Decorating With Bird Houses And Feeders
Decorative Bird Houses
DecorativeBirdCages.net offers articles with tips on finding and using bird houses and cages in your home. This post concentrates on bird houses, but many of the ideas that are presented also apply to decorating with bird cages.
Decorative bird houses and feeders are a nice addition to any garden, porch or patio. There is a wide variety of styles, colors and shapes and you can buy the one that best suits your garden style. In fact most of the decorative bird houses are fully functional and are suitable for bird nesting.
You can buy an ornamental bird house from almost any garden shop or online. There are many online stores selling only bird houses and you will be amazed at the number of styles available. Some stores also specialize in ornamental bird cages.
Before you buy one though, you should look for several things that are of great importance. The bird house should be made of wood or other natural material. It should be pest free and not treated with any chemicals. If it is painted make sure the paint is water based. These are all important factors and the decorative styles sometimes sacrifice them in favor of a great design and architecture.
If you are after a fully functional bird house than most of the above issues will be covered. The next worry will be where to hang the bird houses and feeders.
Some people make the mistake to install a bird house on a place of their preference. It might be nice to have it directly next to your porch door but you may not attract any birds by doing so. You have to decide if you want the bird house as a decor enhancement or you want it for birds nesting.
If you want to attract birds, than place it accordingly. Each bird type prefers different bird house placement. Some birds such as Bluebirds and Swallows prefer open areas and fields, while other such as Woodpeckers and Owls prefer forested areas. Water birds such as ducks will love a bird house facing a lake or a stream. The same rule is valid for Purple Martins. Titmice, Nuthatches, Kestrels, Flycatchers and Chickadees will like a bird house placed on the edge of a forested area. If you want to attract a bird type that will live directly in your garden, than get a bird house for Finches. They live prefectly near the house.
If you are placing more than one bird house consider the territory of each bird type. Some birds establish a territory and do not let other birds enter it. If you place more than one bird house too chlose you risk one of them staying empty. Check what is the typical territory for each bird specie and than distribute their houses accordingly.
Finally you can add some feeders near the decorative bird houses. This will invite birds to come as they will have plenty of food to raise their families.
Titmice in the Castle, Bluebirds in the Church
We put up two decorative birdhouses out front last year. One we picked up in Baton Rouge at Circa 1857. It is a church constructed of rough wood, salvaged tin, with an old doorknob for a perch.
If you want birds to come visiting, check out the many types of bird feeders available. Some, with decorative designs, are quite appealing to the eye. Determine whether you can carry out some basic maintenance tasks easily. A removable floor is a big help.
What Makes a Good Wooden Bird House
It's often used with other materials like copper and other decorative materials used for the roof top. Mahogany - This is probably the favorite material for use in wooden birdhouses, especially smaller ones. This is a denser wood that resists rot.
You can find lawn decorations whittled with a chain saw, metal deers and gnomes to water features, but folks who have fancy birdhouses, have gone with a lawn ornament which has a useful purpose. Remember many fancy birdhouses are decorative as well as functional.
Author: Keith Londrie
Keith Londrie II is the Webmaster of http://www.about-bird-houses.info/ A website that specializes in providing information on bird houses that you can research on the internet. Visit http://www.about-bird-houses.info/ now!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Londrie
Tags: bird houses and feeders, decorating with bird houses, decorative bird houses
June 13th, 2009 at 6:23 am
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