Outdoor Living Archives - Page 3 of 8 - DeckTec Outdoor Designs

The Winter Bird Blurb

December 26th, 2018|Animals Out the Back Door, Blog, Colorado Life, Outdoor Living|

We’re back for an update on winter birds with our favorite birding expert, Scott Menough, co-owner with his wife, Sandy, of Wild Birds Unlimited in Lakewood since 1989. Scott is the host of BirdTalk radio on Saturdays from noon to 1 p.m. on 710 KNUS and 1690 KDMT, and also hosts a podcast at www.BirdTalkGuys.com. An Abundance of Winter Birds We’re fortunate to have lots of birds that stay with us here all winter, Scott said, although of course not all of them will stick around. Birds that only rely on insects, such as hummingbirds, swallows and flycatchers, head south for warmer weather, while still other birds head down here from the north. (Everything is relative!) Fish-eating birds, for instance, such as ducks and herons come in search of open water and stay until it freezes over. Winter birds need high-protein, high-fat foods. Fat helps them stay warm and keep [...]

Birding on Deck: Bird Feeding

August 15th, 2018|Animals Out the Back Door, Blog, Colorado Life, Outdoor Living|

Welcome to our third in a series of articles about backyard birding “On Deck!” The first thing to know when it comes to feeding your backyard birds is that there are different types of feed and feeders for different types of birds. It can, unfortunately, be a bit overwhelming for the beginner, as there’s a seemingly endless array of options and effects. There are “loose” feeders such tray, tube and house (or “hopper”) styles, suet or seed cylinders, bark butter pellets and tubs, and specialized feeders and food for birds such as hummingbirds, orioles and goldfinches. There are various placements as well. Feeders can be hung “on deck” or from trees, on the top or side of deck railings, with or without extension arms, or mounted on poles. Some feeders are squirrel proof, and all tube feeders can be made squirrel and large-bird proof with an added cage. Yup, there [...]

Birding on Deck Part 2: Woodpeckers, Birdhouses and Nesting Structures

June 13th, 2018|Animals Out the Back Door, Life On Deck, Outdoor Living|

Welcome to our second in a series of articles about backyard birding “on deck!” You can find the first article here You may be thinking, “I want to attract birds such as robins, wrens and hummingbirds to my yard, but I don’t want woodpeckers poking holes in my house!” Well, of course you don’t! No one wants holes in their house, but according to Scott Menough, co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Lakewood and host of BirdTalk radio on KNUS and KDMT, there’s nothing to worry about. “We don’t look at woodpeckers as pest birds, although we may be concerned about some of their activities. We may want to modify behaviors so people can enjoy these birds. The little downy woodpecker is one that people often enjoy watching,” Menough said. “If woodpeckers start making holes in the side of your house, put up a [northern] flicker-specific nest box and these [...]

Creating an Adult Treehouse

June 6th, 2018|Life On Deck, Outdoor Living|

Years ago, (I won’t say how many) when I was growing up as a young child in Maryland, our community was surrounded by wooded areas that came to form an important part of my elementary school years. When summer arrived and school was out, my three brothers, my friends and I seemed to live and play in those woods from morning until night. After playing our usual round of games several kids of all ages would invariably get together to create some kind of makeshift “Swiss Family Robinson” style treehouse. We would do this by wedging, notching and nailing whatever tree limbs we could find laying around. We made our own fun and it didn’t get much better. I think I got tuned into that unique feeling of elevation, having a private sanctuary for my friends and I that was literally above it all. Speaking of elevation, I eventually moved [...]

The Joys of Birding “On Deck”

May 23rd, 2018|Blog, Decks & Backyard Features, Life On Deck, Outdoor Living|

Welcome to the first in our series of articles on backyard “on deck” birding! We were fortunate to speak with metro area birding expert Scott Menough, owner with his wife, Sandy, of Wild Birds Unlimited in Lakewood since 1989. Scott is the host of BirdTalk radio, which airs Saturdays from noon to 1 p.m. on 710 KNUS and 1690 KDMT, and also hosts a podcast at BirdTalkGuys.com. Perhaps you’ve never thought about attracting more birds to your yard? Well, according to Scott, conditions here are excellent for doing exactly that. “In Colorado we’re very lucky to have a variety of habitat that is attractive to wild birds, some year-round, and some seasonally,” he said. According to Menough, feathered friends that you can commonly see year-round from your deck include the so-called “house birds” – house sparrows, house finches and house wrens as well as nuthatches, black-capped chickadees, pigeons, woodpeckers, American [...]