For the Birds

A rustic bird house has its own appeal that may appeal to some and not to others. The overall look of a rustic bird house can best be described as something very basic and folksy. The rural theme of rustic bird houses can be seen in the different kinds of structures that are represented. These kinds of bird houses are usually appealing if placed outdoors in the trees and yard.

Ideally, bird houses should be placed in an area that can not be easily accessed by predators to encourage the birds to occupy them. If the bird houses are too easy to access, the birds will realize this and avoid staying in them. They can be put in a post in an open area where only birds can access them or nailed to the trunk of a tree.

Examples Of Rustic Bird Houses

Some examples of bird houses done in a rustic style that are very appealing include those made to look like log cabins, barns, and other farm structures. All of the rustic bird houses are made from wood and some are made from expensive hard wood that can withstand the harsh weather conditions of the outdoors. They may also be treated to withstand the onslaught of pests and insects that feed on the wood.

Other structures that may be considered rustic bird houses are small mission churches, wooden lodges, adobe homes, ranch structures and many more. The key to a beautiful rustic bird house is to have it made by a professional craftsman. Some professionals take orders instead of making the bird house. These things take time to make and to prepare, which is why you need to order a few weeks before you need it.

Do-It-Yourself Rustic Bird House

You can build your own rustic bird house using plans or bird house patterns to follow. This is a relatively easy to do project as long as you do not make it too ambitious and complicated. A rustic bird house can be done even by teen agers as long as the plans are easy to follow and the materials are readily available.

Putting up a rustic bird house is actually for the benefit of humans rather than birds. Birds do not mind how their nesting sites look as long as these provide shelter from the elements and predators. You can opt for a simpler looking bird house which also has a rustic theme if you wish.

Tags: Rustic Bird House

Have you ever known a special person who is particularly difficult to buy gifts for?  No matter how well you know them or how often you ask them for gift ideas, you just can’t seem to come up with anything that you know they will love.  It can seem impossible to give just the right gift for a person like this.

There are ways to get around this problem, though.  One common alternative is to give a joke gift.  This is particularly effective for close friends who you have known for a long time.  However, it may not be appropriate for older relatives or people who you don’t know very well.

In this case, it’s best to think about the interests of the recipient and try to give a gift that relates to those interests.  For example, watching the birds and squirrels in their yard is a great source of happiness for a lot of people.  Especially for housebound people, bird watching can be a satisfying hobby that brings them much joy.

For people who enjoy bird watching, a bird house or bird feeder is a great gift idea.  However, there are many other bird-related gifts that can be just as welcomed.  Indoor décor that has something to do with birds is a great way to show your special someone that you care about their interests while giving them a unique way to enjoy their hobby.

One bird-related gift that has exploded in popularity lately is the bird house air freshener.  A bird house air freshener is typically a tiny bird house that is meant for decoration rather than use.  Inside the bird house is a pop-top can of air freshener and sometimes a small fan to distribute the scent.  The outside of the bird house air freshener is decorated with silk flowers, plastic bugs, or other decorative items.

Make it Yourself for a Personal Touch

It’s also possible to make a bird house air freshener yourself.  If you practice any type of craft, a bird house air freshener can be made from clay, plastic canvas, or any number of other materials.  All it takes is a little creativity to make the perfect bird house air freshener for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life.

Plans and patterns for several different types of bird house air freshener can be found online or in various craft books.  If you are not able to find a pattern, it’s not difficult to make a bird house air freshener without a pattern.  Just make a bird house shaped item with room inside to hold an air freshener.

There are plenty of other great gift ideas out there for the person in your life that seems impossible to buy for.  Just keep your eyes open and listen to their interests, and soon you’ll have a great idea for the next special occasion.

Tags: Bird House Air Freshener

Blue birds are fun to watch in your backyard. Their brilliant blue colors add a lot of beauty to any backyard landscape. One can always attract blue birds to their backyard through the use of blue bird houses. However, where you put the blue bird house will determine if many blue birds are attracted to your backyard. The placement of a blue bird house is very important for the blue bird’s happiness.

