Hummingbirds will be returning to our area very soon. Providing them with a place to nest is a great way to enjoy these aerial acrobats all summer long.
For as long as I can remember I’ve enjoyed building birdhouses. It’s hard to put into words the satisfaction I get from watching birds raise a brood in a house I built with my own hands. Over the years I’ve built many birdhouses in all shapes and sizes providing a place for a variety of species to nest.
Providing a safe, sheltered place for hummingbirds to nest is easy with this small platform.
Like birding, my dad introduced me to woodworking and I built my first birdhouse with him. In fact, my introduction to woodworking with him started when I was just two years old when I climbed a ladder all by myself onto the shed roof my dad was building at our new house. If not for my grandma yelling “Paul is on the roof with Russ” alerting my parents of my ascent who knows what would have happened. I would love to be able to remember the look on my dad’s face when he turned around and saw me sitting behind him. With supervision like this, it’s a wonder I saw three (I’m kidding Dad you know I love you).
With 1-2 broods per year, watching hummingbirds nest will be both entertaining and educational.
Following plans I’ve found in books or online to build birdhouses, I’ve had great success throughout my life providing nesting sites for birds. Swallows, wrens, robins, and doves are a few of the species that have nested in houses or platforms I’ve made. Recently I made a bunch of birdhouses and sold them through Facebook. The response I received was tremendous and people from all over reached out inquiring about the houses. Even followers from out of town were interested. I was happy to ship houses to them but the cost to do so was pretty steep. I wanted to offer houses for sale and be able to ship them without having to charge an arm and a leg to cover the cost of postage. As a result, I am now building and selling hummingbird nest platforms.
The shallow depression (with 1/8″ drain hole) and posts provide a place for hummingbirds to anchor their nest.
Hummingbirds are an exciting bird to watch at backyard feeders, so why not go the extra mile by providing a place for them to nest? Hummingbirds seek out sheltered locations to nest protected from wind, rain, and sun. My pine platforms can be mounted under the eaves of a house, shed, gazebo, or under a covered porch. The platform has a recessed bottom with two supports on either side allowing the hummingbird to anchor the nest in place. Once a hummingbird has found the perfect place for nest building, she returns to the same location year after year. Hummingbirds have 1-2 broods per year with a nesting period of 18-22 days. Adding a platform in a visible location will serve hours of enjoyment all summer long.
Hummingbirds are easily attracted to backyard feeders. Why not offer them a safe, sheltered place to nest?
If you want to offer a place for hummingbirds to nest, are looking for a birdhouse you may not already have or are looking for a unique gift idea for a bird lover, these hummingbird nestings platforms are a great idea. Measuring 6.5″ H x 4.5″ W x 4.5″ D I can ship these platforms for a reasonable price. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day fast approaching let your fingers do the shopping. I’m selling these platforms for $35 each which includes shipping anywhere in Canada or the United States.
Side view of my hummingbird nest platform.
To purchase, simply click the add to cart button at the bottom of the page and checkout securely with PayPay. If you prefer to pay via e-transfer contact me for more details. I’m also offering porch pick up in London, Ontario at a discounted price less the shipping. Again contact me for details on porch pick up.
Hummingbirds are exciting visitors to any yard and offer hours of enjoyment for backyard birders.
Hummingbirds will be returning very soon and providing food in the form of a hummingbird feeder is a great way to attract them to your yard. Why not add a safe, sheltered place for them to nest with a hummingbird nest platform?
When built to the correct dimensions, you never know whoo might end up using your birdhouse. Eastern Screech-Owls are among the birds of prey that will nest inside a birdhouse.
Adding a birdhouse to your yard is a great way to provide a safe, sheltered location for your feathered friends to nest. Many resident birds begin searching for adequate nest sites two months before nesting while migrants will start their search upon returning to the area. If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to introduce a birdhouse to your yard as this will give the birds sufficient time to find it before the fast approaching nesting season.
Black-capped Chickadees are among the common backyard birds that will readily nest in a properly placed birdhouse.
Several common backyard birds will readily accept a properly constructed, properly placed birdhouse including wrens, chickadees, woodpeckers, and nuthatches. Depending on where you live and the size of your property, other birds such as Eastern Screech-Owls, American Kestrels, Tree Swallows, Great Crested Flycatchers, and Eastern Bluebirds will eagerly nest in a birdhouse.
