If you have any tall grasses that wintered over, be sure to let them be. Same with small twigs and vines. Birds will naturally go to them. Although some folks say don't put out artificial fabric, I have found the birds will use polyfil fiber. (Mr. Squirrel chewed one of our cushions for nest material, and we saw it later in the nests of our bluebird houses!) You can try shreds of cotton cloth - flannel is popular, but make sure the cloth is worn enough that the birds can take shreds from it. Tear strips about 1/4 inch wide by 1/2 to 1 inch. Oh and before you tear it up launder it really well in NO SOAP and no softener. Real cotton - Wadding if you can find it in the first aid section of the drugstore, otherwise cotton balls, are very popular, as are bits of yarn. We also like to leave some bits of horsehair (f you have a friend who owns a horse, ask for some mane cuttings) and oddly, many wrens and finches seem to enjoy bits of cat hair that are on the cats beds that stay on the porch! Anyway, place the bits out where the birds will safely find them, you can use an inexpensive suet feeder and fill it with different bits. (change them out after a bunch of rain where they don't get a chance to dry) We also stick some in cracks and crevices on the edge of the deck, a handrail, even in the bark of our hickory tree! Put them in different areas and watch for activity, put them high and low, and near your feeders so the birds find them. We are just outside of Chattanooga TN, and I put our stuff out about two weeks ago; already there is activity. Both of our bluebird houses are already claimed! If you are zone 6 on the east coast, and really want to have fun watching nesting birds, I suggest a wren house and a bluebird house! Put them up facing east and within a few days to weeks you will see someone moving in! good luck and have fun!

Hello Clare, In this area,where it will get horribly windy and cold in another couple of months, I'm thinking of the stragglers who stay and have chosen not to migrate, like some of the Robins. Lots of Doves and Sparrows stay through through winter. This is for them. I will leave it up till the Spring as well, to see what happens. Best, PP

I put all the annuals on the compost pile, but haven't particularly noticed if they used them. The birds are very keen on using the shredded office paper I put out to compost as a nesting material. I have found two nests that were made with lots of shredded paper, and watched the Blue Jays come and fly off with it in the spring.

Perhaps a Gilbertson PVC box for the dees? My dees have chosen PVC boxes over wooden ones for the past 3 seasons (actually as long as I have been monitoring them). I place the PVC boxes near the forest edge vs the open areas that the blues like. Actually, even though this is a BB forum, I have a special place in my heart for the dees as I have at least 6 that stay with me year round. They recognize me and don't fly off when I refill the feeders. Even when I monitor their boxes, the mamas fuss at me from a short distance away.