Every adult has memories of childhood. And surely everyone remembers the moments when he participated in the construction of bird houses. And no matter where it was: at school, with grandfather or with friends. But, one way or another, most of us took part in such events. And in adulthood, the construction of birdhouses is also necessary.
Many summer residents make such houses to attract birds to their land. Starlings will please not only with pleasant singing. They will protect the garden from various bugs and insects. And if earlier all the houses were the same, now many people make unusual birdhouses. They differ in color, size, materials used. We will consider some ideas in this article.
Who lives in the birdhouse?
Do not assume that only starlings can live in a birdhouse. Of course, “singing families” choose such houses very often. But they are not the only tenants. Wagtails, swifts, pikas, flycatchers, swallows can settle in them. And if you leave the house for the winter, then titmouse or sparrows will gladly settle in it. True, with the advent of spring and the return of the true owners, the "tenants" vacate the premises.
The variety of birds for which you can build an unusual birdhouse with your own hands is quite large. But at the same time, not all houses should be the same. For some, the birdhouse should be larger, for others less. Some people prefer one entrance, others prefer two. So before starting construction, you need to decide who the house is for.
Birdhouse Materials
Traditional bird houses were made from edged boards. They made the house itself and the roof. But an unusual birdhouse can be made from various materials. Most often, of course, they use wood: boards, plywood and other wood-based panels. From unconventional materials, waterproof cardboard, clay and even lagenaria pumpkin can be used. The choice depends on the imagination.
The roof is also made of various materials, including modern ones. In addition to boards and slate, metal tiles, flexible tiles, plastic from bottles, polycarbonate can be used. And this is just a small list of materials. There are even photos where a state license plate is used as a roof, bent in the middle.
Design ideas
As can be judged by the photos posted in the article, unusual birdhouses can be completely different. To do this, a lot of things are adapted, at first glance, completely inappropriate.
For example, a sneaker hung on a tree certainly looks quite unusual. And few people believe that this is a birdhouse. Nevertheless, some species of birds (in particular pichuga) will happily settle in such a house. To "build" such a house is very easy. The washed old sneaker needs to be fixed to the sole to the board. After that, the board is fixed on a tree branch. In this case, the heel should be on top.
Another version of an unusual birdhouse is made from woolen threads or felt. Thick fabric sewn in the shape of a house, or knitted from woolen threads of a hut will not only look interesting. They will also warm on a cold day. And so that the house does not get wet in the rainy season, make a waterproof roof. Plastic, tin sheets, and other materials may be used.
How to make an unusual pumpkin birdhouse? Very simple. Pumpkin is washed and dried well. A pencil outlines a place for entry. A hole is cut out according to the marks. The edges are well sanded. Seeds are taken out. A hole is made at the bottom of the entrance, into which a stick is glued with a PVA. A thick twine is put in the tail of the pumpkin, for which the house will be suspended from a branch. The finished product is covered with acrylic varnish.
The simplest version of unusual birdhouses is made from a bag of juice (or milk, it doesn't matter). The bag is washed and dried. A hole is made in the side for entry. In the upper part, a mount is made to hang the birdhouse from the tree. Outside, you can decorate your choice. It will be interesting to look at the hut if you glue the bag with ice cream sticks. Get a mini-tower.
"Apartment" houses
Among the unusual birdhouses, you can separately distinguish houses that are designed for several birds. They may resemble luxurious castles or urban apartment buildings. Only the windows in them are replaced with a place for a taphole (entrance).
Another option of “multi-unit” birdhouses involves the construction of a large number of small houses. Then they are combined to make one composition. In some cases, you can even see entire "cities" located on a tree or wall of the house.
Instead of output
There is no limit to human imagination. As there is no limit to the list of unusual birdhouses, which are the brainchild of limitless imagination. Bird houses can become a real decoration of the site, its accent. The main thing is to dream a little. And photos of already finished works, posted in this article, will be able to push in the right direction.