A Minute Out of the Norm: Helping the Birds

I love birds.  We have a couple of feeders around our house and a much used bird bath in the front garden.  My favorite feeder is viewable from my kitchen window as well as the deck door. I'll find myself sometimes just staring out the window watching the birds.  Other times my boys will give a loud shout-out.  "Mom, a Cardinal."  "Mom, a Blue Jay." " Mom, oooo come look at this one."  It is just fun to have a simple thing to enjoy with my boys.  (After all I can only feign so much 'interest' in Pokemon, jokes involving bodily functions and games like Mario Cart).

Today in my monthly-newsletter from my local metro-park they had a very cool little craft idea.  Help the birds find nesting material.  We are going to do this over the weekend and I thought I'd pass it along your way as well!

Nesting Material Craft

Birds are busy building nests this time of year and are able to find materials on their own in nature, but it can be fun to help them out.  Stuff a mesh bag, like the kind onions come in from the grocery store, or an empty suet feeder with items for the birds to use in their nest.  Some ideas to use:

• Dog hair:  if you have a dog at home, birds like to use dog fur to make the nests soft. After brushing your dog, use the fur from the brush to put out for the birds.
• Strands of cloth, pieces of ribbon or yarn in lengths of about 4 inches are good to put out.
• Natural materials like pine needles, dried leaves, twigs and cattail fluff
• Even hair from your brush

Hang the net bag from a tree branch, ideally near a feeder so that it will be noticed, and watch the birds use the material.  In the coming weeks, be on the lookout for birds visiting the sack, then watch what trees they return to — from the right viewpoint, you might even get to see your building materials being incorporated into the birds' nests.



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 Happy Spring!

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com