Information About The Blue Bird

The Blue bird population in the United States has decreased a lot during the course of the last ten years. This is because of the increased use of pesticides, longer and colder winters and the lack of trees for nesting. Therefore, anyone who is providing a blue bird house in their yard is doing the blue birds a big favor. However, the placement of the blue bird house in your yard is very important for the blue bird.

Placement of a Blue Bird House

The blue bird house should be placed about four to six feet above the ground. It is also okay to have multiple blue bird houses in your yard, but the placement of each blue bird house should be about fifty to sixty feet apart. Blue birds are not sociable birds and do not like to live too close to other blue birds.

Face the houses to the south or southeast, if possible. Try to select places where trees, shrubs, utility wires or fences are within twenty-five to one hundred feet from the blue bird houses. Bluebirds use these structures for perches when feeding or relaxing. These perches are also helpful to young birds during their first flights.

If the blue bird houses are located near the forest in your back yard, other species of birds, such as wrens, nuthatches, robins, titmice, and chickadees, will attempt to use the bluebird houses to build their nest and raise their young. These other bird species are always welcome additions to the area and should not ever be discouraged from using the bird house.

These birds are also helpful in controlling insect populations throughout the year. If the bluebird refuses to nest, it may be possible to get a bluebird to nest in the same area by placing another house about ten to twenty feet from the one the other bird is using.

Blue bird houses are fun to have in your backyard. However, one will need to think about the placement of a blue bird house. With proper placement, the blue birds will be happy and will come back year after year to build nests and raise their blue bird families.

Tags: Placement Of A Blue Bird House

Having a backyard bird house is a wonderful way to introduce birds of all kinds into your garden, but it also helps to know how to look after those birds when they arrive.

Of course, different areas of the country (and the world) will have different kinds of birds in the neighborhood, so it pays to find out what birds are native to your area.  If you do this you will be able to get the right foods for them which they will enjoy when they find your new backyard bird house and come to investigate for the first time.

The great thing about having a backyard bird house is that the birds will know that there is always somewhere to come for food.  That’s why you should make sure that you always put fresh food out for them and top it off whenever necessary.

What Foods Do You Need To Provide?

The majority of larger stores will sell bird seeds that are good for attracting a wider range of birds to your backyard bird house.  Nuts are also a good bet, since a lot of birds will eat these.  You should make sure your backyard bird house is capable of repelling other animals though, who will steal the nuts and seeds you have left out for your birds if given half a chance.  Squirrels can be a problem in some areas, although the better backyard bird house will have been built to deter them from getting to the food you put inside.

Peanuts are also a big favorite, although they are quite large and could pose a problem for smaller birds.  Luckily the design of the best backyard bird house will bear this in mind, as many of them will have a barrier in place to prevent the seeds and nuts from falling out, as well as preventing birds from taking larger nuts with them in one go.  Nibbling at them is a far nicer prospect and it means there is some left for everyone.

Once you have your backyard bird house in place and filled with fresh food, you will be able to sit and enjoy the sight of the birds coming into your garden to grab the food you have left for them.  You might even want to get yourself a bird spotting book, so that you can become familiar with your new friends who come to visit every day.

Tags: Backyard Bird House

To lessen your chances of catching an illness from wild birds, you should always wash your hands carefully with soap or hand sanitizer after handling bird feeders, bird nests, birdbaths, or water infected with bird droppings. You should also keep away from touching bird droppings or dead birds. If you absolutely must move a dead bird, use gloves that can be thrown away or double plastic bags.

With that said, there are still ten things you should be aware in regards to the avian flu.

Avian flu viruses have spread among birds throughout the world for many years and are for the most part not a threat to other birds or humans. Although it is not common for humans to catch the disease from birds, when it does happen it is typically because they have been too close to dead or dying birds or their fecal matter.

The avian flu actually results in fewer deaths than any other type of flu. Since 2003, there have only been about 151 people in the whole world who have died because of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu virus. None of these deaths occurred in the United States. However, because migrating birds are now moving South- and Westward from Russia where their summer feeding grounds are located, there is more of a chance that the virus will spread globally.

In almost all of the cases where humans have become sick due to the H5N1 virus, it has found that these individuals were in close contact with infected poultry or poultry products.

