More Decorator Talk; Living With Nature is Living With...

My backyard has turned into an aviary this year for several reasons...here are some sure fire elements if you want to attract birds to your backyard...

• I am building a water feature with a waterfall, bubbler, and a fire pit aka bird bath!
  

• Birds eat dry dog food as evidence is left behind on the bowl Who knew!

• Patio draperies are perfect for nesting (Excuse the disheveled panels, we just had a wind storm blow through here and yes, those are x-mas lights I leave on year round...they make great mood lighting in the evenings...better than candle glow.)
  

I love birds and used to spread bird seed in the back half acre just for them but they have moved to the main house for the above reasons. Why not? Everyone is looking for spa bathrooms, 24/7 gourmet buffet dining, and a room with a view!

However, with birds come the bird droppings! I am freaked out about the mess and I want to deter them from hanging out on the tops of the fabric panels. I have shoved rolled up newspaper in the nooks and crannies and have a bowl of pebbles to toss at them, hoping they will consider the patio an unsafe place to raise their children. I have a moratorium on the nest building for the moment but I don't think it is going to hold.

While sitting on the patio today...browsing the Sunday paper, I look up and start watching a skinny little sparrow walk this little ledge above the drape. First he sits in the corner to see if there is enough space to build a nest, looks around and takes a couple of steps and repeats. He is trying to figure out if his sweetheart will fit and be comfy. He quickly darts away to the big tree in back. I can just tell he is going to get his sweetheart to come check out the new digs. Sure enough here they come, land right in the spot he wanted to share with her and they investigate in the same way...sit, look around, then move 2 steps and repeat.

Ah, no...I don't think so! I slip my shoes on, shooed them off and grabbed another piece of the Sunday paper quickly shoving it into the new digs with my handy stick. I return to my chair and watch.

Here they come. They're looking, checking out the changes, hopping and squatting, investigating the new digs. Do they think I am trying to build them a better location like a developer? Or maybe they are wondering who built a nest so darn fast! Uh-oh, they like it. I run for the sports section of the paper and wad that up adding to the bulk, hoping they won't like that model. I sit back again to observe.

At that moment it occurred to me that birds look for housing just like we do...

• Timing/need
• Location
• Fit

This is worth a post in AR I thought! I am really enjoying this like a scientist. Birds are just like people or is it people are just like birds? Does the word Empty Nestor's ring a bell? I don't know if I am going to win this battle but the moral of the story is: well, I don't know what it is yet...but I am thinking I should make my next patio draperies out of washable tub drapes secured by large rings on a thin rod since I am going to end up using these for their original purpose...canvas drop cloths! Just another day...