Zero Waste and Bluebirds

Happy First Day of Winter and the Winter Solstice!

Photo: Iowa DNR website

Today I bring you another video with a way to reduce your waste, by building bluebird houses with your wood scraps.  When I build a compost system, fence or raised beds I sometimes have scraps that need to be disposed of.  If they are large enough I like to use them to build birdhouses.

Bluebirds are one of our most loved and useful birds.  They bring a flash of color, and eat a large amount of grasshoppers, beetles and larvae.  Numbers have dwindled significantly due to competition for nesting cavities from the English House Sparrow.  By putting up birdhouses we can help them out and gain some insect eating friends.

Here's more information from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources - Eastern Bluebird

 

Here are the bluebird house plans I used as a base.

Here's a wren house plan if you have smaller pieces.  Wrens are another insect eating machine and do well in town.  Their pretty song is quite loud, so you may want to locate these birdhouses further from bedroom windows.

I won't update the blog over the holidays, so unless you are also following on Facebook, have

a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!