Individuals do not need to give up many of the associated bird activities that they enjoy.  It is still safe to feed wild birds, watch birds, and monitor nest boxes. People just need to keep certain safety precautions in mind. These include washing their hands properly, not touching dead birds, and staying away from birdbath water that might harbor fecal matter of potentially contaminated birds.

There are two types of the avian virus, low pathogenic and high pathogenic.

The second is more dangerous and less common. Although the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus does not easily spread from person to person, there is a risk that the virus could change and become more dangerous. However, it is not possible to know when or if this will happen.

The only known cases of humans becoming contaminated with the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus from wild birds were found in Azerbaijan. When this happened, seven people came down with disease after they de-feathered swans, four of these individuals died. Occurrences of the H5N1 virus have been found more frequently among domestic poultry than among wild birds. However, the best way for farmers to keep illness out of their flocks is to practice good bio-security, hygiene and protection measures, which should include disinfections at both the entry to and the exit from farms

Around 200 million domestic chickens, turkeys, geese, and ducks have died from H5N1 infections or have been gathered to prevent the spread of illness. However, the Food Standards Agency has stated that there is no need for people to stop eating poultry or eggs, as they have not been recognized as causing the avian flu in humans.

The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has been spotted in 45 wild bird species. Although most noted epidemics have been among waterfowl and, to a smaller degree, shorebirds and gulls.

It is possible for wild birds to carry the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus with them when they migrate. Typically though, the virus appears to have been distributed to new areas through the transportation of infected poultry and poultry products.

Tags: Avian Flu

The avian flu has become a threat to the human race, although it is not prevalent in every country. Currently, there are no effective means of fighting the virus if it becomes a pandemic. However, there are six things every person can do to avoid the avian flu, and to keep themselves healthy during the flu season. The six ways of protecting yourself against the avian flu, include washing your hands, eating a balanced diet and exercising, getting flu shots and others, staying home when you’re sick, avoiding contact with sick animals, and covering your mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing.

Washing your hands is very important, because it can prevent a variety of diseases, but it is especially effective for preventing contraction of the bird flu. Washing your hands is a must, when trying to avoid contraction of the bird flu. Hands should be washed frequently and thoroughly, which means using sop and warm water and washing for at least 20 seconds. Hands should be washed before eating, or touching the nose, eyes and mouth. If you are caring for an infected person, you’re hands should also be washed after providing care. It’s also important to wash your hands after sneezing, blowing your nose, coughing, or after touching used handkerchiefs or tissues. Sometimes hand washing is not possible, so in those cases, you should use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is also effective in protecting against avian flu infection. Most people will find it best to eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits and whole grain products. Of course, you should also include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish and beans. When trying to avoid the avian flu, it is   important to drink lots of water, and to ease up on salt, sugar, alcohol and saturated fat. It is also important to exercise on a regular basis, and get plenty of rest. Getting a seasonal flu shot can also help protect many people from the avian flu. Although, the seasonal flu shot is only used to protect people against human influenza, it can be used to guard against avian influenza infection.

Getting a seasonal flu shot can help keep you healthy, and help your body build better immunity against the avian flu. A seasonal flu shot is also effective in protecting against seasonal human influenza. It is also advisable to get a pneumonia shot, which is effective in preventing secondary infection. People over the age of 65 or who have diabetes or asthma, should especially consider getting a pneumonia shot. Staying home when you are sick is also an effective way to protect yourself from avian flu infection, and prevent the spreading of infection. The infections of others would be greatly reduced, if more people stayed home during sickness. When you are sick, the immune system is weakened and you’re more susceptible to illness. So it is best to stay home, and try to stay healthy during sickness.

The most obvious way to avoid contraction of the bird flu virus is by avoiding contact with possibly infected animals. If it is possible, don’t handle any live poultry, and don’t live too close to animals such as chicken and pigs. Keeping your distance from these sorts of animals will ensure that you will not contract the bird flu. It’s not possible for humans to spread the bird flu to each other, so contact with infected people will be okay for most people. It is also important to cover your mouth and noses when coughing or sneezing, and to properly dispose of used tissues. Mouths and noses should be covered with a tissue, instead of a hand. If it is not possible to use a tissue to sneeze or cough into, using a sleeve may be the next best thing. After sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose into a tissue, it is important to throw it into a wastebasket.

