What a piece of work is a Birdhouse!

(What a piece of work is a man! Hamlet - Act II, Scene III)

This birdhouse is my inspiration! This tiny house (pictured here) is a treasure for me. It was my first foray into birdhousing and our attempt to invite the creatures to our backyard. My son was bursting with pride, as he brought it home and presented it to me in all it's bright blue glory, a piece of art that he had created in his Beaver group.

They had made the birdhouses as part of unit on learning to enjoy and appreciate nature. Blue was his favorite color at the time and we felt this house deserved a place in our yard garden. I don't think I've seen a single bird use the house but nonetheless it remains in the yard.

One year later a second attempt to select a birdhouse allowed us to ensure that some more stringent requirements were met when we purchased the house. Details such as drainage, air flow, entry hole size and access to the interior to clean it became priorities. Our first birdhouse didn't have all these features but now we are getting smarter in attracting birds.

To Birdhouse or Not to Birdhouse, that is the question!

(To Be, or Not to Be, That is the Question! Hamlet - Act III, Scene I)

The question is not whether I like birds because really...who doesn't like birds? There are so many beautiful varieties although most of the exotic kinds don't end up in my backyard. It's only at 5:00 AM when I am trying to get back to sleep after a late night feeding that the singing of the birds, although beautiful, makes restful slumber challenging for a light sleeper.

However I do love birds and I often catch the sight of two triumphant blue jays sipping water or darling yellow finches and black-capped chickadees flitting through the trees looking for a snack. I am quite excited to see the birds enjoy the bird feeders in our backyard and will shout out to my family to come and enjoy the view. I laugh as my young son presses his face to the window straining to get a glimpse of what I have advertised. It's wonderful to share that with him and help him appreciate nature.

I really want to add birdhouses to the backyard for the aesthetics, as well as the opportunity to attract a broader spectrum of birds.

The question truly is..."if I hang it will they come"?