WILDLIFE: Building bird boxes to beat cabin fever
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Winter down time is ideal for building nest boxes for everything from bluebirds and screech owls to wood ducks and gray squirrels. John DeMary of Rivesville, W.Va., has built more than 700 nest boxes over the last 31 years as gifts for friends and family.
Earlier this month, a package arrived, and inside was DeMary's bluebird box No. 759. I and my bluebirds thank you, Mr. Demary.
"I am 92 years old and have been building houses since the early 1980s," Demary explained. "Lord willing, I hope to continue. Over the years I have been able to get material from a local lumber mill. I also have a nephew who builds log homes. For Christmas every year, he cuts out pieces for 10 boxes for me to build."
Birds that use nest boxes vary with habitat. Eastern bluebirds top the list of favorites, but they're limited to open country with a few scattered trees. Pastures, cemeteries and golf courses are ideal bluebird habitat, and if there's a pond nearby, tree swallows may also use them. Chickadees and titmice use nest boxes in more wooded settings. A simple 4-inch by 4-inch by 10-inch box with a 1.5-inch hole is all these other small cavity-nesters require. Bigger boxes accommodate screech owls and kestrels (8 inches by 8 inches by 18 inches high with a 3-inch hole) and wood ducks (12 inches by 12 inches by 24 inches high with a 4-inch hole).
Lumber mill scraps, as Demary discovered years ago, are an ideal source of material, but any untreated lumber will do.
Here are a few more tips to keep in mind.
• Protect the roof with a shingle or a piece of aluminum flashing.
• A perch below the entrance hole only invites fiercely competitive house sparrows.
• Be sure the box can be opened from the front or side for easy cleaning.
For nest box plans, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/nestinginfo/nestboxref/construct . To purchase nest boxes, go to www.pgc.state.pa.us and click on "General Store," then "Howard Nursery" and "Wildlife Homes Order Form."
First Published January 15, 2012 12:00 am
