The birdhouse project.....

I recently have been doing some research.  More specifically, I've been researching owls in Indiana. 

I have been told there is a great horned owl in the woods out by the lake cottage.  I saw him swoop from the forest edge and across the front of the car one evening, but I only saw this huge bird that I assume was The great horned owl.  I have also heard the owl, but as I'm not an expert, I can't vouch it's a great horned. 

Anyway, Indiana Woodland Steward had a nice article about owls in Indiana.
http://www.inwoodlands.org/our-hoosier-owls/

I am kind of bummed that the great horned will kill other owls.  I have the husband on board about encouraging more owls, so we've done some research on owl houses.  A site filled with bird house plans for a variety of birds is: http://www.50birds.com/D50BH.htm  We have plans to build an owl house or two and I have told my husband we will have to get busy if we are going to have them up before nesting season, but we're going to have to get some more boards!

The following picture is a nest box for a sapsucker as designed on the site above.  We had to make a few modifications as the plans call for 3/4" wood and rough sawn cypress is about 7/8" thick.

It is 12" floor to ceiling with 5x5" floor and an 1 1/2" hole 10 inches above the floor.  Now we just need to get it hung either here in our back yard along the wood line or out at the lake cottage.  My husband also had some used cedar on hand and made a bird house to the specifications for a downy woodpecker.  Again, we can use it here at home or at the lake cottage.






One of the next projects, besides the owl boxes, my husband wants to make a next box for a pileated woodpecker.  We have one that has been visiting our suet feeders regularly.  Actually, it may be two, as I saw what looked like one flying through the neighbors yard while the one below was perched around our feeder.