i found a BABY bird HELP!?

we are remodeling our back porch and while we were cleaning it off we found a nest w/ baby birds in our bird house. we already moved the bird house to a different location. will they survive? will their mom find them? if their mom does not find them how can i keep them from not dying? so far i put in bird seed just so they have the option to eat something. but they keep on tweeting. i can not open the bird house in any way to get the bird more food. plz help me. any ideas or options i will take. i really want the birds to survive. HELP!
yes it is a wild bird
i did not touch them only the bird house

Purple Martin Houses – More Than A Desirable Residence

No garden would ever be the same without the sounds, colours and movement of the birds that visit it. The British and Americans appreciate birds in their gardens more than most, and in the UK, the million plus membership of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is testimony to that. Not only do we love having birds in the garden, many encourage them by providing bird feeders and bird houses, or nest boxes as we call them in the UK.

The birds themselves come in all shapes and sizes, so you will find bird houses have evolved to cater for the many different species that might visit the garden in the breeding season. For gardeners who like to see the birds close at hand, bird houses can be an integral part of the garden, even the house itself in some cases.

While bird houses are functional, and intended as a place to breed, they can also make attractive garden decor. Some bird houses are, indeed, very decorative. They can even be whimsical and humourous. There really are some wonderful and unusual designs on the market. More conventional bird houses are also readily available, especially online.

One type of bird house, though, is particularly important, and that is especially designed for purple martins.

Purple Martins – A Breed Apart For Human Intervention

The type of birds you get in the garden will depend on where you live, of course, but you may find specially designed bird houses for your favourite birds, whether they are bluebirds, robins, purple martins, or other favourites.

Purple martins, though, are very special when it comes to people providing their housing needs. They are much loved visitors to parts of North America, where they go to breed every spring and summer. One remarkable thing about these fork tailed swallows is that they actually depend on human intervention for their housing needs. In other words purple martin bird houses are more than a desirable residence for the purple martins; they are an essential to their survival in North America.

If you are excited about birds visiting and breeding in your garden, and are lucky enough to live in an area where purple martins are summer visitors, then you can have many hours of joy every day knowing that you are also providing an important service. The purple martins will not come down to feed in the garden, but you can watch them fly off to feed on high flying insects, and return to base to feed their hungry young. That is, if you have one or more purple martin bird houses.

Later in the season, you can watch the baby purple martins learn to fly as they depart from the nests you provide. So, having purple martin bird houses is much more than adding garden decor; they are like a living entertainment centre for those lazy summer afternoons in the garden. You can relax, knowing that you are doing the world a big favour by helping to perpetuate the purple martin species.

Purple martin houses come in many forms, but you need to bear in mind that they breed in colonies, so putting up a single bird box for one nest is no help. The other thing to consider is that the purple martin needs height; they will only breed if well clear of the ground. Despite those limitations, purple martin bird houses come in many designs and have evolved to make the most of what the birds need. Some can be very attractive too, making them a welcome addition to the garden décor.

Plans To Build A Mallard Bird House – A Great Way To Protect Your Ducks

If you got a small farm or simply a plan of water and would love to keep Mallard ducks around, they are going to need a place to be protected from predators and you are going to need plans to build a Mallard bird house. Here is a simple ideas to help you building a great house of their own and to provide them with the peaceful environment they need to nest and reproduce.

Build a Floating Platform

Protecting the ducks from predators is the main goal of building them a nesting house. Raccoons love to eat the eggs and they will find ways to get them. If you have a pond, a floating house is a great option to provide them a save place to nest.

Use a sheet of thick styrofoam and cut it in a half. This will be great to keep the nesting house floating. Join the two pieces of styrofoam together with 2 pieces of 2×4 or simple boards, leaving a space in between them. Once you have a solid foundation for the floating house, build a platform over the styrofoam with wood boards. Make sure not to use pressure treated wood, which is bad for the environment.

Build a House to Put on Top

It will be much better not to have the duck house sitting right on top of the platform. The Mallard house needs to be elevated a little, this is good for a floating house as well as a house on solid ground. This is necessary to protect the nest from getting wet from the rain and the possible waves of water coming on the platform on windy days. For houses on the ground, the possible variations of water elevation in the pound may flood the duck house after a big rain storm so you need to keep that in mind.

How to Make The Nest

To build a nest for the ducks, get a piece of plastic covered fencing that has about tree feet high by 5 feet long. Cover it with some straw hay and roll it like a cylinder of about 12 to 15 inches. Roll it completely and attach to fence together to make it stay tight. Thigh wraps will do the trick. Install the nest on the floating platform giving it an elevation of about twelve to fifteen inches.

