Now look here you birdies, this year I don't want to see any scruffy old nests in my trees. Last year they were littered with twiggy, grassy, mossy, monstrosities that made the whole place look like a tip.
This year I want you all to confine your squalor to the insides of the neat little bird boxes that I've painstakingly provided; AND, I'd be grateful, when visitors arrive, if you'd all try to make sure that your feathers are clean, tidy, and correctly in place.
From now on, this will be a tidy bird zone; I shall even leave a receptacle for your old discarded egg shells.
Any bird found making the place look like a junk yard, will be plucked, imprisoned, banished, or all three.
p.s. Those making well camouflaged nests (in Leylandii hedge, etc) will be exempt from the above punishments; there will also be prizes for 'best-kept nesting boxes', 'cutest brood of fledglings', and 'most melodic singing'.
Any tips for persuading the many owls around the Owl Wood to actually use the specially-designed owl nesting box? They've steadfastly ignored it two years on a trot now, preferring instead to simply visit ever night and shout owl obscenities.
ReplyDeleteI was going to ask YOU the same question. We have an old wooden barn that we are about to start working on. There has always been a Barn Owl in residence, and I thought it only decent to provide him with a new home!
Deletewill we get to vote for the winners of aforementioned categories?
ReplyDeleteAs long as you promise to be chairman of the Prize-Giving committee.
DeleteWe have owls living in the pigeonnier attic above our bathroom. We couldn’t bring ourselves to evict them from their long-term home and decided to leave the top windows unglazed and un-shuttered so they are free to come and go. In Spring the young owlets sometimes get their windows confused during their nocturnal flying lessons and end up sitting on the window sill peering into the room. Country life – it’s great.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had an Owl filled Pigeonnier. I'd forgive them anything!
DeleteCan I get you to set some nice bird houses up around here? Last year we had a very large, messy nest installed over the floodlights on the back deck. This may be thefeatherednest but that one was just a mess.
ReplyDeleteI remember your photo. Didn't they abandon the nest?
DeleteYes, eventually they did. I think because we used the deck so much we made them nervous. We left it for a while just in case but they didn't come back so we tore it down. This year we are trying to watch more carefully so we can discourage them from the getgo.
DeleteI need to find a way to make the finches around here to come back to my front porch.
ReplyDeleteYour bird house is pretty but looks like a spider made a home of it. Of course, no spider is safe around a hungry bird.
I'd love to have Swallows nesting under the eaves, but as yet they prefer to live elsewhere.
DeleteI just wish the House Wrens would quit trying to build in the garage!! Now that Mrs Cat lives in there most of the time, they don't know how much danger they are in for.
ReplyDeleteI love bird houses. Yours is quite beautiful -- good luck with the future tenants...
ReplyDeleteI finally had to check you out from Tess' blog
ReplyDeleteand here I find you all crazy about the bird's business...ha! keep us posted on their ability to follow your orders
...and get in line I want that green house
..you can keep the pink sofa, however
-suz
I'll fight you for it!
DeleteSomething has obviously rattled your cage - is this part of the 'Keep Magnon Tidy' Campaign or something. I've never yet seen birds set up residence in the bird boxes provided - maybe you'll strike lucky this time.
ReplyDeleteSounds like here, Elaine. Maybe if they were all cleaned out, they'd take up residence again.
DeleteThe previous owners here had bird boxes about, and i've never seen birds go in or come out of them. We've have phoebes build their nests first under the rafters on the side porch, but when the cats came, the birds felt threatened, so moved next year's nest to under the right garage door. I stopped using the automatic opener on that side, but got a bit close to the nest all the same, as i was working on the boat last year.
ReplyDeleteThey've only just arrived this week, so no telling if they'll take up one of the old nesting spots or find a new place.
megan
What I'd give for a bird's nest *anywhere* in my yard....
ReplyDeleteI saw great tits checking out our nest box this week. So exciting!
ReplyDelete