Birdhouses

There's a new pecking order in birdhouse and bird feeder design. As Debra Prinzing reports, modern lines and new materials are giving winged visitors some striking new perches in the backyard.

There's a new pecking order in birdhouse and bird feeder design. As Debra Prinzing reports, modern lines and new materials are giving winged visitors some striking new perches in the backyard.

In the 1780s, American gardeners battled pesky insects by hanging pots or bottles to create homes for bug-eating birds. It wasn't long before these no-frills nesting spots took an architectural turn, making way for wren boxes that were shaped like Greek temples and Colonial churches. By the mid-1800s, birds began living in style in pint-size abodes reminiscent of Gothic, Tuscan or Queen Anne mansions--sometimes copied from those nearby.

THOSE backyard birds love millet and sunflower seeds, but do they love Rapson and Davidson? It should come as no surprise that the truly modern household now can have a truly modern birdhouse, including one that takes its cues from Case Study modernists Ralph Rapson or J.R. Davidson. Whether in rustic woods, stainless steel or eco-friendly recycled plastic, the newest designs for birdhouses and feeders are fresh takes on the old pine boxes and bell-shaped seed balls of yesteryear.

THOSE backyard birds love millet and sunflower seeds, but do they love Rapson and Davidson? It should come as no surprise that the truly modern household now can have a truly modern birdhouse, including one that takes its cues from Case Study modernists Ralph Rapson or J.R. Davidson. Whether in rustic woods, stainless steel or eco-friendly recycled plastic, the newest designs for birdhouses and feeders are fresh takes on the old pine boxes and bell-shaped seed balls of yesteryear.

Birdhouses outnumber people's houses in this "bluebird capital of the world," a tiny community that goes out of its way to make sure that the shy birds keep coming back. This hamlet of 150 people in the wind-swept Horse Heaven Hills first gave bluebirds an incentive to stay more than two decades ago, and the birds have returned again and again to raise their young--and bring a little extra income to a depressed economy.

With four kids, Cody and Teri Maresh already have a full house. But they are making room for at least two more families on their modest-sized lot in Orange. Cody Maresh has almost finished building a log-cabin duplex with a rock chimney for the new occupants--probably sparrows, but they might be finches.

Dick Purvis has the worst luck with tenants. The Anaheim resident has more than 100 houses scattered throughout Orange County, each built by himself, and he's always having to go to each one and clean it out when it's empty so a new family can move in. It's not easy being a landlord, especially when you're dealing with tenants like his--bluebirds. "They don't like to reuse nests," says Purvis, an electrical engineer with McDonnell Douglas in Huntington Beach.

It isn't the White House, but it's definitely fit for a President. And for the birds. The Birthplace Birdhouse, a re-creation of Richard Nixon's boyhood home, was built for a temporary exhibit set up for the opening of the late president's library in Yorba Linda in 1991. The birdhouse ($45), which is hand-painted, was such a hit at the opening that it has become a permanent part of the library's gift shop and catalogue collection.

YOU DON'T HAVE to be a member of the Audubon Society to appreciate birds in your back yard; they eat bugs, they sing cheerfully, and their behavior is fascinating. But they don't hang around without a good reason; food, shelter and protection from predators are the best reasons anyone can provide. Birdhouses and bird feeders are among the simplest constructions ever devised--no carpentry skills needed, no power tools, no expensive materials.

In the 1780s, American gardeners battled pesky insects by hanging pots or bottles to create homes for bug-eating birds. It wasn't long before these no-frills nesting spots took an architectural turn, making way for wren boxes that were shaped like Greek temples and Colonial churches. By the mid-1800s, birds began living in style in pint-size abodes reminiscent of Gothic, Tuscan or Queen Anne mansions--sometimes copied from those nearby.

It isn't the White House, but it's definitely fit for a President. And for the birds. The Birthplace Birdhouse, a re-creation of Richard Nixon's boyhood home, was built for a temporary exhibit set up for the opening of the late president's library in Yorba Linda in 1991. The birdhouse ($45), which is hand-painted, was such a hit at the opening that it has become a permanent part of the library's gift shop and catalogue collection.

With four kids, Cody and Teri Maresh already have a full house. But they are making room for at least two more families on their modest-sized lot in Orange. Cody Maresh has almost finished building a log-cabin duplex with a rock chimney for the new occupants--probably sparrows, but they might be finches.

While it might appear that the fanciful creations pictured here are for the birds, that's probably wishful thinking. "Most birds wouldn't be caught dead in a birdhouse," as one wildlife biologist put it. These birdhouses are really for the garden--the latest thing in garden ornamentation--tailored for today's smaller gardens where a statute of Zeus might not fit. With the holiday giving season upon us, they might also be the perfect gift for a gardener.

Dick Purvis has the worst luck with tenants. The Anaheim resident has more than 100 houses scattered throughout Orange County, each built by himself, and he's always having to go to each one and clean it out when it's empty so a new family can move in. It's not easy being a landlord, especially when you're dealing with tenants like his--bluebirds. "They don't like to reuse nests," says Purvis, an electrical engineer with McDonnell Douglas in Huntington Beach.

As "To the Birdhouse" opens, Alice Brody is a happy woman. She has just married Peter Eiger, a rare bird of solitary habits who makes his living doing baseball statistics. Alice's brother, young Willie, is still in his bachelor stage, about midway through a string of ethnically variegated girlfriends, the current one a Japanese sociologist named Yuki.

Forgot to buy your friend a gift from your last trip to Africa? Or maybe you'd like to fill your house with cool handmade gifts from India. TenThousandVillages.com has your back. The well-established nonprofit program works with artisans around the globe to sell their handicrafts and, in turn, give those who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed a fair wage. What's hot: Shopping fair-trade items from around the world.

In Nancy Phillips' Huntington Beach backyard, snapdragons and daffodils sparkle in the sun next to a fountain and rock pathway. Beyond a nearby fence, a table and chair await. But if you don't watch out, you could crush it all with your foot. No, you haven't fallen through the looking glass. Phillips' backyard is just part of a bigger trend: miniature gardening. As garden space and the time to tend it shrink, so are the plants and ornaments that go with them.

YOU DON'T HAVE to be a member of the Audubon Society to appreciate birds in your back yard; they eat bugs, they sing cheerfully, and their behavior is fascinating. But they don't hang around without a good reason; food, shelter and protection from predators are the best reasons anyone can provide. Birdhouses and bird feeders are among the simplest constructions ever devised--no carpentry skills needed, no power tools, no expensive materials.

Birdhouses outnumber people's houses in this "bluebird capital of the world," a tiny community that goes out of its way to make sure that the shy birds keep coming back. This hamlet of 150 people in the wind-swept Horse Heaven Hills first gave bluebirds an incentive to stay more than two decades ago, and the birds have returned again and again to raise their young--and bring a little extra income to a depressed economy.