This is a good time to clean out any of your bird houses. You will probably find remains (poop!) from birds using the boxes for winter roosting. Spray the insides with a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water). Rinse with water, leave the box open to air dry, close it and continue to check the boxes and keep them clean. Birds will still use them on cold nights, so you may find more “surprises” or the start of a nest.
As they say in real estate; location, location, location. True, that’s important to birds when they pick a place to raise a family but having nesting materials available, will make your location a lot more desirable. And even if they don’t actually nest on your property you still can enjoy watching birds as they select your offerings. So here are some suggestions.
Have a dog? You can recycle all that dog hair you have been throwing out. Human or other animal hair can be used too. Stuff the hair in an empty suet feeder or an open weave basket and hang it where you can watch the birds pull out what they need. Tufted Titmice, (also known as hair birds) Chickadees, Wrens and others will thank you. It’s so nice to have such a soft lining for a baby bird nest.
Moss and lichens are the favorite nesting materials of Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse and Hummingbirds. I leave a small patch of moss on my lawn (pesticide free please) and the birds dig it out for me. You can actually see the small scrapes where they have removed it. And of course you will see it in their nest boxes.
Neighborhood Robins, love a mud pile. Place dirt in a shallow area or saucer and kept it wet. You may also expose some dirt near your gutter’s drainpipe to get wet. Robins are fun to watch as they scoop mud up with their bills and take it to patch their nest with it. You can also put up a wooden ledge shelter for a Robin or Mourning Dove’s nest.
Making small piles of long grasses or skinny twigs in your yard or garden will help your feathered friends make a home. It is fun to watch them pick through the piles and select only the “finest twig”.
This is also a good time to recycle. Think of tying some shallow baskets that have small holes (so they don’t collect rain water) high up in bushes or maybe nail an old shoe to a post and see what happens. It is a great teaching experience for children and a wonderful way to watch some different bird behavior. Enjoy!
Maureen Eiger is a State and Federally permitted Wild Bird Rehabilitator, Board Member of Wildlife Care Alliance, the Roanoke Valley Bird Club and a very curious birder.