Habitat Brush Piles

Who has them and what materials are you using to create them?

Add another question......how big does the brush pile have to be to be effective??

I have started one. Its small right now but I have alot of mature oak trees that are constantly dropping limbs. I have been piling the dropped limbs and sticks up in one spot next to an old stump. Its too early to see any results yet.

I have some that are only about 5' in diameter and about 3-4' high and then I have one that is absolutely massive. I've been using trunks of Buckthorn and then I have been trying to plant native vines around the base to climb up and provide even more protection. So far I have only used one species of plant but I'd like to add more. Most of my habitat brush piles are in the shade. I could go out and take photos if anyone is interested. Other than that, it was my understanding that brush piles could be as big or as little as one wanted. Everyone is going to have different space to work with and maybe that should dictate how big or how small one's habitat brush pile is. I have seem some very effective brush piles that weren't much more than 2' long by about 1' high by 1' wide. So far all of the habitat brush piles I have seen have been literally out of logs and brush. I know people use other materials and some layer with sheets of scrap plywood but I've never seen this done.

My problem right now, was that before I yanked out the privet, I had a ton of sparrows. After removing the privet, they stayed in their pile for about 2 weeks before the city came and got them. They were full of the sparrows. So my fear is introducing a brush pile and inviting the sparrows back. Make sense?

What kind of sparrrows? I'm not a birder by any means but we do have many native sparrows that resemble the English House Sparrow. It took me quite a while to be able to tell the difference between which is which and I generally go for the HOSP males that have a female with them. The male of the species has distinctive markings. English House Sparrows are so destructive that they are one of the handful of species that enjoys absolutely no protection under Federal Law. European Starlings enjoy no protection either so we do dispatch those also. There are House Sparrow Traps out there that can be purchased that actually work quite well if you use the right "bait". English House Sparrows have a particular fondness for cheap bird seed, french fries, and white feathers. Even if you did get another bird in the trap, it's very easy to release it. Best to get a good trap and go from there.

They're the English House Sparrows. I know them well. I didn't put any feeders here because of all of them. I haven't seen any starlings here, thank goodness. The darn sparrows are bad enough. I swear they're here by the hundreds. I also haven't put up any houses for the same reason. They take over. I don't want them to take over, I want them to go away. Tell me more about the trap. If it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I just might get one.

The trap works. I got tired of the English House Sparrows killing all my native cavity nesting birds around here. It was heart breaking. Here is one of the actual repeating types that I use that I purchased from these people-
http://sparrowtraps.net/

I was using a Van Ert for the wooden nest boxes-
http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/catalog/trap.htm
You only get one at a time though.

People report having great success with this trap-
http://shop.purplemartin.org/shopsite/purplem/sparrowtraps.html
I don't have one of these so I can't comment.

I have one Gilbertson Nest Box and I use the trap made specifically for the Gilbertson-
http://www.purplemartins.com/sales/Gilbertson_Bluebird_Products/gilbertson_product.html

This 2-chamber sparrow trap for $36 is my favorite. You will need to scroll down to the very bottom of the page to see this model-
http://www.birdcontrolsupplies.com/livetraps.htm
This site has the traps that professional exterminators use. Wish I could afford one.

Glad you are interested. If more people were interested, the Bluebirds and other cavity nesters such as my former screech owls would have much better odds of being able to survive and reproduce.

Hi Equilibrium,
My "brush pile" is about 6' X 4' and is at least a temporary residence for an opossum. This pile has been in existense since this past October due to construction problems and delays. I do worry about the eventual removal of the pile. My real brush pile is about 3' X 3' and made up mostly the 10 christmas trees I cut up to use as mulch over the winter. I would like to move the 2nd pile and would like to know when the best time to do that would be. I would be curious to see how you set up your pile and who you hope to attract. I'm afraid I usually only keep my pile for one year then move it due to limited space.
Pixie

I have seen rabbits running for cover to my piles. I've also seen a host of birds on them. What they are doing on them other than taking a rest is beyond me. I found some salamanders in the center of one I have located in a very moist area when I pulled up a little bark debris and I was rather pleasantly surprised. The chipmunks bee line for them at the slightest threat. They are pretty vulnerable. Other than that, we had a fox family and some of the young ones seemed to go in and out of the brush pile. And yes, I've seen a raccoon run for one. I guess the question would be what North American critters don't use them. I don't think I've ever seen an opossum use any of my brush piles but I bet the skunk has used them before. The skunk seems to always be in the path of a Great Horned Owl that is hanging around here somewhere. I know that skunk dodges for the brush piles and it propbably sticks pretty darn close to them to seek cover quick. The skunk is cool but it generally is never seed during daylight. Sometimes just after dusk you can see it but other than that we're asleep when it is most active.

