Build a Bird Nesting Box Workshop

We recently hosted a series of hands-on kids workshops here at Little City Farm, teaching traditional skills such as working with hand tools, baking bread, and using natural materials (like birch bark) to create functional items.  In the recent Build a Bird Nesting Box we talked about what kinds of nests the kids had stories about (everyone seems to have a bird nest story), what birds they have spotted in their yards, and what birds we'd like to welcome.  Then we worked on nesting boxes for small birds such as warblers, nuthatches and wrens, chickadees (with the nest box opening 1/8 inch and no bigger) that like to nest in small cavities like hollow trees.  Often these kind of habitats are not available in cities, because dead trees get taken down.  What fun to have the backyard patio filled with a lively eager group of kids (and parents) all working industriously on their projects, working together sawing, drilling, sanding, building - and so proud of their creations at the end.

First spring garden shoots!

Finally!  There are new shoots and greens, buds and leaves starting to come up in the garden.  In the yard we see the snowdrops, tulips, forsythia buds, crocuses...in the garden there are garlic greens, chives, rhubarb, herbs greening up, and berry buds peeking from the moist cool soil..in the greenhouse we have our fresh young lettuce coming up quickly.  We can hear all the spring birds back, and have seen pairs of mourning doves, starlings, cardinals, sparrows, robins, downy woodpeckers, and bluejays frequenting our yard looking for nesting materials.  Such a hopeful time of anticipation...

Pair of mallard ducks visit the pond

Yesterday two mallard ducks landed in our little backyard pond. They swam for a while, rested and sunned themselves on the patio deck, drank water and flew off again. We've seen them again and it looks like they may be nesting in the field behind our property. It was a nice surprise to see them arrive in our yard, and a reminder of how valuable urban water features, even small ones, can be for migrating birds. We also have a regular visits to our pond and the gardens for seeds by goldfinches, chickadees, wood peckers, cardinals, mourning doves, and of course sparrows, crows, robins, and bluejays (not to mention that cooper's hawk who we hope doesn't visit our property too often). We hope to learn more about identifying our local birds and now keep a birding guide in the kitchen.