March is a good transitional month for outdoors people. Fishing is just starting to pick up a little bit on warmer strings of days, but it is not yet consistent. Hunting is all but done until Spring Gobbler season. There are squirrel and rabbit seasons open through the end of the month.
However, an investment of your time and effort now to put up some bird houses or duck boxes will not only provide some birds a home and place to raise a few broods, but you will be helping conservation in the process. As a bonus you can enjoy the fruits of your labor by watching the birds feed their young and seeing them fledge.
One of the most popular bird boxes to build is a bluebird box. Two bluebird boxes can be made from a single 1x12x8 piece of pine shelving which can generally be had for less than $25. Some time with a saw, tape measure, drill and a handful of screws and maybe some paint will be all that is needed.
Last year I put up a bluebird box outside of our sliding glass door and we watched three families or broods of bluebirds result from that one box. We learned a lot about bluebirds in the process too. These birds will tolerate some human activity if the house is mounted high enough or far enough away to give them some measure of safety. I put our box up on a piece of electrical conduit that I was able to sink into the ground. Take care to put your box out of reach of any cats. Years ago I did not consider that and noticed the cat perched on the top of the box one day waiting for a parent to arrive.
When placing your box, place it in a sunny location and face it east if possible to keep our north and western winds from whistling into it so much. Shady areas are not that great for bluebirds. Areas with grass under them are good for bugging.
You can put some grass, straw or hay in the box but let the parents finish off the nesting chore. Be sure you score the inside face of the board with the entrance hole. This gives the young birds a foot hold to climb out. Resist putting pegs or nails near the entrance holes. This is not a good idea as other birds may perch there to harass the bluebirds.
Bluebirds have several broods and the young from earlier broods will sometimes assist the parents with care taking duties for the second or third brood. Don’t put bluebird boxes too close together. They like their own space. It is very entertaining and even soothing to watch the birds grow up and fledge right off your porch.
Another good project is a wood duck box. Wood ducks love marshy and swampy waters with standing timber, but often standing timber with holes in it that wood ducks would use for nesting is also easy access for raccoons to steal the eggs or eat the young. A wood duck box is not hard to make. There are plans for both wood duck boxes and bluebird boxes online.
When making a wood duck box, be sure to put a hinged side door for cleaning it out each winter so that the female duck has a fresh start. Pine shavings are great as are cedar shavings. Paint the box a drab color and follow the plans closely so you get the hole size correct. Again, no peg or perch is needed. If the hen needs a perch she will find a nearby tree or simply stand on top of the box.
Do a search online of baby wood ducks and watch as they jump out of a nest box into the water. The videos alone will spur you to make a wood duck box! Wood ducks are probably the most gorgeous ducks around here. They perch and roost in trees unlike other ducks and they are acrobatic fliers.
February is an excellent month to do a small project with big dividends for wildlife. A small investment in time and a little cash at your local hardware or lumber yard will result in something to watch this spring and summer. If you have kids, get them involved. The past few years the King George Outdoor Club has put together bluebird boxes and wood duck boxes courtesy of a donation for the James Madison Garden Club in King George. Kids like hands on activities and this one is simple enough but interesting enough to forget about COVID and other distractions while enjoying yourself.
bluebird box plans
wood duck box plans
However, an investment of your time and effort now to put up some bird houses or duck boxes will not only provide some birds a home and place to raise a few broods, but you will be helping conservation in the process. As a bonus you can enjoy the fruits of your labor by watching the birds feed their young and seeing them fledge.
One of the most popular bird boxes to build is a bluebird box. Two bluebird boxes can be made from a single 1x12x8 piece of pine shelving which can generally be had for less than $25. Some time with a saw, tape measure, drill and a handful of screws and maybe some paint will be all that is needed.
Last year I put up a bluebird box outside of our sliding glass door and we watched three families or broods of bluebirds result from that one box. We learned a lot about bluebirds in the process too. These birds will tolerate some human activity if the house is mounted high enough or far enough away to give them some measure of safety. I put our box up on a piece of electrical conduit that I was able to sink into the ground. Take care to put your box out of reach of any cats. Years ago I did not consider that and noticed the cat perched on the top of the box one day waiting for a parent to arrive.
When placing your box, place it in a sunny location and face it east if possible to keep our north and western winds from whistling into it so much. Shady areas are not that great for bluebirds. Areas with grass under them are good for bugging.
You can put some grass, straw or hay in the box but let the parents finish off the nesting chore. Be sure you score the inside face of the board with the entrance hole. This gives the young birds a foot hold to climb out. Resist putting pegs or nails near the entrance holes. This is not a good idea as other birds may perch there to harass the bluebirds.
Bluebirds have several broods and the young from earlier broods will sometimes assist the parents with care taking duties for the second or third brood. Don’t put bluebird boxes too close together. They like their own space. It is very entertaining and even soothing to watch the birds grow up and fledge right off your porch.
Another good project is a wood duck box. Wood ducks love marshy and swampy waters with standing timber, but often standing timber with holes in it that wood ducks would use for nesting is also easy access for raccoons to steal the eggs or eat the young. A wood duck box is not hard to make. There are plans for both wood duck boxes and bluebird boxes online.
When making a wood duck box, be sure to put a hinged side door for cleaning it out each winter so that the female duck has a fresh start. Pine shavings are great as are cedar shavings. Paint the box a drab color and follow the plans closely so you get the hole size correct. Again, no peg or perch is needed. If the hen needs a perch she will find a nearby tree or simply stand on top of the box.
Do a search online of baby wood ducks and watch as they jump out of a nest box into the water. The videos alone will spur you to make a wood duck box! Wood ducks are probably the most gorgeous ducks around here. They perch and roost in trees unlike other ducks and they are acrobatic fliers.
February is an excellent month to do a small project with big dividends for wildlife. A small investment in time and a little cash at your local hardware or lumber yard will result in something to watch this spring and summer. If you have kids, get them involved. The past few years the King George Outdoor Club has put together bluebird boxes and wood duck boxes courtesy of a donation for the James Madison Garden Club in King George. Kids like hands on activities and this one is simple enough but interesting enough to forget about COVID and other distractions while enjoying yourself.
bluebird box plans
wood duck box plans
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