As far as when to move the brush pile, I suppose there is no good time if a critter is using it but the least disruptive time would probably be right about the time the chipmunks begin to hybernate which is about the same time you no longer see any snakes sunning themselves. Many animals don't hibernate and use these habitat piles year round.

I'll get a few photos of some of mine tomorrow.

I like the first one best, but I'm not sure what you do with the trapped birds? Leave them in there to die? You said you have the first one, please tell me more about it. Does it come together as shown, or you put it together? It comes with everything how it's shown?

From our experiences in several of the different 'home/property' environments we've lived - the English House (Old World) Sparrows will flock to and dominate the more 'openly located' stick & brush piles that exist, or, are created. However, those that are piled and located in close proximity to, or 'over into' the edge of a wooded area - we've found that they've not been the least bit interested. I'm sure that there are exceptions that exist, tho'; such as folks' properties that are far less rurally located, perhaps.

The two that were 'created' nearer to our 'yarden' aren't necessarily visible, because of the multi-'benched' terrain of our property. They're somewhat 'over the edge', so-to-speak. (hee)

The devout interested parties are the White-throated Sparrows, the Towhees, the Chipping Sparrows, the Fox Sparrows, the White-Crowneds, Titmice, Chickadees, and the flitty lil Wrens - with a visit by the Oven birds, if there's a bit taller grass that is allowed to grow nearby to the piles. The same applies to those piles that naturally occur around the place. The piles provide excellent cover to 'duck' into.

I've not 'dug in' to see .. but I'm sure the chipmunks have a few entry & exit holes under them also. The lil boogers sure visit the piles, for sure.

One of the piles, came to be .. after felling a tree for firewood last fall. We'd piled the limbs and twigs up, with intentions of removing them later on. However, some of the 'regulars' took a keen and quick interest. So, it remained a spell. A few weeks ago, a couple of incidents of spotting Copperheads very near the pile (which incidentally was near a culvert also) - hastened its removal completely. Not only because of ours and the childrens' safey; but also for the chipmunks and the birds that frequented the pile. Didn't desire our lil folks to risk getting bitten, nor the critters to fall prey to the snakes. The snakes could jes get on about their way .. to find and/or dine on a ready-made buffet .. elsewhere.

- Magpye

My habitat brush piles are mostly in woodland areas. Good to know Magpye. My snakes generally stick to the rock/block piles. I've never seen them around the habitat brush piles but I'm sure they'd run for cover to one of those brush piles if they sensed a raptor was around and I certainly have planty of those here.

Terry- When using a trap. please make sure there is ample food and water in the trap until at such time as they can be humanely destroyed. I used to bring all of mine in to be dispatched because I couldn't do it myself and I paid a fee of $1 per bird. I do realize it needs to be done but I just can't do it myself. My husband takes care of them for me now so I no longer need to pay.

Here are a few sites that will help you determine what is within your comfort zone-

Purdue University site on dispatching English House Sparrows and European Starlings-
http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/fnr/wildlife/homeowners/backyard/wildlifehouses2.html

From Sialis-
http://www.sialis.org/hospdispatch.htm

From Cornell Universtiy-
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/bluebirds/hosp.htm

The North American Bluebird Society also has useful information on dispatching HOSPs-
http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/

There is a man out there who will help you with dispatching if this is the route you choose to go. You can just type need help dispatching S&S and chances are pretty good he will respond to you. I believe he speaks publicly on these issues. Here's his e-mail address- fishlkmich@yahoo.com

Other than that, you are going to have to poke around. Basically every single birding organization and University that has an ornithology program as well as our federal and most state governments are telling us to use lethal control of S&S. There's information out there for the taking these days thanks in part to many dedicated conservationists.

