Building a Bird Nesting Box

Yesterday afternoon I built a nesting box for small cavity-dwelling birds.  Over the past decade I have probably built several dozen of these boxes.  They have been placed in school habitats, given away, and donated as silent auction items.  I placed several on trees at our previous home and have one up on a tree near our back door.  These boxes have been used by Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Black-capped Chickadees, House Wrens, White-breasted Nuthatches, and unfortunately by House Sparrows.

I like this design because it is relatively easy to built.  It is constructed from a single 6 ft. piece of 1x6 rough-sawn cedar.  I can cut all of the required pieces from this one board and have a couple pieces left over.

Building one of these boxes requires very little in the way of tools.  I use a compound miter saw to cut the wood, but it can easily be done with a hand saw.  The other required tools and supplies are a tape measure or ruler, a hammer, nails ( I use 6D and 4D sinkers), a #3 Phillips screwdriver, one #10 brass wood screw, and a drill with a 1 1/2 inch spade bit.  I also use wood glue or construction adhesive to help attach the boards and a pair of bar clamps to hold things together during assembly.  The glue and clamps are not required, but do make things easier.

The first step is to cut all of the piece to length.  This nesting box requires one 14 inch piece (back), four 9 inch pieces (sides, front, and top), one 3 3/4 inch piece (bottom).

All of the pieces for one nest box can be cut from one 1 x 6 x 6 ft piece of cedar - one 4 x 2 3/4 piece (predator guard),      one 3 3/4 inch piece (bottom), four 9 inch pieces (sides, front, and top) and one 14 inch piece (back).

Stand Back!

Sometimes it is okay to touch fuzzy things.

Common mullein leaves are soft and fuzzy

Sometimes it is not okay.

Hickory Tussock moth caterpillars look soft and fuzzy but are not!

The Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae) is covered with both long and short hairs.  Be careful of both.  The short hairs are barbed and will break off in your skin, causing your skin to itch.  The long hairs (sometimes called lashes) are hollow and connected to poison glands.  If you touch one of these, the hollow hairs will pierce your skin and introduce the poison into your body!  It quickly causes an itch burning sensation that is similar to sting of a nettle.  Some people can have severe reactions that may require a visit to their doctor.  The black and white color scheme is there to warm predators including humans to stay away.  This use of warning colors is known as aposematic coloration. 

If you accidentally (or intentionally) touch a Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar,  you will quickly learn to associate aposematic coloration with danger or pain and you are less likely to make the same mistake again.

Stinging caterpillars!  Isn't nature cool?!

Nature Happens - Shopping for Lunch at the Lansing Mall

On Sunday (14 FEB) Shara and I stopped at the Lansing Mall to buy a few things and have lunch.  As we were driving along the outside of the mall we noticed a large flock of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) feeding on the ornamental crab apple fruits.  Then Shara looked into a spruce tree alongside our truck and noticed something staring out.

Cooper's Hawk (Photo by Shara LeValley)

Cooper's Hawk (Photo by Shara LeValley)

That's a Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii).  The Cooper's Hawk belongs to a family of raptors known as accipiters.  Accipiters typically live in forested areas and have short wings and long tails that allow them to maneuver swiftly through trees.  Many accipters prey on other birds.  This Cooper's Hawk was intently watching the flock of robins.

When we exited the mall about two hours later Shara noticed the Cooper's Hawk sitting on the ground.  It had successfully made a kill and was feasting on a robin.  While people wandered the mall, "nature" was happening right outside.

Cooper's Hawk with kill (Photo by Shara LeValley)

Cooper's Hawk with kill (Photo by Shara LeValley)

Cooper's Hawk with kill (Photo by Shara LeValley)

Earlier that morning I had debated about whether to take my camera or not.  I should know by now that if i don't have my camera there is a good chance that I will end up regretting it.

Backyard Bird Watching

I am currently home sick with a horrible head cold.  That doesn't mean that I am completely separated from all things natural.  The backyard is full of birds (and squirrels) gorging on sunflower seeds.  We have recently had a huge flock of mixed finches (American Goldfinches, House Finches, and Pine Siskins) attending to our feeders.  A few of them are shown in the pictures below, along with at least one Downy Woodpecker and a Fox Squirrel.

2016 Isabella County Hazardous Waste Collection and Tire Recycling: UPDATE

The Isabella Conservation District is hosting two dates for Household Hazardous Waste/Clean Sweep Collection and two dates for Tire Recycling in 2016.

Dates for Tire Recycling are Saturday May 21st and Saturday September 24th.  Please note that the Fall tire collection date has changed from September 10th to September 24th.

Household Hazardous Waste/Clean Sweep Collection dates are Saturday May 14th and Saturday August 27th.

All collections run from 8:00AM to 12:00PM (Noon) and take place at the Isabella County Fairgrounds (500 N. Mission Rd, Mt. Pleasant).

Items that are accepted during collection are listed below.  For further questions please call the Isabella Conservation District at 989-772-5927 ext. 3 or visit our offices at 5979 E. Broadway, Mt. pleasant during normal business hours.

Upcoming Event - Learn About Timber Cruising (20 FEB 2016)

 

Join me next Saturday February 20th for an event at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Sylvan Solace Preserve. 

Learn a little about how foresters evaluate and inventory a forest stand.  Learn how to use tools such as a tape or Biltmore stick to measure Diameter at breast height (Dbh), estimate the number of marketable logs (and height) in a tree, and perform a fixed-radius plot inventory to estimate the number of trees in a forest.

If you are interested in attending this event, please register with the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy.

Native Species Profile - Goldenrod Soldier Beetle

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle - a bee/wasp mimic, note the yellow and black striped abdomen

In late summer and early fall it is common to see dozens of bees gathered on goldenrods, asters, and other prairie plants.  If you look closely you might discover that not all of the "bees" are really bees.  Many are mimics that use the aposematic coloring (warning colors) of bees or wasps to deter predators from attacking them.  One of the more common bee mimics that can be found in Mid-Michigan is the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus).

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle - note the dark spots on each elytra and the pronotum

The Goldenrod Soldier Beetle is a mid-sized beetle for Mid-Michigan, measuring about 1/2 inch in length.  It is yellow and black in color with prominent black stripes on its abdomen, a black spot on each elytra (leathery outer wings), and a black spot on the pronotum (plate covering the upper surface of its thorax).

This species is typically found in mid- to late summer and fall.  Adults are usually found on goldenrods and other flowering plants where they feed on nectar and pollen.  Look for them them along roadsides, in parks, old fields, meadows, and prairies.

Basic Information

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus

Size: up to 1/2" long

Habitat:  prairies, meadows, old fields, roadsides, parks

Eats:  adults eat nectar and pollen; larvae eat insect eggs and larvae