You can do that by installing two pieces of wood across the platform. Them build a roof by using two pieces of plywood and installing them on the top of the nest forming a triangle shape all the way to the platform. Make sure the roof is longer than the nesting tube to provide protection at the entrance and the exit of the tube. This is a very basic design but that will make the Mallards happy and a will be a safe place to lay their eggs. You can find other ideas to make a more stylish Mallard house and still make it with materials you may already have at home.

Five Great Tips for Bird House Builders

Organize your birdhouse building plans based on the species in your area and those you want to attract. There are numerous resources available that provide overviews of popular species in your area, as well as their respective feeding preferences. I find that searching online is free and easy; while also providing all the information needed. You may have spotted birds in your area and are not quite sure of the species. The online search can help you identify the bird by a photo or by various features of the bird. Your search words should include the question that you are asking or simple key words such as “birds in the northeast” “red birds in New Jersey”, etc.

Be sure to have the proper tools and building materials. The tools and materials depend on the final product you want to hang or display. Birdhouse building projects range from a simple basic birdhouse built from wood scraps to complex decorative designs requiring the purchasing of materials. The choice of tools obviously is determined by the design you choose. It can be the simple and traditional box-style birdhouse with a roof; or a highly precise and complex decorated structure. For a basic design, you can get by with a hand saw, hammer, drill, ruler and screw driver. Likewise, the material list for the basic birdhouse is also simple. Some scrap wood, preferably 1” x  8”  x 10”, wooden dowel  ¼” x  4“ long, a 1¼” drill bit, waterproof wood glue, finishing nails or galvanized wood screws. A more complex birdhouse design will require additional tools and materials.

Take the time to select the proper paints and/or stains.  The right selection of finishes is critical to insuring that your bird house remains durable over time. When you complete your birdhouse, there is a feeling of pride and accomplishment. You certainly want it to last through the harsh weather conditions associated with extremely hot summers and cold snowy winters and everything in between. Use only exterior paints and polyurethane finishes for your bird house project. Make sure you properly prepare wood finishes by sanding off the burrs and blemishes first. Lastly, never apply paints or stains to the inside of the birdhouse.

Properly hanging and placing a birdhouse will get you the most activity. Placement of your birdhouse is as important as the structure itself. Poles, fences, and trees are the most common objects that bird houses hang from. A metal pole is my first choice, as it harder for predators, like snakes and raccoons, to raid the nest. Poles are also easy to maintain. While it could be more work to install a pole for your birdhouse, the benefits may outweigh your efforts. A pole can be placed in a location that brings maximum visibility; enabling you to enjoy your hobby while also providing accessibility for maintenance. From an aesthetic point of view however, I prefer hanging my birdhouses on trees.

Caring for your birdhouse is relatively simple if you build it with an easily removable roof or wall AND drill drainage holes in the floor. The drainage holes not only remove rainwater, but provide air flow that helps keep insect population low. At the end of each season I recommend you remove the bedding. Make sure the drainage holes are clear so that any water accumulation is not present thus avoiding winter icing and potential cracking. Visually inspect the birdhouse and check for loose screws and other damages. Repair as necessary. You and others are now ready to enjoy another season of your handy work and see nature as it is intended.

Bird Houses And The Beautiful Fall Season

Fall is a wonderful time of the year, with all the many colors that can be seen in the trees around us. It is also a time to do some repair or replacement of our bird houses and bird feeders. Our bird houses should be cleaned out of the used nesting materials that are found inside them and then washed out with (1) part house hold bleach mixed with (10) parts of water. Then wash it out again with just water and let it dry well before repairing it or hanging it up again. You can do the same with your bird feeders if they need to be cleaned. The birds will not replace their nesting materials in the bird houses until the next nesting season in early spring. They will use the bird houses to get out of some of the bad weather in the colder months a head.

Some bird houses and bird feeders may have some of the pieces of wood coming apart from their age and or weathering. If the wood is not soft and falling apart, you may be able to just add a few finishing nails or a few short deck screws to pull the wood together for some more years of service for your wild birds. If you are going to repaint your bird house or feeder, make sure you do not paint the inside of it and use a water base non-toxic paint or stain. Let it dry completely before hanging it up again. These are the best steps you can take to protect your wild birds that you some much enjoy. If you would like to replace or add some new bird houses or bird feeders come visit with us at our home at:

http://www.Beautiful-Birdhouses-Etc.com for all your birding needs.

