Though many birds migrate south for the winter, there are still some around during the cold months. Food is hard to find, especially when there is snow on the ground. By feeding birds close to your home, you can help them out and enjoy the benefits of their presence as well. Birds are great entertainers for winter months when you’re tired of television. And in the spring and summer, they’ll return your favors by eating the grubs and insects in your lawn and garden. Remember, if you start feeding birds, you should do so all winter. They’ll become dependent on your feeder in time.

Here are a couple of ideas for easy-to-make & unique bird feeders. You need:

a large pine cone
about 2 feet of thin, stiff wire
peanut butter
corn meal
suet (optional)
bird seed (optional)

Run the thin wire through the top of the pine cone and secure it well (string can be used unless you have squirrels, who can lift the pine cone with the string).

“Magic Mix” – Mix chunky peanut butter and corn meal to a consistency that is barely sticky, but not crumbly. You may add a small amount of suet during cool weather when it will stay fairly hard. Experiment with the quantity of ingredients, but the plan is to reduce the amount of (expensive!) peanut butter yet leave the mixture gooey enough to stick to the cone. Bird seed can also be added to the mixture but is not necessary. Press the mixture well into the “shelves” of the cone, filling it as full as possible.

Fasten the cone to a tree branch or clothesline so that it hangs 1 to 1-1/2 feet down from the branch and away from the trunk or pole. Then wait for chickadees, wrens and other small birds to find your treasure! (Larger birds like blue jays and grackles will be too heavy for the feeder.)

If you don’t have pine cones, you can purchase a small amount of 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth (the small mesh keeps large beaks out). Make a cylinder of the cloth about 6 inches long and 2 inches in diameter.

This can be fastened at the bottom with small nails to an existing bird feeder, or you can put a firm bottom on the cylinder (a board or a piece of hardware cloth will do) and hang it as you would the pine cone. If you think necessary, cover the cylinder with a small pie pan and fasten it down. Fill the cylinder about 2/3 of the way with “Magic Mix.” You might be lucky enough to attract the Carolina wren, which can’t cling to a pine cone, but will really enjoy your peanut butter treat.

By taking the little time it takes to construct one of these hanging bird feeders, you’ll find you get an endless amount of enjoyment watching our feathered friends, & you’ll likely find yourself building more specialized types, such as oriole bird feeders etc.

Bird houses add charm, whimsy, and beauty as well as a place for birds to nest.  It is no wonder that the bird house and bird feeder industry is growing.  There are safety factors to consider when buying or building a bird house.  There are some birds that will use a bird house and others that are not attracted to them. 

Types of Bird Houses

The type of bird house you will use depends on the type of bird or birds that you want to attract to your home.  Bird houses come in many shapes, sizes, colors and materials.  One of the best types of bird houses is the wooden one.  There are several reasons to choose this type of bird house.  Wooden bird houses can breath for ventilation, are durable and have a good insulation quality to them.  Gourds are another good material for bird houses.  They are functional, breathable, and pretty as well.  Properly designed pottery, concrete, and plastic houses will breathe and are also durable. When choosing the bird house that you will use for your feathered friends always check for proper ventilation, drainage, and easy access for maintenance and monitoring.  When considering the type of bird house that you want another thing to think about are safety and maintenance.

Safety and Proper Maintenance

Items to consider once you have chosen the type of bird house that you want are ventilation, drainage, ease of access for maintenance and protection from predators.

You should also make sure that no harmful chemicals where used on the materials used for the building of your bird house.  You would not want your new friends to become sick.  Part of proper maintenance of your new bird house is to check them for unwanted critters, such as fleas, wasp, or flies.  Sometimes mice and others will want to take up residence in your bird house. The main thing to remember if this happens is to remove them.  If insects are the problem, use only pesticides that are not harmful to your feathered friends.  “If wasps are a problem, coat the inside top of the box with bar soap” (US Fish & Wildlife Service “Homes for Birds”).  One of the problems that you may encounter while cleaning the nest and parasites or insects are present, baby birds may also be present.  If one of the baby birds gets out of the nest you can pick it up and put it back where it was.  Birds have a lousy sense of smell and they will not reject the babies because you helped them. 

Don’t let the care and safety be a deterrent in deciding whether you want a bird house or not.  The upkeep and maintenance is part of the joy and can be a wonderful way to learn more about your new birds. You will quickly become a backyard birder with your new bird house or houses. The joy of watching beautiful bird is an immeasurable pleasure.