Tags: Avian Flu

An exciting and radical new treatment is being proposed for victims of the bird flu.  Chemotherapy, usually used to treat immune system disorders, might also be effective in treating people infected with the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus.

A team from the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, is arguing that new forms of treatment and a new way of thinking are urgently needed.  Currently the bird flu has a 50% mortality rate in humans and the virus has the possibility to become resistant to antiviral treatments.  This scary reality is coupled with the fact that there are currently no vaccines that have been developed for humans and the bird flu is rapidly spreading across the world.  These researchers have published their reasoning for the suggestion of the use of chemotherapy in The Lancet, to suggest to the scientific community that the use of this radical new therapy may be the answer some have been looking for.

The symptoms of patients who have the H5N1 avian flu virus were found to be very similar to patients who have an often fatal immune disease called haemophagocytic lymphohitiocytosis (HLH), discovered Jan-Inge Henter, a pediatric clinical oncologist.  Patients with H5N1 have symptoms that include a major over-response of their immune system, which also is the case with HLH patients.  The cause of death in patients with H5N1 is linked to sepsis and multi-organ failure, which is caused by the over-production of certain immune messengers.  These same symptoms are seen with HLH patients, but HLH can be treated with a mix of drugs including a chemotherapy drug called etoposide, whose job is to kill excess immune cells.  This treatment increases the survival rates of patients from 56% to 90% when given immediately, compared to giving the treatment at four weeks, or not giving it at all according to a study of Epstein-Barr HLH patients.

Henter suggests that the World Health Organization should recommend to scientists that they conduct research to support this hypothesis.  He is hoping that they could bypass testing in animals and move directly to humans infected with the h5N1 virus that have secondary HLH.  “So our thinking is that these patients with severe (H5N1) infection, their immune regulation is out of control.  We are down-regulating things to kill off some of the cells, to get some kind of balance-there is some logic to how this could work,” states Henter.  He also told New Scientist that, “Etoposide is licensed for this indication, and it is well known.  The treatment protocol has been used successfully in humans affected by severe virus infections for more than 10 years,” and also adds that the drug is widely available and inexpensive.

The risks may be high for individuals who are seriously ill, but Henter points out that people with virus associated HLH are already at a dangerously high risk of death if their condition is left untreated.  While scientists discuss the best treatment options of this virus, significant risks to patients need to be taken into account.  The WHO is inviting clinicians from all countries with human cases of the H5N1 avian influenza virus to discuss the best possible treatment options at the end of March.  Obviously, Henter is hopeful that scientists will begin research and testing of etoposide in patients in time to help prevent the pandemic that some officials say is inevitable.

This radical new treatment will not be the answer to preventing the disease, but instead may be able to offer a low cost and easily accessible option for those who are unfortunate enough to contract this illness.  Many hope that there will be options like this one available in the case of a world-wide pandemic because currently it seems that there are no tools in place to prevent, treat, or contain this illness.

Tags: Human Bird Flu Victims

There are several things you can do to help keep you and your family from contracting the Bird Flu.  Be sure and avoid close contact with those who are sick.  Also, stay at home when you are sick yourself and keep your family home as well.  Be sure to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and practice good hand washing practices.  Always avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, and remember to practice a healthy lifestyle.

One of the ways you can practice good hygiene and encourage good health habits is to avoid close contact with people who are sick.  One way to ensure that you and your family stay healthy is to avoid places and situations where there are large crowds of people.  Shopping malls, concerts and movie theaters are examples of places where large groups of people come into close contact with one another.  If a bird flu outbreak occurs, the best place for you and your family is at home.  Be sure to stay home if you are sick, and keep children home for the same reason.  If you or a family member has been ill, or has a compromised immune system, it would be especially important to stay away from other people who may be infected.

