May 6, 2008

The Appeal Of Nautical Bird Houses

The world is full of bird lovers. One of the things that bird lovers like to do is encourage as many birds to take up residence in the bird lover’s property. In an effort to attract the birds to their property the person spends a great deal of time hanging up bird feeders, cleaning bird baths, and constructing bird houses. Some of the bird lovers, the ones with whimsical souls, hang nautical bird houses.

What Are Nautical Bird Houses?

When the average person thinks of a bird house they generally have a mental picture of a simple homemade box like structure, crafted out of weathered scraps of lumber, and hanging on a crooked fence post next to an abandoned road. What the average person doesn’t realize is that the world is full of novelty bird houses that are anything but simple. There is a huge market for novelty bird houses, including nautical bird houses.

Some people might think that a nautical bird house is a bird house that is nailed to a telephone pole or cemented to a rock. They probably assume that a nautical bird house is one that is designed for nesting Sea Gulls and Pelicans. The truth is that the average Sea Gull or Pelican would never fit in a nautical bird house. Nautical bird houses are built with songbirds in mind. The nautical theme is hung on the bird houses because they are built to resemble a nautical theme. Most nautical bird houses are designed to look like light houses. Other novelty bird houses can look like quaint old stores, Victorian mansions, riverboats, diners, fire stations, and log cabins.

Building A Nautical Bird House

Unlike the plain bird house on the crooked fence post, most bird lovers aren’t able to build their own nautical bird house; the elaborate design is simply to complicated for someone who isn’t an accomplished carpenter. Most novelty bird houses are designed and built by professional woodworkers.

Mounting A Novelty Bird House

Although novelty bird houses are designed to be used by birds it isn’t unusual for someone to purchase one of the whimsical houses and never use it for birds. They place the novelty bird house in a prominent place in their home and use it as a conversation piece. If you choose to mount your novelty bird house outside and let a couple of songbirds move in, you need to properly mount the bird house. Make sure that your novelty bird house is mounted somewhere that cats and dogs won’t be able to disturb the nesting birds. When the birds have moved out you will need to make sure that the bird house is thoroughly cleaned. When not using the novelty bird house take the bird house down and store it inside.

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May 5, 2008

Going Small Scale with a Mini Bird House

For many homeowners who love birds, bird houses and feeders are prominent fixtures in the yard. They are extensive, vibrant pieces of artwork that attract birds and keep them safe. The air is often filled with the sound of happy birds, and inside, the bird watcher smiles, surrounded by guide books and encyclopedias. However, bird houses are not just for the bird enthusiast, and while the primary of any bird house or feeder is to protect and nurture birds, they have other purposes as well.

A mini bird house is the perfect option for a homeowner looking for a little decoration in his or her yard. Smaller than traditional houses or feeders, which often include their own stands and can take up a large amount of the grass, miniature houses and feeders provide protection for a few birds, but do not usually attract huge flocks like their larger counterparts. Still, a few birds will be happy, and may even nest in the area, and for the homeowner, the mini bird house will be a beautiful piece of art for years to come.

Function and Style

As stated above, traditional bird houses, even the smaller ones, are often functional pieces of carpentry that, even if they do not take up the entire yard, take up a particular spot. They rest on their own stands, and while birds will be attracted to the area, and while they may look beautiful, they do not provide much else. A mini bird house, however, is rarely its own entity. Some miniature bird houses hang from trees, bushes or other pre-existing things in the yard. Others can be placed on fountains or in flower boxes, or can even be hung like ornaments from wind chimes. Some are built-in to other lawn ornaments, such as planter boxers. A mini bird house can add practicality to other lawn arts, while also adding art itself.

Like other bird houses, a mini bird house is usually made from wood, but it can be designed from any number of materials. It can also be hand-painted to match the décor of the yard or even the stain of the main house. When it is included as an add-on to other pieces of lawn equipment, it will usually be designed and painted to match that theme. Either way, a mini bird house is the perfect way for a homeowner to add a piece of nature to his or her yard, to help a few birds along the way, even if he or she is not a bird enthusiast. Every yard can benefit from the sound of singing, and miniature bird houses are unique fixtures that will attract much attention.

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May 4, 2008

Add Beauty and Value to Your Outdoor Space with a Lantern Bird House

One of the easiest ways to add beauty and interest to the spaces around your home is to place interesting outdoor accessories around your yard. Interesting outdoor furniture, eye-catching statuary, and unique ornaments can all make your outdoor areas much more enjoyable to be in.

Birdhouses as Outdoor Decorations

Accessories that attract beautiful wildlife are even more valuable and beneficial for your home and yard. Birdhouses are especially great for the dual purpose of adding beautiful accessories to your yard while attracting and housing all kinds of birds.

