In winter do you leave the screen windows on? Of course not! Likewise it’s common sense that if you want our feathered friends to use (and benefit from) the nest boxes we have in our yards, we must winterize the.
First, clean out the season’s nests that may have gotten damp, filthy, or infested with lice. Then, layer 3-4″ of clean dry meadow grass in the bottom of each house. Wood shavings can work well too, but don’t use sawdust as it retains moisture when wet.
Second, plug the air vent holes (and drainage holes) in your houses with flexible weather strip. It comes in a putty-like cord that you simply press in with your fingers and it comes out easily in the spring. If you want to provide even more winter housing, check out our winter Cedar Bird Roost. It’s a hotel for the cold in winter.
Who will use your house if properly winterized? Downy Woodpeckers seem to be one of my most common winter tenants, even though they seem to prefer to carve their own nest cavity. You can tell they have visited when you find some of the feathers they shed, Their feathers are long with very flimsy shafts with gray barbs and a grayish white tip. Chickadees and titmice will sometimes leave droppings and a few of their feathers behind while bluebirds leave a few regurgitated seeds, It’s not uncommon for 6-9 bluebirds to emerge from one box. Nuthatches and Carolina Wrens are some other common visitors to winterized homes.
Birds at Your Window. Watch the birds nest from inside your home with a Nest View Bird House that suction cups to your window! We have grass birdhouses, and winter is a great time to buy one and put one up in your backyard. They provide much needed refuge for non-migrating birds during harsh storms, wind freezing rain, heavy snow and the bitter cold. There are many styles we offer at the store and all are made from a natural reed grass that is great because it also blends into the environment and keeps the birds safe from predators.
If you don’t have nest boxes, you can provide shelter by building a brush pile. Now is the time many of us prune trees. Make use of this pruning’s. A brush pile near a feeder provides a safe haven and in newly established neighborhoods helps you attract birds that otherwise wouldn’t come.
To start a brush pile, place four thick logs on branches 5-6 feet long in a square. Take several longer limbs and make a teepee with the leafy ends toward the ground. Now pile on smaller branches, again with leafy ends down. This allows roosting birds access but helps keep out predators. Make the pile thick on the side facing the prevailing winds. A Christmas tree is a great addition, or can serve as a roost all by itself. Keep an eye on your brush pile I guarantee you’ll see some appreciative feathered friends!
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