Creative Woodcraft “Bringing Nature into your Backyard!”
Hand-Crafted From Natural Wood
All our unique bird feeders and nesting boxes are built in our rural workshop, one at a time with love and care. They are made from locally sourced New Zealand timbers which is good for our environment and our birds. Its well known that natural wood feeders attract more birds. Your “Creative Woodcraft“bird feeder or nesting box will provide hours of entertainment and relaxation in your homes backyard or at the bach!
Designed From Real Life Experience
Each model is unique in its looks and functionality. Each feeder has been designed and built using advice from avid back-yard birders with years of experience caring for our fine feathered friends… and all other backyard creatures.
Solid Construction – Built To Last!
Unlike the cheaper, less rugged imported feeders, your “Creative Woodcraft” hand-crafted bird feeder is built to last!
Birds and water - A bird bath is suitable all year-round.
Many people put food out for birds, but fewer provide a regular supply of clean water. Birds need water for drinking and bathing. Bird baths are particularly important during the winter when natural supplies may be frozen, and in dry conditions that occur mainly during summer.
Birds get the liquid they need from their food, and by drinking. Many insectivorous birds get most of their water from food, while seed-eating birds have a dry diet and they need to drink more. Since birds have no sweat glands, they need less water than mammals. However, they do lose water through respiration, and in their droppings.
Water to bath in is equally important. It is essential that birds keep their feathers in good condition, and bathing is an important part of feather maintenance. Dampening the feathers loosens the dirt and makes the feathers easier to preen.
Bird baths
There are many ways of providing water in the garden. The simplest way is a bird bath. This is essentially a dish of water, which needs to be functional – the aesthetic aspects are there to please us, not the birds.
A good bird bath has a simple, sturdy construction, but is light enough to make it easy to clean and refill. It needs to have shallow sloping sides with a shallow approach to the water. Ideally, water depth needs to range from 2.5 cm to 10 cm (1-4 inches) to allow each species to bathe at their preferred depth.
The surround of the bath must be rough so birds can grip it with their claws and not slip. It should be large enough to hold sufficient water to withstand a vigorous bathing session by a flock of starlings.
Siting a bird bath
The location of your garden and the type of vegetation immediately around it will determine what birds will visit your bird bath, and in what numbers.
Siting of the bath is very important – birds will only use it if they feel safe. Birds get excited and pre-occupied about bathing, and tend to be more vulnerable than at other times. Birds will need to have clear visibility as they bathe, nearby bushes or trees to provide cover if alarmed, and perches to use when preening.
Ensure cats cannot use the cover to attack bathing birds. This can be done, for instance, by placing a thick layer of clippings from thorny vegetation, such as rose or pyrocantha, beneath the bushes.
Try placing the bath at different points around the garden to find the most popular site.
Keeping bird baths clean
Being small and enclosed, bird baths can easily become dirty and stagnant, and even dangerous, without regular cleaning. Rinse out the bath daily to remove any build-up of bird droppings, algae, dead leaves and other debris, and refill with clean water.
Give the bath a thorough clean every week or so as you clean your bird feeders and tables. Scrub it well to remove algae and other dirt. You can use dilute household disinfectants or cleaners specifically formulated for bird baths, but make sure that you rinse the bath out thoroughly to remove any traces of chemicals.
Dirty bird baths can be at least as serious sources of disease as dirty bird tables. Allowing pathogens to accumulate in the water will risk the birds’ health, and some can be transmitted to any pets and other wildlife that drink from the bird bath.
Since there is a small but real risk of infections like salmonella being transmitted to people, always exercise good hygiene when cleaning bird baths, just as you would do with feeders. Always clean the bird bath outdoors using separate utensils, wear gloves and wash your hands when finished.
Keeping water ice-free
In freezing conditions, birds will become more dependent on water provided in gardens, since many natural sources of water are frozen over. It can be difficult to stop a bird bath from freezing, but the following ways can help.
A light ball, placed in the water, will be moved by even a gentle breeze and will keep just a small amount of water ice free.
To make it easier to remove ice from a bird bath, line the bath with a polythene sheet that you can lift out.
Alternatively, use hot water to melt the ice.
On no account should any chemical, such as glycerine, anti-freeze or salt, be added to the water, as it could destroy the insulating and waterproofing properties of the feathers and even prove toxic.
A bird table can be an attractive addition to your garden and a welcome source of food for birds.
A bird table is suitable for year-round feeding
Bird tables
All Creative Woodcraft’s bird tables are made from locally sourced New Zealand timbers. Aesthetics aside, it is most important that the bird table is practical – a basic platform with edges and drainage channels with or without a roof is by far the best. A bird table does not need to be complicated – the birds are only interested in a good supply of food in a safe, sheltered place.
Check there are no sharp edges, which could endanger birds’ feet, and that there are no moving or ‘scissoring’ joints, in which a bird may be trapped.
Avoid bird tables with a nest box in the roof – encouraging birds to feed right by an active nest is not wise.
‘Rustic’ thatched bird tables can quickly go bald in spring as the birds take the thatch to build their nests.
Some bird tables incorporate a bird bath in the table top. These can act as a great way to encourage nectar feeding birds by using sugar water.
For ground-feeding birds, use a low-level table rather than place food directly on the ground. Legs in each corner should hold the table around 10 cm off the ground to allow the grass to ‘breathe’, and it should be moved fractionally each time you put out food. This prevents both the build-up of droppings in one part of the garden and damage to your lawn.
Siting a bird table
A quiet location with a good view from the house is normally the best place for a bird table. This allows you to enjoy observing the garden birds while they feed with little disturbance.
Choose a site sheltered from extremes of weather, but where the birds have a good all-round view, so they can see that they are safe from predators while they feed.
The table should be safely away from cat ambush sites. A small bush or a tree about two metres from the table gives the birds somewhere safe to perch while they look to see if it is safe to feed, to ‘queue up’ for a place on the table, and to dash to if disturbed. It may take a few days before you see any birds on a new bird table.
Once the birds discover the food and convince themselves it is safe, they should visit regularly.
Food for a bird table
A bird table is suitable for offering most foods to garden birds. Any seeds and seed mixes can be placed on a bird table, as can fruit, suet nibbles, bird cake and kitchen scraps. Do not, however, offer peanuts in this way, unless they have been chopped to granule size.
Hygiene and maintenance
Clean your bird table regularly and never allow old food to accumulate. Dirty tables can harbor dangerous bacteria left by sick birds and start an outbreak of disease.
Brush off all debris every time you put out fresh food, and scrub the table with a mild disinfectant solution or use a specially designed spray regularly: more frequently if sick birds visit.
Move the bird table from time to time to stop the accumulation of droppings underneath.
Some bird diseases can be transmitted to people. Although the risk is small, it is worth taking sensible hygienic precautions, such as wearing gloves when cleaning the table and avoiding breathing in the dust from it. Always wash your hands immediately after you have finished, and wash any soiled clothing in a normal wash.
Some of the plastic style imported bird store bought flimsy bird feeders have a tendency to turn perish and crack in our New Zealand conditions. A wooden bird feeder is a natural material and one that the birds feel comfortable with.
“Are you tired of your plastic imported store-bought flimsy Bird Feeders cracking all the time!…. Consider a superior quality hand-crafted wooden “NZ Made” Bird Feeder. Take a look at our full range of products. www.creativewoodcraft.co.nz ”Treat yourself and the birds!”
What else can I do to help birds and wildlife?
If you enjoy watching birds, consider providing a variety of feeding stations to attract more species. Hanging feeders with bird cake, seed or peanuts may attract different species to add variety and interest to your garden.
