Spring will soon be sprung and it's time to start planning!

Spring really is just around the corner. We are at that stage in winter where it’s sometimes hard to imagine but it is coming! The outdoor activity or our suburban wildlife is starting to become more active on the nicer days. A young bunny has taken up residency under a bush near the house, and some sparrows have been checking out a piece of “birdie rental property” under the awning (I’ll talk more about this in just a minute).

I have enjoyed bird watching for many years and Art and I are going to do everything we can to pass on that pleasurable hobby to our daughter. On a warm spring morning there is nothing more relaxing than going to the porch with a cup of coffee and just passing the time watching all the activity in the back yard. Also I find a great deal of humor in watching birds. Watching them with your children can be a great inexpensive educational tool as well. Depending on the type of birds you choose to attract you can teach them migration habits, socialization habits, eating habits and so on. Kids love helping with filling the feeders as well as being able to watch a bird family progress from moving in to a new home to raising their young. You can keep it very inexpensive so that fits right into our budget conscious minds. One thing I do recommend is to be sure your regular wild bird food has sunflowers in it. Many colorful birds love these! I like having several feeders of various size and shapes through out the yard as well as a bird bath.

A minute ago I mentioned “birdie rental property”. What on earth you ask is a birdie rental property???? It’s what I call the bird houses that Art builds. He has an amazing artistic eye for detail. Go here and you will see his "V" Wren Houses, Dutch Style Wren House and the Bluebird house. These have been built with specific dimensions by the National Fish and Wildlife Federation to attract the specific type of bird.

He also builds one of a kind, birdie rental properties that are miniature replica’s of people’s homes such as the extravagant log home that as at the top of this post. If you look at the bottom left of his main page you will see the one he built for me which reminds me of an old shack down on the bayou and it's called the Southern Chickadee. It has red lights that are solar powered and will turn on when the sun goes down.

Go on over to Flying Ace’s Birdhouses and check out his work! With spring just around the corner now is a great time to order your “birdie rental property!” Bluebird and Wren homes range in price from $8.50 - $12.00. Custom homes are individually priced as are solar powered houses. Please feel free to contact him if you have any questions at artslawncare@rocketmail.com All of his pieces include care and placement instructions. Ask him about his bat houses as well if you love bats (and yes I do, amazing little critters!)!