It brings me great pleasure to see and hear birds returning after the long winter. This is a sentiment shared by many but some folks go beyond just bird watching by recording the birds they see. I have recently stumbled across a wonderful site called eBird. eBird is the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project, with more than 100 million bird sightings contributed each year by eBirders around the world. It is a collaborative enterprise and is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The link I am providing takes you right to the Temiskaming district and includes pictures, audio and dates of the last sighting of birds in our area. Whether you go out bird watching or just watch birds from your window this is a wonderful site to help you learn about birds and connect you with the local, regional and global community of birdwatchers. A wonderful way to bring birds into our lives is by having a bird bath or a bird feeder in your yard. So I thought today would be a great time for us to learn about how to build our own bird feeders and bird baths. I have included links to 2 of my favourite bird feeders. One is meant for younger ornithologists and uses peanut butter, bird seed, string and a toilet paper roll to make a lovely hanging bird feeder. The other requires a little bit more engineering, some plastic bottles, wire, a plate and glue. This one is reusable and lasts a little longer. There are many variations of bird feeders that you can make and I encourage you to explore the internet to find one that suits you best. Secondly I have included a link to a page with 10 different bird bath ideas. These are all DIY creations and many of them use recycled or repurposed materials. Depending on your style preference and what materials you have at home you can pick the right bird bath for you. Whether you are a novice or experienced birdwatcher I hope that you are inspired to begin your own bird watching journey. If you do create a beautiful bird bath we would love to see it! Take a picture and tag us #temiskamingartgallery. That's it for now. Have a great day folks. Toon in tomorrow for another great art/craft idea.
Sincerely; Your friendly neighbourhood art gallery.