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Simple Nesting Material for Your Birds
Entice and encourage birds to nest in your yard with simple materials found around your home. Although there are all kinds of cool nesting material kits out there, you can do this one yourself… easily!Start with a suet cage or even a mesh produce bag, like the kind apples come in at the grocery store. Next time you empty the lint basket in your clothes dryer, nix that soft, fluffy material as it’s just not natural.
Got a cat or dog? Pet hair is keeper. If you brush your pet, save the hair that accumulates in their brush. But steer clear if Fido or Fluffy has been treated with flea & tick meds. If you happen to have a horse… even better! The nesting material shown here is horse hair. Mostly from the mane and tail, it makes for great stuff to help bind the birds’ gatherings into a nest.
Ever work with silk or dried flowers? The decorative moss, especially Spanish or sphagnum moss is wonderful. Stuff a little moss into the nesting ball too, but keep strands short. They even like bits of raffia and especially feathers. Hang your nest ball from a branch in a visible spot for birds to easily see it. Somewhere in the proximity of existing bird feeders or birdhouses is best. Don’t pack the materials too tightly as a generous air flow dries them quicker after rain.
Simple materials from around your home, that are usually discarded, make for great nesting materials to help birds thrive and flourish in your backyard. You can entice birds to stick around, without adding more feeders and houses, but by offering valuable nesting material for them to help raise their families. Don’t forget the shallow fresh water too!
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Only the Nyjer Bird Feeder is Safe from These Starlings
The backyard and wonderful wildlife habitat is under attack from the worst spell of starlings right now. They eat EVERYTHING in site and bully the songbirds. The mess they leave is not nice either. Starlings are non-native birds, I wish they’d go back from where they came!It is the thistle feeder and hummingbird feeders that are safe, that’s it. Of about 15 assorted feeders, the nyjer bird feeder is the only seed feeder they’ll leave alone. Three hummingbird feeders are starling-free as well. They just about empty the birdbaths everyday too with their splashing around. I even witnessed one trying to stuff himself inside the bluebird feeder, reaching for worms and grabbing a few with his body half in and half out of the feeder!
Thistle or nyjer seed is wonderful with its many benefits. Squirrels don’t like it either, and tend to leave feeders alone. This seed is non-germinating and won’t cause weeds to pop up below the feeder.
And I’m not just ranting because of them in my yard, these birds wreak havoc with air traffic control towers and the airline industry, causing thousands of dollars (if not more) in damages every year. They’re even responsible for a few plane crashes.
Non-native birds go home!
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Some Bird Accessories Will Make for Better Birding
When the simple joys of backyard birding become thwarted….it means that it’s time to do something. Simple solutions do exist for some of the most common problems associated with backyard birding. Wild bird accessories were created for convenience, and to attract more birds. There’s tons of gadgets and gizmos out there, but the basic ones are tried and true.Seed catchers for example, will eliminate ground mess. Tired of weeds popping up in the garden? With a seed tray, or seed catcher the problem is eliminated. Available in several designs, seed catchers may be attached to hanging or post-mount bird feeders. The larger ones even serve as additional feeding space for birds who may not perch at a feeder. So you’ll never know who might visit?
Squirrel baffles – probably my favorite bird accessory! Every single feeder in my yard (and there’s lots of them) has a squirrel baffle attached. Whether they’re post-mounted or hanging feeders, they’re protected from squirrels. Don’t worry though, the squirrels have their own feeders, but it’s never enough. They’ve even learned to hang on and ride the twirl-a squirrel, thinking it’s some kind of amusement ride for them 🙁
Window Alert Decals are literally life savers for many birds. These decals are barely noticeable to humans, but act as a shield to guard birds from striking windows. After several stunned or dead birds on the back deck, I quickly realized these were a “must”. Also, if there’s a territorial male cardinal fighting with himself at your window…Cardinal Alerts will solve the problem.Bird accessories like those mentioned here, really do make a difference in the everyday life of a backyard birder. You may not think any of this stuff is necessary, until you’ve tried them!
PS: If anyone knows how to get rid of the pain in the a$$ starlings in my yard right now, please let me know! They’re eating everything in sight, bullying the songbirds, and making a serious poop mess. Much thanks to that guy who brought them here from Europe!
Happy Birding….
Birding Tips, Information & News
