A Lean-to For the Birds
by David Rudie
Some of our winters here in the Midwest can get pretty severe. When the snow and ice cover the ground, I worry about my ground-feeding birds -- the sparrows, towhees, juncos, doves, and my Carolina wrens. Our feeding operation has included cover for birds in the form of brush piles and our old Christmas tree, but I wanted to do more. A few winters ago, just as a big snowstorm was hitting our region, I came up with the idea of creating a shelter for the seed I scatter on the ground. My creation looks like a lean-to shelter that a wilderness camper might build.
I use two leftover sheets of plywood, one measuring roughly six feet by four feet, and another piece, measuring four feet by four feet (though you can use smaller pieces). About six inches from one end of the longer sheet, I nail a three-foot piece of a two by four, placing it parallel to the end of the sheet. This two by four helps hold the lean-to together. To assemble the lean-to, I place the larger sheet of plywood on the ground and raise up the end that has the two by four attached to its underside. I then stand up the smaller plywood sheet, vertically, under the larger one, so that the edge of the smaller sheet is flush with the two by four. I secure the two sheets together with a couple of screws (that allows for easy disassembly later on). To keep this contraption from blowing over when the wind is gusting, I sometimes place a cinder block on either end as an anchor.
Positioning the lean-to properly is important. I always place the long sheet (the roof of the lean-to) so that it faces the prevailing wind. This shelters both birds and seed from getting blown away by icy gusts. The shelter's open sides allow the birds easy access to the seed I scatter on the ground inside the lean-to. If you want to improve your view of the shelter's interior use two by four or 4x4 sections for "legs" to support the lean-to roof. I've found that covering over one side of this open-sided version with pine branches seems to shelter the birds better. And the pine boughs make the lean-to look more natural, and--dare I say--cozier, at least to my eyes.
If building a lean-to seems too difficult, I suggest you put a sheet of plywood on top of your picnic table and scatter some seed beneath. You'll achieve the same results with less effort.
