Bird Habitat Help Needed

[Big Lou]

I wish, we have had a total of maybe 5 inches this year. Judging by the pile of apple limbs, the yard truck, that was last winter. (I have moved them since lol) I was looking for a picture that would show the houses.

Here you can see them past the pond, on the fence

I have instructions for making them, you hinge one side to be able to open and remove old nesting. The openings are bluebird, wren size. Keeps starlings and larger birds out of them. No landing area

We have a bird house exactly as you described on one of our cypress trees. Now you must tell me how all of those beautiful platings survive the winter. Your pond is so beautiful.

 

[Big Lou]

Saw three brilliant red male cardinals in the tress this mornings. Yesterday it was the duller colored females. A pair of gray doves arrived this morning. Spring is on its way!

 

[addy1]

Everything I plant is perennials. Too busy, too "lazy" to deal with annuals. If a plant does not survive a winter it does not get replanted. The ones you see there have survived two winters here, one really cold one, one warm one.
All the plants in the front of the picture are in the pond bog.
We get a ton of cardinals all winter, summer they move somewhere else, Still have some around but no where at the level of winter.

 

[Big Lou]

Off topic.

Cathy had a look at my minimalist avatar this morning and exclaimed "It's a purple line." I relplied, "It's not simply a purple line. It's a Gaussian blurred purple line." Oh the pain of being married to someone who doesn't appreciate high art. )

 

[Mmathis]

I wish, we have had a total of maybe 5 inches this year. Judging by the pile of apple limbs, the yard truck, that was last winter. (I have moved them since lol) I was looking for a picture that would show the houses.
Here you can see them past the pond, on the fence
I have instructions for making them, you hinge one side to be able to open and remove old nesting. The openings are bluebird, wren size. Keeps starlings and larger birds out of them. No landing area

1) Instructions? Can you share? Most of my bird houses are made from wooden "boxes" and birdhouses that I get from craft stores. I paint them [and make a "door" for cleaning on the ones that will let me do that]. Sometimes we'll get nesters, but they mostly seem to attract wasps.

2) Your plants and the arrangements are just GORGEOUS! Wondering if you could re-post that photo, but write in [with arrows] what the various plants are -- ALL of them [or as many as you can ]. Just beautiful, and such an inspiration as I'm in the process of choosing plants for my soon-to-be bog!!

 

[addy1]

lol TM you probably would not like most of my bog plants, they grow well, need to be pulled now and then to control.
blue forgetmenot
obedience plant
marsh betony
day lilies
rush
water mint
iris
water willow
dwarf cat tails
sea oats (seeded from the sea oats on the bank lol)
I yank stuff off and on during the summer, all depends on the weather and how well they grow.

 

[Mmathis]

lol TM you probably would not like most of my bog plants, they grow well, need to be pulled now and then to control.

blue forgetmenot
obedience plant
marsh betony
day lilies
rush
water mint
iris
water willow
dwarf cat tails
sea oats (seeded from the sea oats on the bank lol)

I yank stuff off and on during the summer, all depends on the weather and how well they grow.

Naw, wouldn't mind too much as long as it's not something that grows with every eye-blink and yanks easily.

Which is the rush and what kind? Which is the water willow? And what are the plants in the background that look like they're tufted with pink or purple: there is something tall & darker pink further back [upper left], then some shorter, lighter pinkish somethings spread out more in front of that plant. And I assume the forget-me-nots are the little blues in the foreground [lower left]. I LOVE FMN's! Are those the aquatic ones or the "land" ones [or are they one and the same?]?

 

[addy1]

Way in the back, the pinkish tipped bush is a red tip photinia, in front of it are knock out roses. (land plants) The blue is the blue forgetmenot. I did buy the ones called water, heard they where both the same.
The rush is blue rush.

water willow

Almost all the bog plants spread by runners.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Addy your bog is very beautiful, but did you forgot to include my favorite bog plant that you have, the Pitcher Plants!!

 

[addy1]

Addy your bog is very beautiful, but did you forgot to include my favorite bog plant that you have, the Pitcher Plants!!

lol yep forgot that one, there are two pitcher plants in the pond bog, growing great even though they are crown in water, frozen solid right now. More alive then the land bog ones.
Here are the plans for the wren box.
Mine are made just out of cedar fence pieces. Also let the boards dry well so they don't twist, shrink. I used slender screws to put them together.
Made the back board about 3 foot long to screw the low part into our fence post, and tall enough so the birds where above feral cat jumping height. The roof slopes which also helps keep the cats off. I made my roofs slope more than in the plans.

 

[Mmathis]

Addy, thanks for the plans! I like how the clean-out door is on the side. Gotta go look, but think I have some cedar planks left over from building the turtle fence. Even though it seems early in the season, I have noticed a lot of bird activity already. Mostly the wrens, which I LOVE, checking out the back porch, and some chickadees. The goldfinches have come & gone, but have seen a few house finches. The house finches are stay-overs once they show up. No robins yet, and have heard, but not seen cardinals. We're usually seeing tons of robins by now.

Anyone have plans for building ROBIN NESTING PLATFORMS? I had a couple of robin-helpers when I was digging he pond last year. They entertained me in exchange for all the grubs I could collect for them. They would sit on the fence and wait for me every afternoon I could tell how old their babies were by the way they "consumed" the grubs: gobbling down a mouth full meant babies were gonna get regurg-grubs. Holding onto a mouth full meant babies were old enough to eat them whole. It was fun!

WATER WILLOW: What a cute little flower, and looks like it has a long bloom period! I read that it is a fast grower [ie - invasive?], but wondering how easy or difficult it is to keep under control.......

 

[taherrmann4]

Here is a simple plan. I have never built one though so can't comment on how well it works.

 

[Mmathis]

Here is a simple plan. I have never built one though so can't comment on how well it works.

Thanks, Tmann! Do you know if they need any kind of "lip" along the edge [to keep things from falling out]? This doesn't show anything like that, so didn't know if it was important. Don't want to stick anything on there that will deter the robins, instead of attract them!

 

[HARO]

The nest itself will keep the youngsters from falling out. We have robins nesting under our deck every year, in the spaces between the floor joists and on top of the main beam holding up the end farthest from the house. These spaces are 14 1/2" by 4 1/2", with no lip of any kind. The parents will build nests in 3 to 6 spaces, and then use the one they like best!
John

 

[addy1]

We usually just have robins in the spring and fall. They are here in huge flocks then move on. A few stick around over summer.
Nice plans tmann, I might build a few see if they will use it.