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New Birdhouses

13 years ago

I am in Northern Virginia and I would like to attract birds to my backyard. I have fruit trees (but most are still small) and bushes and a garden. I also have a three post T-type trellis on which my hardy kiwis climb. On each post I would like to mount a bird house. Any advice on the types of birds to attract and the types of birdhouses to build, etc.

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Comments (5)

Konrad___far_north
13 years ago
House with a 1 and 1/8" hole to keep house sparrows out.
You'll attract chickadees, wrens and nuthatch and perhaps other small birds.
tmann05
13 years ago
Hi Charlie,

You really need to visit the following link before you set your birds up for disaster. Follow the instructions for properly mounting and maintaining nest boxes. Please also join the website if you like and post any questions you have. Thanks

http://bluebirdnutcafe.yuku.com/topic/5934/How-I-install-a-nest-box

-Tyler
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Thanks so much for the information. I have a lot of small birds in my yard I am unsure what they are(wrens maybe) but as I said big birds have plucked the babies out of the houses in the past because the openings were too large. I am going to make the opening large enough for wrens and rework some of the older houses as well. K.
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lol@ you guys! That is too cute and like you all you could do so many things to it to change it up. I just wonder if a bird would build in it with it being so shallow under the hole? I know bluebirds like a deep hole under the entrance hole. Thank you for posting the link! Will have to keep this one in mind. ;)
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Thanks all. I attended a pot luck and music party today on a friend's farm. He has purple martin houses WITH purple martins. His houses are on pulleys so he can raise and lower them for cleaning. I've never seen purple martins around my property but perhaps I just have never been able to identify them. I have chimney swifts and barn swallows and I know PMs look similar only not with the lighter colored bellies. I need to do some research. I do know it's a bit of a task to attract the PMs to your houses before the HOSPS take over. I doubt I could handle the responsibility. I see long strands of dry weeds coming from two "apartments" already. I bet those birds are glad to see the house back again. Now let's hope the coons don't feel the same way and view it as a snack bar and worse, tear it apart. One of the guys putting up the house said to grease the pole, that would keep them down! lol
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I don't know that it would hurt to spray clear coat. But, i wouldn't advise it - i coated birdhouses with clearcoat, and the coatings weathered and peeled, looked worse than doing nothing at all. If you do nothing, the cedar ages to a gray color, and will still last a very long time (many years). I don't bother coating mine. If you want cedar to stay a yellowish color, you can use a stain made specifically for cedar. I would check the diameter of the entrance hole. What is sold in stores as "wren houses," typically have only an inch or 1 1/8 inch hole. House wrens can squeeze in that, but carolinas need a 1 1/2 inch hole. Unfortunately, house sparrows can get in that hole as well, so you have to have the heart to tear out sparrow nests if they try your wren box.
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Charlie
Original Author
13 years ago
Tyler - I have visited the site, but I want to accomplish the same things by mounting the birdhouses on by tressil posts. As protection from preditors, my intention is to install a hail-wire cover on the front of the house with the same size hole it it as the house and to securely fasten it to the post. Any advice?
tmann05
13 years ago
Charlie,

I can't picture what you are trying to do very clearly, if you can modify a baffle to make it fit on the post like we do on the slick metal poles then go for it. If not, maybe hang decorative bird houses on your tressil posts and plug the entrance hole if it has one. Then in your yard place a proper nest box with baffle. Feel free to post on bluebird nut cafe, you will get more help there than here.
Charlie
Original Author
13 years ago
Hre is my concept.

{{!gwi}}

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