There is a great little pamphlet out there that addresses all the issues written by Don Grussing. I have seen it but I don't know where to get it. Maybe your library?

You do realize that the collective efforts of people using both active and passive means by which to control European Starlings and English House Sparrows on our continent have brought back the Bluebird? In the past 15 years, their numbers have increased. They are still threatened but their status didn't end up as endangered. Little people can make a difference and the turning point was when major universities began providing useful information about this extremely heart wrenching subject.

FYI, the HOSPs are taking a tremendous toll on Purple Martins too. I don't believe any confirmed natural nesting colonies of Purple Martins exist east of the Rockies. Purple Martins rely on the nest boxes that we provide. Nest boxes that are routinely invaded by HOSPs. Sad situation given the HOSPs have such a pretty song and are such a cheerful bird. Shame they ended up over here out of their native range. There are areas out here where people claim all they have are English House Sparrows and European Starlings. I can see how this happened.

I do know about the HOSPs and the Purple Martin. I was getting a little sick to my stomach reading the links, I had to stop after the 2nd one and start typing. What are the laws in IL regarding dispatching? Can I borrow your husband? Oh how I wish great grandpa was alive.....he'd have no problem with this at all........

Yes, Purple Martins can be obliterated by HOSPs too. Did you kow that they also obliterat our Screech Owls and Wood Ducks which are also cavity nesters? In Illinois we had a bounty program in the late 1800's to attempt to control them. We've come a long way since then-

http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/CLASSRM/birds/BLUEBIRD.PDF

Does this answer your question terryr? To the best of my knowledge, it is not only within the parameters of the law to dispatch them but it is encouraged for the sake of the environment.

Dispatching HOSPs and EUSTs is very upsetting to my husband but he does it because we know it needs to be done around here and I can't do it no matter how hard I try. I have girlfriends who can do it but I can't. I'd actually loan my husband to you but this is one of those times where we struggle ourselves. Please contact the man I gave you an e-mail address to. He will help you. He's a kind soul who loves native birds and wants to see their numbers increase. He will talk you through the process and provide you with options.

Our DNR can be contacted by phone- 217.785.8774 You can request information on Bluebird trails, nest box blue prints, and workshops. Way cool, eh!

This message was edited May 23, 2006 11:35 PM

I have no idea what happened to that post. I will contact the administration and they'll take care of it. Sorry.

This, post .. may do the same, Equil .. but I'll TEST anyway.

But I think it may possibly have something to do with some of the characters
that were used in your post.

If (mine) happens to appear 'normal' ... perhaps you can try editing yours.

.... Merely a suggestion, mindja ....

- Magpye

STILL suggest making some changes to yours .. and see if clears it up.

You and/or administration can kick my hind-end later ... for trying to help!
No big deal ..

- Magpye

I'm in a residential area and the backyard is 100ft.x150ft.This is fenced all around with a 6ft setback so I can maintain both sides of the fence.I have three great neighbors that put up with my good and bad projects and they are into gardening for wildlife after putting up with me over the years!In a corner,I have two wood racks.One is for indoor and outdoor fireplaces and the other one is for the wildlife.The rack holds two cords of wood with a one foot elevation for good circulation and drainage.The stacked wood consists of apple,pear,plum,red oak,hickory and osage orange.Stick piles of smaller limbs are layed flat and stacked in a criss-cross pattern on each end of the rack.Carolina wrens,house wrens,chickadees,titmouse,cardinals,thrashers are in and out constantly with a native stone waterfall and bathing area nearby.Field mice are present for the snakes to feed on also.The trees in this area are hackberry,white-pine,crab-apple,pin oak,scots-pine,cypress and sweet-gum.The shrubs are cranberry and snow-ball viburnums,hollies.redtwig-dogwood,natives grasses and sumac.Life is good!....Dave,on the prairie

This message was edited May 24, 2006 12:18 AM

I don't know what I did but I went back and entered the exact same thing to edit and pressed enter and it seems to have cleared it up. I don't know if this was a system burp or what. Looks as if everything is posting properly now. I've never seen anything like that before. I probalby did it somehow and have no idea how. Thanks Magpye for giving me the idea to try to resubmit the same exact post as an edit.