Stay at home when you are sick.  When you become infected with a virus, whether it is the bird flu or not, it is important that you stay home.  Staying home will not only keep others from contracting the virus, but it will also protect your fragile immune system from any other virus’s that are out there.  Keeping your children home is very important since the spread of germs in a school setting is very fast.  Children in day care should also be kept home if they are ill to prevent others from getting sick.

In the event of a pandemic, schools, day care, trade schools, and colleges may be closed to prevent the spread of the flu.  It is important to watch for these closures and be prepared in case your child cannot go to school or day care.  Talk wit your child’s teachers or principal to determine what would happen in the event that the school is closed to prevent the spread of bird flu.  Be sure to offer your help, and talk to your child’s teacher about possible learning activities that could be offered to your child in this case.  Also try to plan learning and recreational activities that could occupy and entertain your family, and that don’t involve places like movie theaters or shopping malls, which may also be closed.

Be sure to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to help prevent the spread of the virus.  Germs are spread from person to person in the form of “droplet spread”, which are the respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes.  When an infected person coughs or sneezes, these droplets are sent through the air and are deposited in the mouth or nose of people nearby.  Also, the germs can be contracted when someone touches the droplets from an infected person on a surface and then touches their own eyes, nose, or mouth.  Some viruses and bacteria can live for 2 hours or longer on many surfaces. This is why it is important to cover your mouth and nose and remind children to do the same, when coughing or sneezing.

Good hand washing practices are the best way to prevent the spread of germs.  Whether you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, or you wash your hands with soap and water, it is important to frequently wash your hands to prevent infection and the spread of viruses such as the bird flu.  Reminding children to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice while washing their hands will help them to thoroughly clean all the germs off their hands.  Good hand washing should take about 15-20 seconds and hands should be washed with warm water and soap.  If an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is used, you should rub your hands until the sanitizer is dry.

Try to avoid touching your eyes, hands, or mouth to prevent the spread of germs.  When you come into contact with germs, those germs can most easily enter your body through openings in your eyes, cuts or open sores on your hands, nose, or in your mouth.  Therefore, it is important to avoid touching these areas and to encourage children to do the same if you want to prevent illness.

Practicing an overall healthy lifestyle will help keep you from getting sick.  Doing things like staying physically active, managing your stress levels, eating nutritious food, getting enough rest, as well as drinking plenty of fluids will help keep your body healthy enough to fight illness.  Practicing good hygiene and living a healthy life will help keep you from getting the bird flu.

The bird flu can be deadly to birds and humans, because the virus is able to infect both. This virus differs from the human flu virus in many ways. Although the human flu virus is serious condition in humans, it can be vaccinated, and it is not usually fatal. On the other hand, the avian flu can be a very serious condition for many humans. Many people have come to believe that the bird flu and human flu are the same things. However, with the threat of a flu pandemic it is important that humans know the differences between the two. The first difference between bird flu and human flu begins with how it infects people. When the bird flu infects a person, the virus is more concentrated in the throat than the nose, which is the complete opposite of the human flu.  This difference can help doctors more quickly diagnose an instance of bird flu in a human being.

The bird flu also replicates to higher levels in comparison with the human flu. The avian flu replicates to higher levels in the respiratory system, which ignites an intense inflammatory response. When inflammation occurs, the body’s immune system causes blood vessels to allow chemical and blood cells to leak into an infected area, which are designed to attack the infection. However, an over response can have the adverse effect in a human being. The direct effect of the avian flu virus and the effect of an intense inflammatory response can cause damage to the lungs and other organs. If the virus enters the bloodstream, it is likely to cause death. High levels of the virus in the lungs, which causes death, may cause the presence of the virus in the bloodstream. However, this does not usually occur in human flu cases.

Avian influenza and human influenza are both caused by influenza viruses. However, influenza A (H3N2), influenza A (H1N1) and influenza B viruses commonly cause human influenza. On the other hand, influenza A (H5N1) and influenza A (H9N2) viruses most commonly cause the bird flu. The most obvious difference between the human flu and bird flu is that the bird flu may be deadly to humans. Although humans have died in the past of influenza, vaccines and human immunity have made death from the human influenza very rare. However, the bird flu has been known to kill nearly half of its human victims. Humans don’t have immunity against the powerful avian flu, so they are more susceptible to death. There are also known vaccines to help humans defend against a bird flu infection. Humans are able to get yearly flu shots that successfully vaccinate the human flu, but there are currently no available deterrents of avian flu infection.

