Backyard Bird Baths

This very shy bird is from the rain forests of New Guinea and Northern Australia. The cassowary is a large, stocky bird that cannot fly. Short, heavy legs covered with horny plates and broad, very powerful feet support its large body. It has three toes with the inner toe having a very strong and sharp claw which can slice and tear. While these birds are timid, they can be very dangerous if cornered.

The feathers of the cassowary are a glossy black with a blue reflection. Its head is a beautiful blue with a red wattle. The head has a horny growth like a helmet called a casque. It is thought that this helmet is used like a shovel to rake through the leaves to find fallen fruit and possibly to protect its head as it runs through the rainforest. Some indigenous Papuans have observed it using the casque to knock fruit from small trees by ramming the trunks with it.

The cassowary can run up to 31 mph (50 kn/h).

Some information reprinted from Special Wonders of our Feathered Friends by Buddy Davis. Copyright © 2001 by Buddy Davis. For information write: New Leaf Publishing Group, P.O. Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638 or visit our website, www.nlpg.com.

Properly cared for, bird baths can provide years of enjoyment and amusement. But if you neglect to clean and upkeep your bird bath, you can quickly scare away all the birds in your area. Birds are keenly aware of what is and isn’t safe to drink, so you will quickly lose customers if your bird bath is in any way dirty or uninviting.

Bird bath management is mostly about keeping the water fresh and clean. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for algae and harmful bacteria. You also have to keep an eye out for stagnant water, as it quickly becomes a hotbed for breeding mosquitoes (and potentially West Nile Virus). If you choose a bird bath with running water, you’ll have a lot less cleaning and maintenance to handle.

Outside of water refills, bird baths should be regularly spot checked for remaining leaves, bird droppings, or other debris. Scrubbing the bird bath down with a stiff wire brush is the best course of action. Avoid any chemicals or detergents. Birds are very sensitive to these additives. If they get any hint of cleaning agents, you will have lost your backyard entertainment.

Bird baths and bird feeders are a wonderful way to bring nature into your backyard. The different array of wildlife provides endless hours of amusement and beauty. But even bird baths set up right in the backyard can feel removed. You might catch glimpses of the birds, but you won’t be able to see them in detail for any sustained amount of time.

That is probably for the best, though. Getting too close to wildlife can interfere with their natural rhythms, and you don’t ever want to disturb the birds. You merely want to appreciate them.

But now you can have the best of both worlds with nature watch cameras. These small cameras are easily installed inside your existing birdfeeder. All you have to do is run the cable into your home and plug into RCA ports (the visual- and audio-in ports on your television).

You’ll immediately have a visual image of whatever is transpiring in your birdhouse—from the comfort of your home. It’s like the birds are right in your living room without disturbing or compromising the birds themselves.

An edible birdhouse feeder will attract birds to your backyard because it provides them with food. It will please you because it has eye-appeal.

Is it a birdhouse or a bird feeder? Well, although it’s a really cute-looking edible birdhouse,  it’s actually a very unique bird feeding station. The main difference is, instead of refilling it as you would a regular bird feeder, once the birds have eaten the exterior, you “re-seed” it. By applying a thin layer of peanut butter, you sprinkle on more birdseed and hang it out again. Depending on the seeds you apply, different birds will want to try! That means versatility as well as durability.

a) Ventilation holes along the top/sides (for letting hot air out on summer days), b) at least one inch of roof overhang and drainage holes at the floor/corners (for rainy days), c) height of entrance hole  a generous 5″ from the bottom (to protect the young from falling out, or predators from reaching them)  all are important features. Consider in choosing a nesting box what birds will actually do well to nest in. Being able to open a nest box for cleaning after the birds have “flown the coop” is another consideration.

Insulation for cold or heat can be provided by wood construction of 3/4″ thickness. The size of the nesting box should also be big enough for the nestlings to grow. 4″ x 4″ would be the minimum. As for a cute little perch, they are not necessary for the birds to gain access. A perch could, however, make things easier for a predator.

The handcrafted winery birdhouse pictured above meets the aforementioned criteria, plus it’s cute to look at.

Having set up my brass bird bath and a pedestal dripper, I was glad to see the sun come out today. I am looking forward to the birds noticing and coming to try it out. I think I need to place a few large potted shrubs nearby so they’ll feel more secure.  The neighbor’s cat comes prowling around from time to time and I’m not sure how to prevent that.

This morning I spent nearly an hour standing just outside the kitchen door on my back porch. Pairs of chickadees kept flitting up to my hanging brass bird feeder for nibbles. It turns out that they are indeed social birds. Although they were cautious for the first few minutes after they saw me standing  just two feet from the feeder, they soon accepted my presence and came back again and again. I got a few pictures and even a couple of mini videos. Time flies in such a pleasant way when you’re enjoying feathered friends.

Well, the two little house wrens that were so timid in approaching the hanging bird feeder have grown much more confident. They used to wait for the mother bird to lead the way. Now I see them showing up on their own. It has been fun to see their confidence grow.