Birdhouses in the Backyard

A few weeks ago, I put up a couple birdhouses in the back yard.  No birds yet but if they could house bats, that would be even better.  These are just some craft houses from AC Moore that I got for less than $5 each.

One I mounted on a pressure treated post that was in our scrap pile and stuck it in the ground almost inside the rose bush.  If I was a bird, I’d like the nice protection of a rose bush.

The other ones is screwed directly to one of the norway maples on the property line.

It has a nice view of the yard and I know some birds like to be able to lookout from their nest.

I’m hoping the birds will come but if not, the houses themselves lend lots of charm to the yard. I really like them.

Also on the list is a blue-jay nesting box (click on the image below for free plans from 50birds.com) in the yew behind the shed. Blue jays won’t nest in houses but they do like a roof to keep the rain off and a perch to nest on. We have some blue jays in the area and I’d love a couple more to keep the grackles away!

I mentioned wanting bats. Since they don’t have our roof to live in anymore, some bat houses would be great for keeping the mosquitoes down. I’d like to add a bat house up on that tree above the birdhouse. I’ll need to get out the big ladder but I think it’d be a great spot for a little family of bats.

This one from Home Depot is less than $20. I may have to order one!

We’ve had robins nest in the cherry tree both years we’ve been here. None made it to egg laying though 🙁 I’m hoping for noisy baby birds one of these days. The birds may also serve as a good protection against pests, in other words ‘rid my critters‘.

Have you ever had any luck with birdhouses? I remember the baby birds in a birdhouse in my Great-Grandma Dillman’s backyard in Iowa. I’ve been fascinated ever since but in Texas, the wasps are more likely than the birds to take over your birdhouse. I’m hoping I’ll have better luck up here in New England!

Sarah