My good friend, Suzanne Higgs, shared her idea for bird pods well over a year ago. After quite a delay the first one was made and hung but way too late in the breeding season to gain any winged tenants. This year, the mostly warm winter has inspired me to prepare for spring much earlier.
Both pods are made with a green/white blended batt of merino and mohair. The design work is embroidered after wet felting, this way I could be sure it would not appear too bright or unnatural and deter the birds. The one on the left is 10 inches high and 7 inch wide at the base with the 1 1/4 inch entrance hole at 4 inches above the floor. The second is 9 inches high and 7 inch wide at the base with the 3/4 inch entrance hole at 2 1/2 inches above the floor.
I was surprised to discover bird pods are so much fun to felt, they seem so simple that I thought it would be boring but the challenge of trying to size them according to nest box dimensions makes them extremely interesting. I used the chart on the Wild Bird Watching site to try and get the size appropriate. I am hoping to do more to dress up our and other wildlife neighborhoods.
