Visit our etsy store, purchase ANYTHING in our store and be automatically entered into our free giveaway. The more you purchase, the better your chances. Your name will be entered for every purchase made!This sale starts on Friday morning, November 28th and runs through Monday night, December 1st (EST).Many many items in our store will be reduced from 10% up to 60% off the original price. The winner will be announced on our blog Tuesday morning, December 2nd.Want to know what you will be winning? This beautiful carolina blue salt box birdhouse (retail value $45.00) and we will even cover the cost of shipping.GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!
We received a surprise visit from "The Boss" this weekend when were were at the Craft Fair. It was great to see him, his grandmother and Janice. We hope everyone in your family Mason and all your friends have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
A birds normal body temperature is usually 7-8 degrees hotter than a humans. A bird uses up to three quarters of the air it breathes just to cool down because they are unable to sweat.
Once your birds have moved on and the weather becomes brisk, you should set some time aside to cleaning out your birdhouses.Remember, even if your birds do not migrate, the nesting season is over by late fall.We make all our birdhouses fully functional for the outdoors. The backs, bottoms or tops can be unscrewed for cleaning. We also make some with the backs or sides that open too.If you have a favorite birdhouse that does not have this feature, you can carefully take off one piece. You can always refasten it with a hinge or a screw.It is very simple to clean out a birdhouse. First you should remove the nesting materials from the house. Some people like to collect the nest. If you are one of them, just make sure you spray the nest with bug spray and let it sit for at least 24 hours before bringing it inside.You may find unwanted guests in your birdhouse, such as mice or insects. Kindly remove these intruders also. It is unwise to use bug spray inside the birdhouse. Once your birdhouse is empty, scrub the inside with a stiff brush and soapy sudsy water. Make sure to rinse thoroughly.If you put your birdhouses back up for the winter, remember to check them again in early early spring. Many of the birds that do not migrate will seek shelter in them during the cold winter months. You may need to clean them out again depending on the activity during the winter.
When your birds return in the spring, their home will be clean and ready for a new family of birds for you to enjoy.
Squirrels can jump a distance of up to 2o feet while in the trees and can fall up to 100 feet without hurting themselves. Squirrels can be found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
The Eastern Screech Owl will start to nest in March. This is because the rodent prey, that the adult owl feeds their young, is plentiful and easy to catch.
Even though this owl is nocturnal, it can see quite well in the daylight.
The ear tufts on their heads can be raised and lowered, at will.
As with all owls, they are more often heard then seen.
It's a beautiful day and you are walking through the woods. You have your binoculars in your hand just in case you see something worthwhile. Up ahead you catch a glimpse of something red flying between the trees. Can you identify this bird?
Along with those binoculars you may also want to add a pen and paper to your list. Without a positive description of what you saw, your identification process will be unsuccessful.
The first thing to note on a bird is its physical features. It is important to remember the size, tail length and beak. You can compare these features to a leaf or branch that you pick up from the ground. The length and color of its wings, back, breast and belly are key characteristics and need to be noted . Don't forget to check out the birds toes. You will also need details of its voice, posture, how it flies, walks or hops. Last but not least, where did you spot it. Was it in a field, at the edge of the woods, by a pond etc.
In order to identify the bird you saw, you will need a Bird Field Guide. You can purchase one of these from the local bookstore. Choose the guide that specifies the birds in the region where you live. With your careful detailed description and the field guide you can narrow down the bird you saw.
This may sound like a lot of work, but do not get discouraged. It takes time and practice to develop an eye for identifying birds. So the next time you are walking through the woods or you get that mystery bird eating birdseed in the back yard, you just might surprise yourself!
Female birds choose their mates based on how attractive they are and how beautifully they sing.
The average adult bird sleeps a total of three and a half days a year. A bird naps for about 15 seconds at a time.
Fred and I took last weekend off and enjoyed ourselves. We did one of our favorite things that we like to do. We scoured out tag sales and flea markets in search of unique items for our birdhouses. I would say we were pretty successful in our findings.
As always, Fred could not wait to get back and start designing some birdhouses around the items we found. He finished these up today. Sure hope you enjoy the pictures.
All our birdhouses are especially made for the small songbirds that frequent your yard. They are fully functional for outside. We make then so the bottoms unscrew easily for clean out. As with all our birdhouses, we give them a slightly aged appearance.
We found this piece of old brass piping in a box of misc. items at a tag sale down the road.
This is an old window latch that was probably used many years ago. The white paint from the windowsill is still on the latch.
This was a great find at the flea market. It is a cast iron horseshoe with a horse and an old rusty hook attached. A great gift for someone who loves horses or a western theme.
This copper plated drawer handle makes an excellent perch.
These birdhouses will be added to our Etsy store within the next few days.
There are three categories that birds fall into when visiting your yard. There are winter visitors, summer nester's and birds of passage that will come through when migrating in the spring and fall. Depending on what type of birds visit your yard, there can be an overlap of different species between summer and winter. There are some chickadees, jays, starlings, nuthatches, winter wrens and woodpeckers that will visit your feeders in winter. They will stake out different territories in your yard. If you are lucky, they will stay and nest.Winter will bring a flow of birds into your yard in search of food but in spring and summer territorial behavior will limit the number that remains. Sometimes this will bring disappointment. You have been watching the birds singing, courting and collecting nest materials, but then you realize that they are building a nest and raising their young out of sight in someone else's yard.Do not fret, sometimes, they may return in late summer with their families. Other times, they are replaced by other summer visitors such as hummingbirds, swallows or house wrens. If you make it a point to look daily, you will not be disappointed.Between summer and winter the bird life in your yard is often supplemented by newly independent young birds who are searching for homes of their own. During this time all sorts of birds may turn up while migrating, making it a special worthwhile time to bird watch.Rare visitors are no exception. The spring and fall migration could bring such a visitor, perhaps one that has been blown off course or strayed. Keep your eye out. If a strange bird appears, try to identify it before it is gone. You never know, such a rarity may make you a celebrity.
