Sam Fried Sam FriedSam Fried has seen and photographed almost all North American birds. Meet Sam Previous Answers

Before we look at nesting birds, I want to respond to a question from John Layman about squirrels. John wrote to ask if there were plans available for building structures to attract nesting squirrels. The answer is a definite YES. Anyone looking for plans to build a bird house, feeder, or nesting box for some of the “other” backyard species — including squirrels — should order a copy of Woodworking for Wildlife, by Carrol Henderson. Carrol is director of the Minnesota DNR's Nongame Wildlife Program; he's a world-class birder, a biologist, and a terrific individual. In addition to Woodworking for Wildlife, Carrol has written two other excellent books for backyard wildlife enthusiasts: Wild About Birds: The DNR Bird Feeding Guide; and Landscaping for Wildlife, which provides an excellent overview of flowers, trees, and shrubs attractive to a range of wild species, along with information on how best to incorporate them into the lawn and garden.

Another reader, Jeanine Weisshahn inquired about plants attractive to birds in the San Francisco Bay Area. Even though Carrol Henderson is a Minnesota resident, many of the flowers, shrubs, and trees identified in his book — along with the landscaping concepts — will apply to the West Coast as well.

Carrol's books can be ordered through Amazon.com or by contacting The Minnesota Bookstore at (888) 657-3757.

It's fun and exciting to watch a pair of birds select a tree, secluded ledge, or other spot in our yards for their nests. When it comes to site selection, birds show no end of creativity. A friend of mine stores his mountain bike in the winter by hanging it upside-down from a pair of heavy hooks mounted on the overhang of his garage. With two children and a dog, there is constant hubub in the yard, but the back of the garage, where the mountain bike is stowed, adjoins a vacant lot, well-removed from the daily activities of the family. Bob went out this past weekend to retrieve his bike, and discovered a robin had built her nest on it! She selected the area where the frame tubes join the pedal housing. Bob won't be biking for a while, but he and his children now peek around the corner of the garage quite a bit to check on the birds.

Mary Steenburg contacted me with a somewhat similar problem. Barn swallows have taken a fancy to the area directly over her front door, and persist in trying to build their mud-and-twig nests in this area. What to do? Mary asks. The best nonlethal solution for discouraging swallows--or any bird--from building a nest in an unwanted area is to buy some half-inch hardware cloth (screen mesh), and close off the area of interest. The screen can be stapled or otherwise attached to siding or molding. Swallows are usually attracted to a ledge of some sort — a light fixture, a piece of decorative trim, or weathered shingles — where they can make a solid base for their nests. The idea is to make a kind of cage or basket over the area with a steep outer facing of screen. Begin about eight inches above the place where they're building, and continue down eight or so inches below it. Once nesting season is over, the barricades can come down.

Scott Martin and his wife enjoy building birdhouses from dried gourds, which, as they probably know, make very fine birdhouses as they are a natural item and have a shape (narrower at the top, deep at the bottom) just right for a secure nest. All of Scott's houses up until now have been built without a perch outside the entry hole, and Scott wrote to ask if there were charts or other specifications on perches for birdhouses. Good news, Scott: you've been doing it exactly right. There is no need for a perch on any bird house, period. The only bird that uses a perch on a birdhouse is a species none of us want to encourage — the English house sparrow. This applies to all birdhouses, regardless of materials; if your birdhouse has a perch, break it off. Bluebirds, swallows, finches, woodpeckers, thrushes: none wants a perch, and many won't even consider using a birdhouse that has one.