Homes for Everyone!
From homemade plywood houses to real nests in the lilacs, the birds have always found a place at 173.
More Than Just Birdhouses
Many of the plantings here have been done with birds in mind, from trees to bushes, and even vines like the honeysuckle. There are so many varieties, one can barely count, let alone name them. I've seen hummingbirds in the weigela and honeysuckle, and other flowers and bushes throughout the yards. Geeze, I just learned that weigela is in the honeysuckle family! The things we learn.
The Birdbath in the Vegetable Garden
In the middle of the vegetable garden there's a birdbath, and many's the morning from the breakfast nook window, can be seen birds of all feathers splashing around.
The robin flew from his swinging spray of ivy on to the top of the wall and he opened his beak and sang a loud, lovely trill, merely to show off. Nothing in the world is quite as adorably lovely as a robin when he shows off - and they are nearly always doing it. ― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
The First Birdhouses Made at House 173
It's certainly clear that not all the birdhouses were for the birds (pun intended). If you look closely at the steps on the back stoop, you can see the old red and black abode I made, also long gone... No bird in their right mind would have made that house a home, and none did. But it made for a nice little spot of interest in an otherwise dull vignette back in the day.
Some of the birdhouses have seen better days. A number of years ago a bird feeder went up on the shed, and lasted more than a decade...
Thanks for stopping by, and be safe out there,
Some Need Remodeling
Some of the birdhouses have seen better days. A number of years ago a bird feeder went up on the shed, and lasted more than a decade...
We also picked up a gorgeous birdhouse made by some guy down in Texas and sold on ebay.
But, in recent years they both fell into such a state of disrepair they needed to be taken out of commission. Although, I'm happy to remind our regular readers, the Texas birdhouse was mended just a few weeks ago! Which reminds me, I need to get on with fixing up the old bird feeder too!
'Til then, they have a nice parking spot on the gardening table, which could use a little maintenance too.
Purely Decorative Houses
Over the years we picked up some little birdhouses that serve no practical purpose but add just a touch of whimsy here and there in the yards. Here are a few:
As a matter of fact, the one on the upper right sits on a small shelf on the side of the shed...
Nothin' Like a Real Nest
Back in October of '18 the hemlock tree had to come down. It was a real heartbreaker, not the least because that tree had been home to at least a few generations of robins and mourning doves.
But today of all days, I see that a family of robins has made a new nest in the Charles Joly lilac bush! That makes me feel a little better after having displaced them! Sorry, I had to add some filters to the picture, but if you look closely, you can see a robin in the nest!
Every day, when I hear the low coo of the mourning doves, my mind wanders to WH Auden's terrible lament, the “Funeral Blues.” I’m not entirely sure why those quiet birds became connected with that poem for me, but they have. Perhaps it is something in the sound, soft, repetitive, and just mournful enough to make you stop for a moment.
Still, the birds themselves carry on. One tree comes down, another shrub becomes home, and somewhere in the yard a new nest appears almost before we notice it. I suppose that is one of the comforts of sharing this little patch of ground with them.
And Here's My Favorite
I have no good pictures of the early days of this first birdhouse I built at 173. Like the others, it was of the simplest design, and painted gray and red. It's been perched (see what I did there?) at the end of the front yard corner post ever since that first day! If you look closely you can see it in this picture, all open and exposed...But now it's nicely tucked into a little grotto worn into the arbor vitae.
I find the older I get the more I appreciate things that have stood the test of time. They may be a little worn, maybe a bit broken, showing their age but still there. Kind of a metaphor for me, maybe that's the attraction.
Thanks for stopping by, and be safe out there,
First, I must register a complaint: after reading this, I spent twenty minutes standing at my kitchen window trying to determine whether the birds in my yard appreciate anything I have done for them.
The answer appears to be no.
Still, I loved the way this post widened from birdhouses into the entire garden. The weigela, honeysuckle, lilac, arborvitae, birdbath, and lost hemlock all matter because birds do not experience a yard as a collection of separate projects. To them, it is one connected place, food here, water there, shelter in the shrub, and perhaps a funny little plywood house nobody sensible would occupy.
The robin moving into the lilac after the hemlock came down was the moment that stayed with me. Gardens are always losing something and making room for something else. We grieve the tree; the robin evaluates the shrub and gets on with the work.
And that last birdhouse, half-swallowed by the arborvitae? Do not repaint it too perfectly. Its worn little face is exactly right. - The Gardener
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a yard genuinely welcoming to birds beyond adding birdhouses?
Birdhouses are only one small part of a bird-friendly yard. Birds also need natural food sources, water, shelter, nesting materials, and places where they can retreat from predators and severe weather. At House 173, trees, lilacs, weigela, honeysuckle, and other plantings provide flowers, seeds, insects, cover, and possible nesting locations.
The birdbath in the vegetable garden adds another essential resource. It gives birds a place to drink and bathe, while the surrounding vegetation offers nearby cover. A yard filled with varied plant heights and dense shrubs may support more bird activity than a yard containing several houses but little natural shelter.
Are decorative birdhouses suitable for nesting birds?
Not necessarily. A birdhouse can be attractive garden décor without providing a safe or practical nesting site. Functional houses need an entrance opening appropriate for the intended species, adequate interior space, drainage, ventilation, and a location protected from excessive heat, predators, and constant disturbance.
The little red-and-black house on the back stoop looked charming, but its low and exposed placement made it unlikely to attract a nesting bird. There is nothing wrong with using some birdhouses purely for decoration, provided they are not mistaken for safe nesting boxes.
When should an old wooden birdhouse be repaired or replaced?
A birdhouse should be examined for loose joints, sharp edges, protruding fasteners, rotted wood, blocked drainage holes, and damage around the entrance. A slightly weathered house may still be usable, but one that allows rain inside, sways dangerously, or has weakened mounting hardware should be repaired or taken out of service.
Repairs should preserve a safe interior and avoid finishes that could expose nesting birds to unnecessary chemicals. At House 173, the Texas birdhouse could be repaired and returned to use, while some earlier houses eventually disappeared or deteriorated beyond the point where they remained practical.
Why do birds sometimes ignore a birdhouse but nest in a nearby shrub or tree?
Birds choose nesting locations according to species-specific preferences. Some readily use cavities or nesting boxes, while others build open nests in tree branches, dense shrubs, vines, ledges, or other protected locations. Even a properly constructed birdhouse will remain vacant if it does not suit the birds visiting the yard.
The robins at House 173 chose the Charles Joly lilac because robins generally build open cup-shaped nests rather than nesting inside enclosed birdhouses. Their decision to use the lilac was not a rejection of the other houses; it reflected the kind of nesting site robins naturally seek.
Why preserve an old decorative birdhouse that may no longer be especially useful?
Usefulness is not always the only reason something earns a place in a garden. The gray-and-red birdhouse at the end of the front-yard fence has been part of House 173 since the earliest years. Its value comes from familiarity, endurance, and the way it has gradually become absorbed into the arborvitae around it.
A weathered garden object can act almost like a marker of time. The fading paint, small repairs, and changes in the surrounding plants record years of weather and growth. Even when a birdhouse is no longer the newest or most functional one in the yard, it may still carry the history of the place.
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