There are many types of birdhouses in all kinds of shapes and sizes that will help you enjoy your outdoor spaces to the fullest. A cute trend that has really taken off lately is birdhouses that look like normal outdoor accessories but actually feature chambers inside for birds to nest in.

A lantern bird house can give you the perfect mix of form and function. It’s attractive, functional, and doesn’t look like one of the old-fashioned bird houses that your grandparents had. In fact, a lantern bird house doesn’t even have to look like a bird house at all – some of them look just like an oil lantern on a post.

When you add a lantern bird house or two to your patio or back yard, you will be giving your yard a simple and inexpensive makeover. Accessories like lantern bird houses can add charm and a sense of character to your space without going too over the top.

Of course, if you want to go to a little more effort, you can create a decorating theme in your back yard or on your patio or any other outdoor space. A city street theme would be the perfect way to incorporate a lantern bird house into the décor. Your garden path could be the city sidewalk, complete with street signs and a few potted trees. Your lantern bird house could be the streetlight on the corner.

This is just one idea for using your lantern bird house to decorate around your home. It’s easy to come up with a theme that uses a lantern bird house or any other type of birdhouse that catches your eye. If you need help coming up with ideas, there are many online resources to help you plan your outdoor space.

Once you have an attractive new outdoor decorating theme in place, you’ll be surprised how much nicer it feels to spend time outdoors in your new beautified yard.

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May 3, 2008

Creating Bird House Kits For Kids

Almost all kids love to watch and study birds. Many kids will tell you that birds are their favorite part of Science class. Parents can encourage their kids to learn more about birds by creating bird house kits for kids and building the kits with their kids. Here are some simple steps to creating some really cool bird house kits for kids.

Kids Will Love The Bird House Kit For Kids That You Create For Them

To begin, you will want to choose the wood for the bird houses. Once you have the wood, you will want to use a pencil and draw the outline of the pieces on the wood. Older kids will be able to use tools and saws under adult supervision to cut out the pieces. If the bird house kit for kids is for younger kids, then an adult will have to precut the pieces.

Next add some wood adhesive, some water proof nails and a hammer with the wood pieces and place them all into a box until the kids are ready to make the bird house. At this time, you may want to find or write out the instructions for making the bird house so that the kids can clearly understand them. Place the instructions with the other materials in the box.

Decide what color you would like to paint the bird house and go to purchase the paint. When you go to buy the paint, you will also want to buy enough paint brushes for all kids, paint thinner, and an outside, weather proof stain to put over the completed bird house. Include all of the painting supplies with the bird house kit for kids.

Don’t forget the materials that the kids will need to set up their bird house once they have built the actual house part. They will need something to hang the completed bird house from a tree or a pole to prop the bird house on. You can include hooks, chains or rope too, if you would like the bird house to be hung from a tree.

The Final Educational Touch

You can create a unique, one-of-a-kind bird house for kids kit by including some bird cards in the kit. These are cards you can actually create on your computer. Do some research on the most common birds seen in your backyard and then create some flash cards on each bird. Include a picture of the bird and some information about the bird. Your kids will love to match the flashcards with the actual birds that fly up to the birdhouse they built.

 

 

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May 2, 2008

Finding Good Humming Bird House Plans

Sometimes a standard bird house just won’t do the job. There may be a specific type of bird you want to attract into your garden that you may not see if you rely on a standard type of house to attract them.

Humming bird house plans are a good example of this. If you want to attract these birds into your garden you will have to make sure your humming bird house plans are smaller than the average house.

Where Can You Find Good Humming Bird House Plans?

Your local pet store should be able to give you some advice on building them; they may have ready made ones in stock, but if it is humming bird house plans you are after, then the internet is by far the best source.

The best thing about the internet is that you will often see websites put up by individuals, as well as those provided by larger businesses. Individuals are usually only too happy to provide plenty of photos and advice about how they drew up their humming bird house plans and made them into reality. They will often tell you how well they have performed since being installed, and whether they would have done anything different as well.

This gives you an excellent opportunity to get some humming bird house plans which will work extremely well when you make the actual product to go in your own garden.

Where Should You Place Them?

These birds like being sheltered in trees, so if you have a big solid tree in your backyard you will be well advised to attach your finished house to its trunk. The best spot is usually up quite high and tucked into the branches.

The main feature of most humming bird feeders or houses is that the hole which leads into the box itself is very small – much smaller than the average holes seen in other bird boxes. The reason for this is that you can then enjoy seeing hummingbirds going in and out of the box without other larger birds getting in too and discouraging the hummingbirds from using it.