Watching birds raise their young in a birdhouse I built myself is an incredibly rewarding experience. Over the years, I have observed several pairs of Tree Swallows raise broods in houses I built and placed at the family cottage.
Watching birds nest in a birdhouse I built myself is incredibly rewarding; for this reason, I always build my own. Building a birdhouse is an easy project requiring tools most of us have around the house and minimal woodworking skills. A pencil, tape measure, screwdriver, handsaw, cordless drill, drill bits, and either a hole saw or spade bit are all that is required.
House Wrens are one of the easiest birds to attract to a birdhouse.
As far as materials go, all you need is a piece of untreated pine or cedar and a package of wood screws and you are ready to build a birdhouse. I recommend using screws to fasten the pieces together as small nails will pull out over time. Total cost to build the average birdhouse is about $15 to $20 taxes in. Building a birdhouse with a child is a fun project and provides hours of entertainment throughout the season as you watch adult birds bring nesting material to the house, food for their young, and finally the fledging.
Typically nesting in a small shrub, Northern Cardinals will use an open style birdhouse specifically designed for this species.
Robins, cardinals, and doves prefer a covered platform style of shelter for nesting; these too can be easily constructed with the same tools for roughly the same cost. I have had great success with the birdhouses I made from the free plans found at70birds. If you do not have access to tools, or would prefer the convenience of a box that is already made and ready to hang, visit your local independent birding store for a great selection of birdhouses. The knowledgeable staff can help you choose the right birdhouse for your yard based on the birds that frequent it.
If you are fortunate to have Eastern Bluebirds on your property, consider adding a birdhouse as these beautiful birds will often take up residence.
There are several important factors to consider which will increase your chances of success with a birdhouse. First is construction. The house must be well-built to withstand weather and potential predators. Again, this is why I prefer construction with screws over nails. A birdhouse should have ventilation holes or a small gap on each side near the roof. This provides better airflow within the house while allowing rising warm air to escape preventing the birdhouse from getting too hot inside. Drainage holes on the floor are equally important allowing water to run out after a heavy rain.
Constructing a birdhouse with a small hole will be attractive to Red-breasted Nuthatches and other slender birds while keeping House Sparrows and European Starlings out.
Having the appropriate size hole for the species you wish to attract is crucial. It goes without saying if the hole is too small for a bird to enter, it can’t use the birdhouse. If trying to attract larger birds to a birdhouse keep in mind that a house with a large hole may attract less desirable birds like House Sparrows and European Starlings. A birdhouse designed for smaller birds such as wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, and Downy Woodpeckers has a small enough hole to keep the sparrows and starlings out.
Placing wood shavings inside your birdhouse will make it more desirable to woodpeckers including the Red-bellied.
Choosing the right location for a birdhouse is imperative to its success. The height at which the house is mounted is very important and varies by species. Birdhouses should not be mounted in direct sunlight as they will become too warm inside or where they are exposed to prevailing winds. Birdhouses do not have to be mounted to a tree as some birds will accept houses installed on a fence, the side of a shed or garage, and even pole mounted similar to a bird feeder. Follow the installation instructions provided with the plans or the advice of the employee at your local store. Some birds prefer a birdhouse lined with wood shavings (not sawdust) or in the case of chickadees and woodpeckers shavings can be packed tightly into the house to closely mimic a tree limb or trunk. These birds will remove unwanted shavings as they would when excavating their own cavity in a tree.
Downy Woodpeckers and other cavity nesters may be struggling to find potential nest sites near you as mature trees are removed from neighbourhoods.
Here in London, many of the large, mature trees in the older neighbourhoods are being cut down for safety reasons. These trees appear sturdy while standing, but once cut the rot and decay inside becomes evident. In most cases, there is not much solid wood holding these massive trees up and many have come down on their own during heavy winds, hence their removal.
Male Eastern Bluebird.
Mature trees with an abundance of cavities provide great nesting habitat for many of the previously mentioned birds. Unfortunately, their removal means nesting habitat is being lost and it’s up to us to replace it in the form of a birdhouse as simply planting a tree doesn’t always provide adequate nesting habitat especially when it comes to cavity nesters.
This young Eastern Screech-Owl was photographed just minutes before it fledged from a birdhouse located in a friend’s backyard.
If your yard is lacking a birdhouse, now is the perfect time to add one. Many birds will soon be searching for that ideal location to raise a brood. Providing adequate nesting habitat by installing a birdhouse on your property will benefit the birds in your area and provide hours of enjoyment for you and your family. If you are looking for a fun and easy project this weekend, why not build a birdhouse? Your backyard birds will be glad that you did.
