Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-26


cold winter night But where Engls
! sparrows are numerous they usuali'
find and occupy such boxes in the WIN
/ Ter. III them up with nesting materia
carly IN spring and drive native bird
away. II the boxes are put up now tn
native birds will have some chance t
keep the sparrows out.
Let ne one fail to put up bird boNe'
| because of the expense. ANY boy cal
make them and the material needed
costs little if anything. The buehrd
martin. tree swallow. wren, flicker
ehickadoe. screech owl and wood duck
all nest naturally in hello" trees OF
cavities in tree limbs.
\ hollow branch, five or more lnthes
inside diameter, trimmed from an APP
pie tree. may be made into several eX-
eellent nesting boxes by saving 1t INTO
sections each a foot or more long, nall
ing on each section a piece OF board OF
Single for a roof, plugging the bottom
emitting a hole on one side near the top
ea,. he entrance and fastening it up
right to a tree, building or pole. oid
tomato cans. small milk cans and even
newer uots may be used in similar
manner if they be put up IN the shade
otherwise the sun will overhead the
Young birds. \ few shingles. bits OF
boards or any elongated small wooden
box like a deep cigar box will make a
nesting box that will last for one sea-
son on more. Pieces of slabs from the
sawmnl. nailed together 10 form rec
tanguIar box, with height greater than
Width. will make an attractive rustic
bird home.
Nesting boxes may be constructed
from bark. if provided with a solid
bottom need not be SO tight. TIE en-
trance hole should be not less than one
inch in smallest diameter for wren,
one and ene-half inch for bluebirds OF
swallows. TWO inches for martins, three
inches for a flicker and four inches for
Il screech awl or wood dnek. The en-
franc, may be round, sduare OF ebions
end il is better To have the I0of JUS
ov,. i; Two or three inches 10 shed the
rain. The costly boxes ana bird houses
made By manufacturers Of such goods
are better than most of tile homemade
ones. but they are not ess ntiai. as the
birds usually are not fastidious. pro-
vided the box and the entrance mole
are large enough and the domieile at
fords a safe shelter from sun. wind and
rain.
Many people have been led to believe
that birds are shy Of painted houses
because of the smell or appearance oi
the paint. hut this is IN unimpoftani
detail Birds that usually nest IN hol-
low trees naturally go to weathered
nesting box. but sometimes the same
birds prefer painted one. Any bird
house that is exposed constantly to the
sun on a pole should be painted in
light colors so that it will not so read
lily absorb heat. In such situation a
house with double walls is protec-
ton TO the birds.
Boxes built on the European plan
and shaped internally like & wood
peckers hole are excellent. II is best
to have some way of opening the box
so that undesirable tenants may be.
readily evicted The last annual report
of the Massachusetts State Ornitholo-
gist which may be obtained of the Sec
rotary of Agriculture, State House,
Boston, tells how troublesome English
Sparrows may be disposed Of
Small shallow open boxes about five
inches inside diameter put up under
an open shed roof in a grape arbor or
even under broad caves frequently are
accepted for nesting places by robins,
nailed on barn rafter or even a lath
rallied across two rafters will help the
swallows to a ne sting place when raft
ers are too smooth to offer safe points
of attachment for their mudbuilt
homes.