As you can see, humming bird house plans are easy to get hold of, and it doesn’t take that long to actually make one. Most people with a reasonable degree of DIY skills should be able to put one together in a couple of hours at most.

All you need to do then is sit back and watch the birds come to your garden.

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May 1, 2008

Humming Bird Houses Need Special Considerations

Birdhouses are a lot of fun to build and hang in your backyard. There are many different types of species that enjoy the birdhouses. However, the humming bird is a unique species of bird that requires its own specific humming bird house. Once you know and understand the specific needs of the humming bird, you can build them a humming bird house that they will enjoy year after year.

Pay Attention To What The Humming Bird Needs

There are two important things that pertain to all humming birds. Humming birds usually build small nests and they will never live in the same humming bird house with other birds. So, in order to build a humming bird house that the humming bird will like, one must keep these two important factors in mind at all times.

Another thing to consider is the climate. Humming birds cannot have a nest where the sun is too hot. If the sun is too hot it may cook the eggs in their nest. Their eggs are very delicate and can cook quickly in the hot sun. One must also put the humming bird house away from the wind. Strong winds could blow the eggs right out of the humming bird nest. So, make sure you consider the climate when you are building your humming bird house.

Choose a high place to place your humming bird house. Most humming birds like to build their nests in trees that are at least six to twelve feet from the ground. They feel as if they are more protected if they are up higher. So, when you are placing your humming bird house, make sure to put it as high off the ground as possible.

Be careful when determining the location for the nesting platform. One of the best places for the nesting platform is to attach it to the side of a building or a tree and have it curved downward. Once again, remember to place it in an area where there is very minimal sunlight and wind.

Use humming bird food and treats in and around your humming bird house. This will attract the humming birds to your location and keep them interested in their new home. You can purchase humming bird food and supplies at your local pet store or anywhere bird supplies are sold.

These are just a few considerations to keep in mind when you are making or buying a humming bird house. Watching humming birds nest and raise little ones can be fun and exciting. When you pay attention to their needs, they are happier birds and will be more likely to return year after year to build their nests and raise their young.

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April 30, 2008

What You Need To Know About How To Build A Bird House

People have been building bird houses for hundreds of years. Some of the homemade bird houses are simple affairs that are made out of spare bits of wood that the person has laying around their house. Other people know how to build a bird house that looks like an elaborate Victorian mansion. The trick to building a bird house is starting with a simple bird house and then gradually working your way up to the more complex ones.

The Materials You’ll Need To Build A Bird House

One of the best things about learning how to build a bird house is that you don’t need a lot of tools, materials, or woodworking knowledge to make one. Building bird houses is an activity that your entire family can participate in.

The first thing you need to do when you are learning how to build a bird house is to gather the things you will need. The materials you’ll need will depend on what kind of bird house you want to learn how to build. It is possible to build a bird house out of a hollowed out piece of firewood, an empty coffee can, or a dried gourd.

The kind of bird house you’ll want to know how to build when you are learning how to build a bird house depends on what type of birds you want to house. Different species of birds require a different type of bird house. Bluebird houses need to be built in such a way that the bird’s predators won’t be able to take over the bird house. If you are setting up bird houses for the Northern Cardinal, the house needs to be spaced far enough apart so that the males won’t feel the need to constantly defend their territory.

Mounting Your Bird House

After you have learned how to build a bird house you will have to learn how to mount your homemade bird house. There are several things you have to think about when you are preparing to mount your bird house. The first thing you need to consider is that a bird is not going to want to nest in an area where it feels threatened. You will want to mount your bird house somewhere that your family pets and children won’t bother or disturb the bird house.

When you are mounting the bird house make sure that the house is securely mounted. Take a few extra minutes to drive a couple spare nails through the back of the bird house and into the tree or fence post you are attaching the bird house to.

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April 29, 2008

Why Handmade Metal Bird Houses Are Not Good

It is so nice to open your backdoor and see many species of birds flying around and playing in your backyard. Not only are they fun to watch, they are also very educational. You can watch their behaviors and learn a lot about how they live, work, and play. One way to attract more birds to your backyard is through the use of bird houses. It is fun to make your own bird house. However, handmade metal bird houses are not very good for the birds.

Handmade Metal Bird Houses Are Dangerous For Birds

A bird house should never be made of metal. When metal sits out in the sun for long periods of time, it can become very hot. When a bird lands on this hot metal bird house, it could seriously injure the bird or even kill it. A handmade metal bird house is not a good bird house for any bird. Even in the shade, it can still heat up and be very dangerous.

In addition to handmade metal bird houses getting hot, they also contain some very sharp edges. Birds can easily cut themselves or even poke themselves on the edges of a handmade metal bird house. If they are not very careful, the handmade metal bird house could even stab the bird to death. Therefore, a handmade metal bird house is also dangerous for a bird due to its sharp edges.

