When considering the right fence for your yard, there are a lot of considerations to keep in mind. Not only will this fence change the landscape of your property, but it will affect all of the wildlife that have made a home in your yard. Why not make this addition a welcome change for them, as well as you and your family?
When a homeowner decides to install a fence, they have quite a few options to choose from. For instance, they must choose between a safety fence, decorative fence, security fence, or a privacy fence, which all serve their own useful purpose.
When choosing a privacy fence, in particular, you want to make sure it is solid, without any spacing. Height is also an important consideration, to make sure that it is high enough to provide the desired level of privacy. Wood, vinyl, and composite are your best material choices for a privacy fence, which still leaves you with plenty of options.
A privacy fence will be great for keeping out unwelcome intruders, but it will also keep out a lot of the wildlife from your yard. This may be the desired effect, in which case, you’ve chosen wisely. However, if you still want to look out your window to see some of of Mother Nature’s creatures playing around, you do have some options.
Birds will be the easiest animals to entertain in your backyard, in spite of the fence. They’ll be able to fly right in, if they have a reason to. Why not welcome in some feathered friends by providing them with a safe place to stay?
Displacement is problem effecting bird populations around the world. The Vineyard osprey, for example, makes its home in Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts. In 1970, the species was down to only two breeding pairs, as a result of having their nests forced off telephone poles, with no provided alternative. But the species has made a comeback, thanks to community members doing their part to provide places for the birds to safely nest.
You can do your part to provide displaced birds with a safe nesting spot by including birdhouses in your backyard. Your fence itself can actually be particularly helpful to this endeavor. You can attach some birdhouses to your fence, making sure to place them up high enough to avoid predators from the ground, but also at a level that you’re able to see and enjoy them. 5 to 30 feet from ground level is best. Just be sure to space the birdhouses at least 25 feet apart, as birds can be a little territorial.
It’s also important to make sure the surrounding environment is appealing to birds. You’ll want to make sure there are no predators around, and also that there are materials readily available for birds to use to make nests inside the birdhouses. It’s also important to make sure there are no pesticides or herbicides being used in the area, because not only can these be harmful to the birds themselves, but they can also kill off the insects that are the birds’ primary food source.
Keep in mind your feathered friends when building a fence for your yard, as you can help them find a new home, in addition to providing yourself with some well-deserved privacy and security.