Equilibrium,
I live in a chipmunk free zone, I am not sure why, I assumed it is because we have so many grey squirrels? I know I've seen them in surrounding towns, maybe ten miles away. I also do not have snakes that sun themselves. My snakes are DeKay's brown snake that like moist conditions. The closest I've seen to sunning is snakes wrapped around the tops of bushes. I move the piles because there is a local rat problem . Tree rats I believe. I also have 2 dogs. I do have 3 nests on my small suburban lot. They are all free nests in arbors or bushes, no nest boxes, cardinals, catbirds, and robins. It is very different attracting wildlife in urban/suburban areas. I would like more information on being a responsible in this urban/suburban setting.
Pixie

"3 nests on my small suburban lot"- sounds pretty darn good to me. My grandparents lived on a postage stamp sized lot in the city of Chicago and the only "wildlife" I ever recall them having would have been squirrels and a few birds (no nests). I don't even recall a butterfly. And the birds in the neighborhood were mostly pigeons. They had rats and wild cats in the alleys and there was always some crazy old person feeding the cats. They had a few tomato plants, one tree, silver dollar plants, a few roses, a few shrubs, and the rest was grass.

How does one learn to be more responsible? Good question. I'm still learning. You might want to check out eliminating any chemical lawn service you have. I'm told organic lawn services are the rage out west but they haven't made their way to the midwest yet. I eliminated my chemical lawn service. There truly was something fundamentally wrong with all the chemicals they were spraying on my lawn that my kids were playing in. The next thoughts I have are for you to draw a diagram of your lot and place your house and garage on that lot with any existing plantings. Take a photo of that and post it in a brand new thread. From there let's see what we can do to breathe life into your city lot. There are things you can do. I'm sure of it. We're just going to need to find out what they are. This is exciting. It will be an adventure.

Equil, lf your husband is home when I'm there, perhaps he can show me? My way of wanting to do it is clearly defined as being inhumane, but it would honestly be the one I would be most comfortable with. Did I ask you here or another thread....does the box come so that you put it all together? The 1st one that is.

Speaking of birds.......this is the nest a robin made on my light fixture right outside the back door.

Beautiful robin's nest!

Yes my husband will show you. I have no problems with that. It's quick and easy and humane. What is not humane would be leaving them in the trap with no food and water or no means by which to dispatch them and you don't strike me as the type of person who would do that. Still distasteful and heart wrenching to dispatch them given it isn't the HOSPs fault they were introduced here. I really think you should use that e-mail address and contact that man. He's far more advanced than me in this area of habitat management. He is very approachable. Just write in the subject line of your e-mail that you need help dispatching S&S and I promise you he will respond.

And yes, the box comes assembled to the best of my recollection. You might want to seriously consider the all metal trap. I think it is around the same price. Regardless, the repeating traps are best in my opinion.

Forgot to add this link-

Brushpiles 101
http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/urban_wildlife_our_wild_neighbors/brush_piles_101.html

No, no, not leaving them with no food or water. It would include water though if you're catching my drift. And a bag, a burlap bag probably.....

I will email him. Thanks!

We use a different method to dispatch but I thought that might be the direction you were leaning which is why I suggested that you seriously consider the all metal trap. Wood floats and transferring them to a burlap bag generally means you risk losing one or two.

Equilibrium,
No lawn service here, actually I took out most of the existing lawn. I also am an organic gardener. I'll sketch out the house/garage/planting areas soon, as soon as I get through the Wild Ones Handbook.
Pixie

Hey! Way to go! We ditched our lawn service too! You will enjoy reading the WildOnes publication. Let me know when you finish it.

I spotted a really neat house that has a cottage style garden on a very small lot and thought of you. I need to get a photo of that home because of all the plants they have. They have done a remarkable job with very little space.

Here area few bursh piles that I took photos of in one area of the property. This first one is not complete. I add to them in the late fall and early winter when I cut down buckthorn but this particular one I did begin to plant a few ferns around it.