One should never make a handmade metal bird house because they can get too hot in the sun or they could contain some very sharp edges that could harm the birds. Metal also has the capacity to rust in the rain and snow. Metal bird houses will not last very long because they will eventually become victim to the extreme elements of the weather. Even outdoor metals will eventually tarnish or rust and not be very pretty with the landscape of your backyard.

Wood Versus Metal

When you are building a bird house for your backyard, you should use wood and wood glue to create your bird house. Do not use any type of metal in the bird house. This includes nails. It is better to use wood glue to piece together the wooden bird house. Birds and metal do not mix. Birds of all species can get hurt on the metal that is present in the metal bird houses. Birds need to be happy and safe around their bird houses.

Bird houses make a beautiful addition to any backyard. They also can provide hours of fun as birds come and go from the bird house. However, it is good to remember that a bird house should never be made out of metal. It is best to make your bird house with wood or other materials. But if you want your birds to be truly happy, you should stay away from handmade metal bird houses.

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April 28, 2008

Making A Gourd Bird House

A gourd bird house can be a lovely addition to any backyard area. A gourd bird house is also a simple type of bird house that nearly anyone can make. Children can also take part in making these types of houses, though they will need sufficient adult supervision.

Materials

For a gourd bird house, you will need a few tools and materials. First, you will need a large, dried gourd. You will also need exterior spray paint and sealer. The tools you will need are a power drill, a 3/8 drills bit, a scrubbing pad, and an eye screw. Once you collect all of your materials you are on your way to building a gourd bird house.

Making The House

First, you will need to prepare the gourd. It will need to be dried and cleaned. Then you must make sure that the gourd is large enough for birds to nest in. The hole that you drill into it must allow room for the types of birds that you want to attract. Try to avoid using moldy gourds, but if you get one in that condition, you can easily clean it. Make sure the gourd is hard and dry before you begin your gourd bird house.

Next you will need to drill the hole into the gourd. Once that is complete, you will need to clean out the inside of the gourd. It is very important to make sure and wear a mask when drilling into gourds. The mold and seed dust from the gourds can cause respiratory problems if you breathe in too much of the dust. Once you have drilled your large entry hole, make sure to drill three small holes on the bottom in order to allow for water drainage.

The third step is to put the eye screw into the top of the bird house in order to get it ready to hang. The next step is to decorate your gourd. It can be left unpainted, although it still needs to be sealed to protect it from the rain. Painting and sealing it are the last steps you’ll need to take. Then all you have to do it hang it and wait for the birds to come.

Making a gourd bird house is simple. And with some adult supervision, you can even get your children involved in helping to make a gourd bird house. Just remember to follow safety instructions in order to make this a happy project.

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April 27, 2008

A Gazebo Bird House Is A Graceful Attraction

A beautiful gazebo bird house is a great way to attract some of the fine feathered friends that might fly through the skies to a garden below. Birds are the most beautiful creatures on the Earth. They come in many sizes, shapes and colors, and most people would like to have birds around them. The tiny sparrow is a great contrast to a mighty eagle, but both of these creatures fly effortlessly through the skies. The tiny sparrow is not brightly colored in contrast to a robin, but both birds are a welcome addition to the local environment. Brightly colored parrots and bluebirds are graceful and stunning when they land near to the family birdbath.

A gazebo is a structure that most people admire in a large backyard or a local park. A gazebo is usually trimmed with some intricate woodwork that looks great against the trees or sky in a beautiful backyard. A gazebo often has sides that are made of stunning arches, and they make a fantastic place to visit in a park. A gazebo bird house is usually a miniature of one of these structures designed to attract and house the birds in the region. A gazebo is a miniature with the same intricate woodwork and arches where birds can take shelter and feed.

A Gazebo Bird House Adds Enchantment To A Yard

All bird houses attract our fine feathered friends if they are made of natural materials without harsh paints or chemical treatments, and a beautiful gazebo bird house looks great while attracting beautiful birds. People who love projects can find some bird house kits that produce a gazebo bird house, and there are some gazebo bird houses that come already assembled. Most of the gazebo bird houses have plenty of room for several birds to land and take nourishment. Many of these attractive bird houses have a feeder to hold the seed that most birds love.

A gazebo bird house can usually be placed on a fence or placed on a post that comes with some of these beautiful bird houses. The bird houses are usually easy to remove if in danger from inclement weather. The gazebo bird houses that come with a single post for placement in the garden are sure to protect the birds and their food from pesky squirrels. Most of these homes for birds come with the latest designs in bird feeders which are easy to remove and clean.

 

 

 

 

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