Bird
Boxes & Feeders for the Garden
by Dave Mackenzie
Softcover
210 x 275mm
166pp
Published by Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd, East Sussex UK
R.R.P.$39.90
ISBN 1-86108-065-4
Suspended Bird Table
Peanut Feeder
Bird Bath
Rustic Nest Box
Garden Aviary
Guinea-pig Hutch
As reviewed in House & HOME Issue 34
There are as many styles of bird houses as there are birds. No surprise since every bird needs a special kind of house, and this book contains a collection of suitable homes for the smallest to the largest of birds.
What becomes obvious from the contents is that presenting food in various ways attracts different species. Some birds are ground feeders, others feed on trees, and so forth. Also, different habitats (urban, suburban and rural) cater to different types of birds and behaviours.
Designs for small urban gardens include a small nesting box, a scrap box (with a mesh front for the birds to peck through), a bird table on a stand, a suspended bird table and a wall mounted feeding tray.
For the suburban garden, consider installing a slotted nesting box (for birds that prefer an open fronted nest), a mesh enclosed circular peanut feeder, a seed hopper and a bird bath.
Country gardens can accommodate larger installations. The range of nests includes a rustic log nesting box (made from branches), but there's also a decoy duck and a wader decoy (similar to an ibis) carving project, a duck barrel, and a wall mounted dovecote for birds that live in groups. An aviary, guinea pig hutch, bat box and a 'hedge hog' shelter (potentially suitable shelter for an Echidna), complete the list of homes.
All projects have a cutting list, photos of construction, fully measured drawings and detail drawings as well as step-by-step instructions. Since the book is designed for conditions in the UK, some of the food types will have to be altered. A visit to your local pet store should provide the answers you need in this regard. Likewise, contacting a local ornithological society should help in figuring out what size nesting box to make for your local native birds.
Photos: Colour
Units of Measurement: Imperial & Metric
Contents
Introduction
Materials
Tools and techniques
Environment
Food
Town
Gardens
Nesting box for tits
Scraps box
Bird table on a stand
Suspended bird table
Wall-mounted feeding tray
Suburban
Gardens
Slotted nest box
Peanut feeder
Seed hopper
Bird
bath
Country
Gardens
Nesting box for treecreepers
Nesting box for kestrels
Squirrel-proof peanut feeder
Rustic nest box for tits
Gardens
near Ponds or Lakes
Decoy duck
Wader decoy
Duck barrel
Domestic
Animals and Birds
Wall-mounted dovecote
Garden aviary
Guinea-pig
hutch
Small
Mammals
Bat box
Hedgehog shelter
Metric conversion table
Conservation organizations
Suppliers of food for wild birds
About the author
Index