Well just say yippie for me. I just got a purple martin bird house. Finally! Now the purple martins are already back in the united states and have selected their nesting sites, having babies and all that stuff you want purple martins to do in your yard, but I have always wanted a bird house for them and whelp, now I have one.
Martins are something I have not gotten into because I was leery of fighting with house sparrows, wasps, starlings or whatever may become an issue with them. Plus, many many years ago my father had one and let me tell you, it was a total production to raise and lower for maintenance. Fortunately times have changed and raising and lowering these large, multi bird dwellings has become much less of an issue. These days there are light weight aluminum ploes, rope, pully and lanyard systems to make the job a whole lot easier!
Then there was the problem where I decided that I did not have enough open space to attract and support nesting purple martins and their families. I figured that my mostly wooded property would not be suited for hunting insects and feeding babies. I think that I have been fighting my urge to try attracting martins and I am not sure why – some deeply weird reason I am sure. Anyhow the last few weeks I have noticed purple martins flying over my house and hunting, apparently for food for nestlings, and I thought geeze, why all the resistance? So I broke down and ordered myself a purple martin bird house and will be well prepared for next spring.
Hey! It’s a bird watchers favorite time of year, migration season!! This is the time of year we get to see all different types of birds in our yards and gardens that aren’t residents of our regions or state at all, but species just passing through on their way to their summer homes and breeding grounds. My favorite way of attracting such birds to stop and visit is with an open tray platform or fly through bird feeder. These are simply the best for being visible to birds flying over head, easy for shy birds (think buntings here, people) to feed from since they can fly in and out quickly, along with giving the bird watcher a great view of feeding birds.
Basically these are just what they sound like, an open tray with a screen bottom (a must, don’t buy one without a screen) that you put seed on. Several birds can eat from them at one time. My platform feeder is the only feeder I use a seed mix on, not that I am anti mix, I just have so many feeder that I can feed separate foods in separate stations. Keeps the fighting down! However, on the fly thru platform the whole point is to attract new species so I want to make sure I have something for everyone. I use 
Don’t think this is just for migratory birds. A fly thru feeder will also go a long way to attract new species to your garden who are also residents. They come in open tray models, decorative styles and styles with a roof to help keep rain or snow off the seed. They do take more re-filling and more cleaning than other feeders, and if you don’t want the maintenance, they aren’t for you. All the same, if you see how popular they are with wild birds, you may be willing to go the extra step. It’s the most popular feeder in my backyard and that’s saying a lot. You can shop online for them here: 
It’s almost spring, the bluebirds are establishing their territories, the chickadees are starting to spat since it’s soon to be time for them to nest and the screech owls are beginning their courting songs. It’s also time for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society’s annual Great Backyard Bird Count!! Yippie!
I ran across this dove shelf plan at 
Where to shop: 
Water is perhaps more important to provide for wild birds than even food. They have a more difficult time finding fresh water than food. Berries, bugs and the like provide food but often there isn’t a consistent water supply around. So make sure that your personal backyard habitat has plenty of water! Any basin or bowl will do, just keep it clean. Placing a bird bath on the ground or at a low level is a very natural place for a wild bird to seek out bathing and drinking water, after all, they are used to splashing around and drinking from puddles.
If you wish to have a decorative garden as well as one that is a refuge for wild birds, that is easy to accomplish. Or if you only have a small space, patio, deck or porch to place a bird bath on, you can find gorgeous baths in small sizes that are available with a wide variety of colors and finish choices to suit whatever matches your ho,me. The styles can be anything form ornate Victorian for a romantic look to Colonial American, sleek modern or Zen garden. Take your pick! The birds don’t care and between the look of a ground bath tucked under a shrub and the birds it attracts, you will be adding beauty to your personals space.
The other thing that I added to my mini pond was a mister to keep the water moving and also to re-fill the water that had evaporated. This was the only “work” involved. I have one like the one in the photo, you can buy it at 
Because this has been so successful I finally caved in and bought a real pond. Anyone who has a water garden will poo-poo me calling my puddle a pond per se, but it’s a big bird bath to me. I got the mini single level kit listed at bird bath ponds and pools and it rocks. They come in larger sized but to be honest I find the smallest to be perfect. I have several birds in it at once, it’s easy to clean, and it attracts the dickens out of birds I have never had at a bird feeder or regular bird bath. One of my first visitors was a hooded warbler, then a blue grosbeak. The warblers have been constant visitors and while the may be common enough elsewhere, we don’t get them often here. I was delighted. If you have the room, get one! I need to take photos.