That last one will end up considerably larger than what was photographed. This next one is about half way to completion. So far all I have planted around it are a few vines.

This one we are going to make colossal. You can see the buckthorn stacked up behind it. All of that will end up in this habitat brush pile.

As fall approaches, we will add pine boughs and leaf debris to the piles. In years to come we will plant fruiting vines that will climb them. They don't look all that unatractive once there is vegetation growing up and around them. Right now they look rather nekkid.

Hello everyone. Been enjoying this forum immensely. Always loved critters, so I naturally try to encourage them. Must add a bog area below the little pond. I pile tree limbs, trimmings way out in the edge of the wooded, swamp area. Out of sight, so it does not have to be pretty! My best habitat endeavor comes from another love of mine. Playing with rocks of all sizes! Rocks surround the little pre-formed pond, and I make sure to leave lots of small spaces for the chipmunks, snakes, etc. The stones I have not created a purpose for yet, are piled helter-skelter nearby. When I need a certain size or shape, I go stone shopping there. The large flat ones are slowly being made into a walkway through the low area to the pond (always very wet in rainy weather) but the pond, of course is well above ground runoff. Lately, I have Northern Ribbon Snakes, and the strange thing is since they showed up, I have not seen one single garter snake. Curious about that. Before, I saw garter snakes every spring. When I move stones around, or work in the garden there, the chipmunk always has to check it all out. So funny to watch. There is a silly frog statue on one flat rock at the edge of the pond, and this morning, a chipmunk was sitting on top of its head! Looking out my kitchen window is often great entertainment for me. I love a yardful of critters. Guess I must toe the line, now, and get out the bird book and learn to identify the English Sparrows. Audubon's Encyclopedia has more information than I will ever need, so I am sure I can figure it out. Keep the info coming! Love learning new things. BAM

bam... you MUST post pics of your garden now!! You can't give us all the good details and not show it off!!

The snakes I have around here aren't territorial from what I've ever noticed. We have several different species all hanging out and I've never noticed one species disappearing when another moves in. Of course we have Garter Snakes because those are pretty common; but we also have Water Snakes, Rat Snakes, Kingsnakes, Ribbon Snakes, and I even am pretty sure I once saw a Milk Snake because it stuck out like a sore thumb with that red coloration. We've got a desirable property for them with all the wetlands around here so I'm sure they all sort of hang out looking for a meal. I like the snakes. The Garter Snakes are always the most visible and they seem to be everywhere to the extent I have to walk around the edge of the property and fling them before my husband cuts the lawn so they don't end up sliced and diced.

I was just over talking to my neighbor a few minutes ago cause I was trying to get his boxer puppies to go home and quit biting my leg. When I got over there he had a black snake that was curled up in front of him. The pups ran over and started sniffing the snake. He pushed them out of the way which they hated, the snake did not move. Then he picked up and of course I backed way up ready to run. He killed it and threw it over the fence. He regretted it afterwards because we have a pasture next to our properties and the snakes eat the mice which are very abundant. I like what snakes do but you will never see me pick one up. No way, no how. Uh Uh!!!!!!!!!! If I never see one I am happy.

I don't understand? He just killed it because it was there curled up in front of him? I don't get it?

Pretty sad now that I think about it.

My brush/stick pile is gone. It wasn't very big but it was starting to look like a good brush pile.

I left for four days to go fishing over the holiday weekend. While I was gone my husband hired a young man to mow the lawn. The young man, being a very diligent in his job, removed all of my sticks.... I don't know where they went... I am assuming that he took them with him, probably burned them by now.

My hubby said he knew that I was creating a pile there and had even instructed the young man to place any large sticks he found while mowing in that pile over there. I think the young man though it was a debris pile and figured he was doing us a favor by removing it.

Oh well starting over now...

Yep!! It was about 3 feet long, not a huge one but yeah he jsut chopped its head off with a gardening hoe and threw it over the fence. As soon as he did that though, he was like why did I do that? I guess it's just a habit for us down here. We kill the ones in our yard too but only because we know they will come back if we don't. We get lots of birds and they get mad if we let the predators stay in the yard. No joke either!! I think they understand english. If they are close to the fence line then we go ahead and throw them over.