Last winter my son and I built a window bird house, which was a great parent/child project to do together. We were excited about the potential, as we hung the house on our window and waited for new neighbors to arrive. We were sure we’d be watching nest-building activities within a few days – or weeks at most. But month after month went by, and our house sat empty.
So last month, we did some research to figure out why our house might not be an appealing home for our local birds. We checked the dimensions of the entrance and the sides, and confirmed that it was a suitable size for our smaller yard birds (e.g., Sparrows & Chickadees). We checked the window placement – high enough to be out of reach of predators, sheltered enough against the elements – and again confirmed that everything seemed right. So with no other explanations, we decided that perhaps we needed to stage our house to attract potential tenants.
So my son and I took the house down and filled it with twigs and grass, hoping to give the impression of a suitable nest. And we threw in some bird seed for good measure. Then we hung it back up and waited.
About a week later we noticed this – an errant piece of straw sticking out of the back of the house.
My son and I conferred, and agreed that we definitely did not put any straw into the house, which can only mean one thing – a bird has discovered the house, and is attempting to build a nest in it. We’ve been keeping an eye on the house, but we haven’t spotted any bird activity yet. So we’re waiting patiently, which from what I hear, is what bird-watching is all about.
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April Update: Read the latest about the birdhouse here.