Bird House - keeping

Male Eastern Bluebird

Our feathered friends are already in Spring mode. I hear the cardinal whistling his territorial call and the chickadee calling plaintively (that call that so many of us mistake for the phoebe). Of course just to test me, this morning the mockingbird has to chime in with his mimic of the phoebe. Ha- he can't fool me! Two crows  snuggle in the high branch of the pine tree while bluebirds defend their house against English sparrows in that very same tree. You go guys! When you pay close attention this time of year, it becomes quite the circus out there. 

Now is the time to clean out existing bird houses and put up new ones! There is tremendous competition for nesting sites, so that's where you can really help. In the wild, most cavity dwelling birds depend on holes in trees created by woodpeckers or some other natural cause for their nesting site. Yes, demand is higher than supply when it comes to housing starts! 

It is so rewarding to witness this part of a bird's life cycle- that magical time from mating and nest building to fledge. Get on out there!

Judy Ratta-Harrington