The human flu is also able to spread from human-to-human, but the bird flu is yet to be spread in such a way. The spreading of bird flu through human-to-human contact has the potential to cause a pandemic throughout the world. The avian flu can only be spread from animals to humans, and infection usually occurs in humans that are in close proximity of infected poultry. There are also certain symptoms of the bird flu that are unique to the occurrence of the virus. Some of the unique symptoms of bird flu, include conjunctivitis (eye-infections) and pneumonia. These symptoms are not a clear sign of the bird flu, but they will not occur if a human flu virus is present. Avian influenza and human influenza also require different care and attention. An avian influenza virus usually requires hospitalization, whereas the human flu can be treated at home without constant monitoring. There are many differences between the human flu and bird flu, but they can both be very serious illnesses for humans.

Tags: Bird Flu and Human Flu

Like humans and other species, birds are susceptible to flu. There are 15 types of bird, or avian, flu. The most contagious strains, which are usually fatal in birds, are H5 and H7. There are nine different types of H5. The nine all take different forms – some are highly pathogenic, while some are pretty harmless.

The type currently causing concern is the deadly strain H5N1, which can prove fatal to humans. Migratory wildfowl, especially wild ducks, are natural carriers of the viruses, but are unlikely to actually develop an infection. The risk is that they pass it on to domestic birds, which are much more susceptible to the virus.

Diseased birds increase the opportunities for human infection and provide chances for H5N1 to change into a structure more hazardous to people. The virus is reported to have killed a person about every four days this year, more than double the 2005 rate. Millions could die if H5N1 becomes easily transmissible between people, sparking a lethal pandemic.

The H5N1 virus is known to have infected 256 people in 10 countries in the past three years, killing 152 of them, according to the World Health Organization. . Last year, 42 fatalities were confirmed, after 32 in 2004 and four in 2003. More than five of every 10 reported cases were fatal.

The fatality rate of officially reported bird flu in humans is 59 percent through October of 2006.

Over the past two years the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread from South East Asia to Europe, the Middle East and West Africa, sparking fears of a global pandemic. The bird flu is spreading at an alarming pace.

The latest numbers, as of October 11, 2006, report that there have been a total of 253 cases of reported Bird flu worldwide. According to the World Health Organization 148 people have died.

As of October 2006 deaths from this virus have been limited to the countries of Azerbaijan, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, China, Iraq and Cambodia.

Bird flu pops up in the U.S. occasionally. The last time an extreme strain appeared was in February 2004, near Houston, Texas. This involved a different virus strain than the one circulating in Asia. By April 2004, the outbreak had been eradicated. No human infections were detected.

Many are comparing the spread of H5N1 to the Spanish flu virus of 1918. At least four of the eight genes now contain mutations seen in the deadly strain that circled the globe during the outbreak in 1918. These genetic changes are frightening because the Spanish flu killed 50 million people almost a century ago.

It appears that the H5N1 virus might be acquiring the ability to adapt to humans, increasing their pandemic risk in what has been described by some as the deadliest epidemic since the Black Death.

According to experts if the next pandemic resembles the birdlike 1918 Spanish flu, as many as 1.9 million could die, and millions more would be seriously ill.

H5N1 is a serious flu and currently there is no vaccine to prevent it, or medicine to cure it. Although a vaccine against the H5N1 virus known as the bird flu is under development in several countries, no vaccine is ready for commercial production and no vaccines are expected to be widely available until several months after the start of a pandemic. This means an outbreak would have to already be in progress before a vaccine would be widely available to the public.

In February 2006, President Bush approved an extraordinary amount of funds to support vaccine research, development, and procurement. That funding will support research on more resourceful ways to produce vaccine as well as ways to extend a given supply of vaccine to all who need it. Hopefully these funds will aid in saving lives from the serious H5N1 virus.

Tags: H5N1 virus