How did the baby snake get in the birdhouse?

We went to check to see if there were any baby birds in the bird house, when we saw a snake. We were wondering how the snake got in there, and we thought that maybe the mother bird brought it for food. It was a baby snake too. It kinda freaked us out so we were just wondering. Thanks!

How do you find out what birds are around your area during what time of the year?

we are trying to put up a bird house and bird feeder but we dont know what type to put up nor the type of seed nor when to acually ecspect birds to use them.

Build Your Own Replica Architectural Bird House

With some basic woodworking skills you too, can craft your own replica architectural bird house. The time and detail put into handcrafting the replica bird house will make it a truly unique and personal work of art. By following the same steps we follow at New England Birdhouse, you’ll be able to create a one of a kind architectural replica birdhouse of your own.

Always start with a plan

We use CAD software to develop scale plans for our custom birdhouses. If that’s a bit too technical of an approach for you, we suggest making a simple measured drawing. Sketch out the details of your house including roof lines and angles, window and door positions and decorative moldings. Transform this sketch into a full-size drawing of the birdhouse. This plan will become a template for your bird house and will provide the scale and positioning of the architectural details of your replica bird house.

A cardboard mock-up of the replica bird house can be very helpful at this point, especially when working with roof lines. Shipping boxes and masking tape can be used to create three dimensional models to help visualize the completed bird house.

When determining the size of your bird house it’s important to consider not only the structure you are replicating, but also how the completed bird house will be mounted and displayed and how many nesting chambers your birdhouse will feature. Typically, our custom replica birdhouses are about 2′ wide x 3′ deep x 16″-18″ tall, and feature two nesting boxes.

Consider the safety of occupants

As you are planning and building your replica birdhouse, always consider the safety and well being of the birds that will occupy the house. The nesting chambers should be left unfinished and free of any paint, glue or chemicals. Any sharp points from exposed screws or nails should be filed smooth. The nesting chambers must have access for cleaning, a drainage and ventilation area and an appropriately sized entry hole. To attract most common cavity nesters use a hole no larger than 1 3/4″. To protect young nestlings, make sure that the entry hole is at least 4″-5″ from the floor of the birdhouse, so they cannot fall out. Do not include any perches, as they will function as a place for predators to harass the nestlings.

Constructing the birdhouse

Our custom replica birdhouses are made from milled 5/8″ eastern white pine, fastened and joined with exterior grade screws and glue. Pre-milled lumber can be found at lumber yards and big box hardware stores. Finished 3/4″ pine in 6′ or 8′ widths can be glued and joined to create walls and roofs. Always use long grain but joints and never try to glue end grain, because it is not a structural joint. An interior frame can be built to attach the walls and roof to. Make sure that the bottom of the birdhouse is reinforced to accept mounting hardware.

Details, details, details

Our architectural details are carved, burned and painted into our custom replica birdhouses using a variety of tools and artistic techniques. Artchitectural details commonly include shingle, siding, window, shutter, brick, door, molding and fascia board detail. Experiment with different techniques and materials to achieve a look that you feel comfortable with. Most architectural details can be created using a handheld rotary tool (like a dremel) outfitted with a circular carbide disc or sanding wheel, and an artist’s paintbrush.

Painting and finishing your birdhouse

Thoroughly sand the exterior of your replica bird house and remove any sawdust. Seal the exterior of the bird house with a water based paint sealer (like Kilz) and blend exterior grade latex paint to match the colors you desire. The blended exterior colors can be airbrushed or hand brushed onto the bird house. Finally two coats of non-yellowing marine urethane finish are sprayed onto the birdhouse.

Completing your birdhouse

Following these steps will yield a replica birdhouse that with proper placement and maintenance will provide years of enjoyment. We recommend that the houses be located in a shady, sheltered area to minimize weathering and that the birdhouses be moved inside during the winter months. With time, the replica birdhouse will need to be refinished.

how do you tell the difference between bird mites and bedbugs?

i can’t figure out weather the bugs i found in my house bird mites or bed bugs. they are both mites that feed on human blood, but when i do a search all the information is correct but the pictures don’t exactly match. i don’t want to treat for the wrong thing while the infestation grows. what should i do?

want to feed the birds not the squirrels?

we’ve tried so many different bird house things to feed the bids but squirrels always manage to eat tehir way through them
how do you stop them so that the birds can still eat?

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