perfect nest site. During the “off-season”, they offer swell roosting spots too.
A win-win holiday gift for any backyard birder or nature buff, edible birdhouses simply rock for their fun character and functionality. The birds will thank you too!
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Why are Ground Bird Baths More Natural?
Because Birds Bathe More Naturally at Ground Level!
Think about it… before humans ever started offering bird baths for feathered friends, they got along just fine with shallow pools of water and puddles.
Freezing temperatures likely created some problems as the shallows froze over, making it more difficult for birds to find water. The concept of eating snow for water seems logical- but if you’re a bird it’s pretty much half baked!
The reason being is that it takes energy to convert the snow to liquid. This energy requires calories and it’s the calories birds spend all day consuming in cold weather. From dawn until dusk, most of the resident backyard birds will be at feeders and foraging for enough calories to make through another night. Calories provide the energy to keep warm, although nature has provided other mechanisms for that too!
You know when puffed up, big fat birds are hanging around feeders and they resemble little fluff balls? Feathers are fluffed as a way to trap heat beneath them close to the birds’ body. It’s one of the main reasons for late summer/fall molt when they shed old and tattered feathers. New feathers are sturdy, sometimes even brighter and more effective at keeping the bird warm.
So by offering shallow open water in winter, you help birds conserve energy. And since ground bathing comes more naturally, heated ground baths absolutely rock for winter! Easy to add a heater to an existing bath, or go for one with concealed heater- meant for year-round use.
The Four Seasons Ground Bath is ideal for it’s size, rough texture and hidden heater.
Birds will flock to it in frigid weather as the design resembles those natural shallow pools and puddles. It helps create a perfect winter habitat along with feeders and shelter, and once weather warms up, simply tuck the cord underneath the bath!
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Opt for Dovecote Birdhouses that Really Lasts
Say it ain’t so?
That majestic dovecote birdhouse has seen better days. It now sites like an eyesore, rotted and crumbling. The only thing remaining intact is the beautiful copper roof.
Sad but true, in all cases wood eventually succumbs to weather. Our dovecotes are meticulously crafted of vinyl/PVC although they look like wood.
Folks think of vinyl as cheesy, slick-looking plastic… but it’s the furthest thing from the truth. Over the years, some customers have even had concerns they’d received a wooden birdhouse- when in fact it was a vinyl dovecote!
But do the birds use these birdhouses?
You bet! This male Eastern Bluebird is actually feeding mealworms to nestlings. How do we know this? The smaller dovecote happens to be our own! Installed about 6 years ago in an open area, it’s hosted many successful broods over the years. Yes, the copper roof could use a cleaning which simply entails a soft cloth, gentle soap and water… and time!
After these babies fledged, nest clean-out was in order. Climbing up and lifting the roof revealed that three other old nests had hosted chickadees, nuthatches and a prior bluebird family.
When making an investment in your landscape, it’s a good idea to opt for quality, and something that carries a guarantee is always best.
Stunning copper roof dovecote birdhouses are USA made and made to last a lifetime. Wood is never used in their construction, neither on finials nor decorative brackets. This means deterioration simply won’t occur because the material is inert. Resisting insect damage, the dovecotes will never warp, rot or peel as wood behaves.
Real estate’s tough out there! Consider Fall Spruce-Up and housong the birds at the same time 🙂
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