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Perk up a child's interest with a bird box project |
 LITTLE
ROCK - Looking for something to do with your youngster? Build a bird
box.The boy or girl will learn a good deal, and you'll probably learn things about home woodwork and birds that you didn't know, according to the staff of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. If you are just a so-so handyman, or handywoman, keep your first bird box project simple. Plans are available on the Internet, but look them over. Skip the ones that call for angled saw cuts and other complex woodworking techniques. Plans are at the AGFC's web site, www.agfc.com. Do a search for eastern bluebird nest box. A simple box suitable for bluebirds and many other common Arkansas species can be made from one board - 1-inch lumber 6 inches wide and 6 feet long. Use a hand saw for the cutting if the young helper is a first-timer instead of a power saw. Teach the helper the builder's axiom of measure twice then cut once. Let the youngster do the measuring, the marking then the cutting. This alone is a worthwhile confidence builder. Consider teaching the technique of small pilot holes for the nails - or use wood screws to put the box together. With some confidence from the saw work, show the child how to bore the quarter-inch drainage holes in the bottom. The boring of the entrance hole may be more difficult for a beginner, but let him or her watch you do it with a spade bit of a circle-cutting saw bit. Then on a second box project, the helper may be ready for this step. If you have some wood around the house, use it. Yellow pine and fir are common for general building projects, but these aren't the best for a bird box. They will work but not last as long in weather as cedar, commonly found in fence pickets. Give a call or stop by a fence company to see if wood is available. Ask about scraps or discards. There's nothing wrong with being a scrounger when it comes to birdhouses. If you find rough-sawn or unplaned lumber, take it. Just allow for the extra thickness if you are following a plan, and the birds may even like it better than smooth-faced wood. Absolutely, under no circumstances, use treated lumber. The chemicals are toxic to birds. For the same reason, don't paint or stain the birdhouse. Some authorities believe that latex paint on the outside won't hurt, but most advise leaving the wood unpainted for a more natural appearance as well as safety for birds' health. The size of the entrance hole and the mounting location are most important if you are aiming for a particular species to use your box. Nesting boxes for bluebirds have been popular for years in Arkansas and are credited with helping the comeback of these colorful residents of open spaces. An entrance hole of one and a half inches is right for bluebirds and some other species like the tufted titmice. It is too small for starlings. "Woodworking for Wildlife" is a handy and informative large-format book for the home shop worker and is available at Game and Fish Commission offices. It costs $6.50 plus shipping. Phone 1-800-364-GAME to order. |
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