I’m in love with my new/old birdhouse. I happened to rescue it from our guest house. If you remember this winter our guest house had a lot of damage due to harsh winter, no electricity, and water damage. Well finally the insurance adjuster has been to the house, a claim was filed and the place is under repair. One of the things that was destroyed was the front deck and right at the corner of the deck was one of my favorite birdhouses. I was so afraid it would be knocked down in the deck demo so I rescued it and brought it to the cabin.
Every year wrens nest in the house, so I did my best to peek in the hole and make sure I didn’t see anything moving or peeping. I didn’t notice anything so I had one of our employes pull it out of the ground for me and load it into my jeep.
The birdhouse was in bad shape but I was determined to salvage it. I just love the rusty metal roof along with the old barn siding. I sat the house down on a big rock and decided to clean the old nest from it before I repaired it. Insert SCREAM here….once I pulled the rotted bottom from the house I notice baby mice inside. I hollered for my boys to come get the mice out. There were 3 babies and mama hiding in the house. Now that I’m totally grossed out I decided to leave it alone for the day and would come back to it.
I just had to get the vision of mice out of my head. The wood was so rotted I knew it wouldn’t take a lot of pounding, screwing, and nailing so I opted to glue the sides back together and wrap a rusty wire around the whole thing to keep it secured together. I removed the existing screws from the base and reused them making new holes. It all went back together flawlessly and I think the birds can get a few more years out of it. Birds I said, NOT mice…. I couldn’t wait to get inside and give my hands a good washing, I still have the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.
I really love how rustic it looks against the cabin. I placed it in the strawberry/herb garden. The house it right outside my office window so I can enjoy watching the tiny wrens return.
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Oh I adore bird houses! I have one in my garden but it’s just decorative…I really should get one that does the job! Your sunflowers look amazing…what a view!
Ann I have in one a tree that is decorative too, so I thought. It had the smallest hole in the front but birds managed to nest in it.
The rustic look of it goes well with the cabin Dawn..I’m glad you could save it!
Nancy, me too. It is a favorite of mine and now that the mice are gone I love it all over again.
After reading the nifty posts on your blog Dawn, I decided to go one further and purchased a 2 year subscription to Country Woman!
All the best and Happy Summer,
Noelle, Thank you for letting me know you seen the article. Have a wonderful day!
I love it, but I have to admit the mice would have been the end of me. I had a birdhouse that a snake took up residence in. The whole thing, snake and all, was tossed. xo Laura
Laura OMG a snake. Not sure I would have kept it either.
I love it, Dawn! Nice pictures!
Thank Lu, Im not liking the mice to much though. LOL
I thought I heard a scream up here Dawn:). If that were me I’d probably still be running. Thanks for sharing for refurbished condo with us
Char, I bet you did. For some reason mice always catch me off guard. LOL
A Rustic Birdhouse is perfect for your cabin.
I hope the birds come back to it now!
Kim me too. I see some wrens hanging around so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
I hope you didn’t hurt the mice!!
Shannon I made sure they found a new home.