Good birding,
Paul
*My presentation next weekHow To Photograph Birdsis now sold out. Thank you to everyone who registered. If you would like to see this presentation offered again in April be sure to contact meas I am considering adding another date if there is enough interest.*
Barn Swallows have seen significant population decreases in recent years across Canada. They are now listed as threatened on the Species at Risk list. This particular bird was successfully rehabilitated and released with Swift Care Ontario.
With six subspecies found worldwide, the Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of Swallow in the world. They are found on six continents; breeding in the Northern Hemisphere and wintering across the Southern Hemisphere. These birds are aerial insectivores, feeding on insects captured in flight.
Hirundo rustica, the Barn Swallow subspecies that breeds in our area, can be observed most years from late April until early September. They prefer open habitat to forage and can be found across farmland, city parks, sports fields, lakes, rivers and ponds. Barn Swallows are so named because their nests are often constructed on narrow ledges inside covered structures such as barns or sheds. Other popular nest sites include: under eaves trough, beneath bridges, and inside culverts. Nests are constructed of mud and attached both to horizontal and vertical surfaces. When positioned on vertical surfaces nests are semicircular in shape, while those on horizontal surfaces are completely round. Feathers and grasses are used to line the nest.
Three young Barn Swallows sit in their semicircular nest constructed on a beam beneath a bridge.
Despite their wide range, Barn Swallows close to home are in trouble. These birds are now listed as a threatened species on the Species at Risk list across Canada. In Ontario, between 1966 and 2009, Barn Swallow populations decreased by 65% with the largest decreases happening most recently. Several factors are to blame including: habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The increased use of pesticides in the agriculture industry has significantly reduced the number of insects in many areas, resulting in a lack of food. Chemical pollution results in several health problems including neurological disorders, birth defects and death. Modernization of structures has also contributed to habitat loss. Wooden barns, sheds and boathouses that Barn Swallows previously could find access to and nest in, are being replaced with metal structures that are completely sealed. Barn Swallows are often seen making failed attempts to gain access to these buildings. Even if access is achieved, these modern structures, with their thin metal roofs, are often too hot in their upper sections where nesting would occur and therefore not desirable nesting locations.
Platform nest boxes specifically designed for Barn Swallows provide nesting habitat where older structures have been removed or replaced.
If you have Barn Swallows on your property, consider leaving these old wooden structures for them to nest in. If you need to replace or have already replaced them, than consider adding a nesting platform to the outside of your new structure. Barn Swallows will quickly accept a nest platform placed under a roof overhang on the side or end of a building. Successful broods have been raised in the presence of humans, where these platforms have been installed. Barn Swallows are quite tolerant of human activity, and watching adults raise their brood is both educational and entertaining. I have constructed such platforms to be installed on the property of landowners where Barn Swallows have previously nested and these modern metal buildings now exist. These nesting platforms are specifically designed for Barn Swallows and differ from other platforms in that the ledge for nesting is only 2.5″ wide. This narrow ledge allows enough room for the Barn Swallow to attach its mud nest, but will prevent other birds that use a platform, such as the American Robin and Mourning Dove, from occupying them.
This Barn Swallow was photographed perched on the same 1 3/4″ wide rafter as its nest sits on. A narrow ledge is all that is required for these birds to nest.
The biggest problem I have seen with artificial nest boxes and platforms is that they are not put up early enough. The intentions of installing them in spring are great, but too often people wait for nice weather and are too late. The nesting platforms must be installed before the Barn Swallows return, in late April. Birds begin searching for an adequate nest site immediately after returning in the spring and it is never too early to put up a nesting platform. Installing one now will ensure it is ready when Barn Swallows return.
If you are interested in one of these nesting platforms for your property, I am currently selling them for $20 each. Platforms measure 13″H x 7.25″W x 3.25″D and are made from Eastern White Pine. Platforms are left rough and unpainted, making it easier for the mud that Barn Swallows use to make their nests adhere. They are easily mounted to any vertical surface with two screws. For more information on these platforms or to purchase please contact me.
Negative human intervention has led to the decline of Barn Swallows and several other species. Now is the time for positive human intervention to help save a Species at Risk. Consider providing adequate nesting habitat for Barn Swallows if they happen to frequent your property. Simple practices like these are something everyone can do to make a difference.
