Bird Homes by Tim - New Work!

In preparation for our upcoming Garden Tour, I wanted to share images of some of Tim Hanks's more recent Bird Homes.

Tim, of course, can speak much more knowledgeably than I about his work.  He uses sustainably harvested redwood for his work and follows the guidelines set out by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in his work so these bird homes are designed according to the very highest specifications.  All materials are non-toxic for the birds and the homes are designed to provide secure, comfortable nesting locations for our smaller songbirds, which are under so much stress from invasive avian species and other predators.

Tim spends a part of his creative time tracking down the vintage hardware he uses to enhance his designs, including antique door plates, doorknobs, keys and other features.  All are carefully cleaned and prepared for inclusion in his designs.  He goes to a great deal of trouble to combine elements into cohesive designs, in terms of style  and materials.  The bird home I purchased from him last year features hardware manufactured from what is called "marine brass", a higher copper-content brass with a rosier hue that is not often seen anymore.

By using metal doorplates, with holes cut to the specifications set by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for smaller birds, Tim's bird homes cannot be damaged by chewing squirrels or pecking birds.  He also uses pyrography, or wood burning, to enhance many of his designs (the top and bottom images), drawing on motifs in the hardware included in his designs.

Come to our Garden Tour on August 20 and have a chat with Tim about his bird homes, what makes them special, and other things you can do to help our native avian friends thrive in your garden!