Kid's Corner began with the topic Birds and Their Care. Two of the next three columns will deal with birdhouses and feeders. Fall and winter are good seasons to begin planning these items. Our feathered friends return early in some parts of the country; and some never head south at all! So you can see that waiting until Master Robin appears in the spring is too late, really!

Nest boxes, as they are properly called, are an important conservation tool. Even though there are hundreds of species of birds in North America, only about 85 of them nest in cavities. Even so, there is so much competition for natural holes in tree trunks, that man-made nest boxes are appreciated by many of these, especially bluebirds, wrens, woodducks, titmice, and chickadees.

Your library is a superb source of blueprints for many types of nest boxes. In addition, your state wildlife department may offer free, or inexpensive waxed cardboard bluebird boxes which only require folding and mounting .

Some points to keep in mind that are not always mentioned in the blueprints for birdhouses are:

a. Always use UNTREATED lumber at least ¾" thick such as cedar, pine, and exterior plywood. This helps insulate the birds from cold and heat.

b. Leave the wood UNPAINTED. If you really must paint, use certified non-toxic paint, and keep colors muted to blend in with the surrounding leaves and tree barks. Use light shades to reflect heat and sunlight so you don't turn your box into an oven.

c. Glue deteriorates, and nails rust and work their way out of shrinking and warping wood. Use "galvanized screws" instead.

d. The box should have a hinged front or side wall that lets you easily remove old nests at the end of the season. Old nests may contain parasites and disease causing bacteria that will contaminate new nests. Some birds will avoid a box with an old nest inside. At the end of the season, clean the inside with a solution of ¼ cup chlorine bleach and 2 cups of water.

e. The entrance wall can be scored on the INSIDE with ridges to give the birds a "ladder" to walk up to the hole.

f. Do not place a perching stick in front of the hole. The birds do not need it, and it makes it easier for birds who rob other birds' nests to gain entrance.

g. The box should have a roof line which hangs out over the entrance hole to hamper invaders and protect the birds inside from driving rains.

h. The roof should also have ventilation openings near the top. These can be drilled holes, or you can leave a slight gap between the top of the walls and the roof boards.

i. Spread a thin layer of petroleum jelly along the inside of the roof to keep wasps and bees from also nesting in the box.

j. The floor's edges should be covered by the wall boards, and you should drill drainage holes, at least one in each corner, in case rain does get in.

k. Mount your nest boxes away from easy access by predators. The best way is to mount them on a pole with a "baffle", a sheet metal skirt or tube below the box on the pole. Many plans can be found in bird books for these.

Imagine your delight to discover one morning that two sweetly chirping chickadees have chosen your carefully built nest box in which to raise their family. They work for days building their nest, and finally, mama settles down to incubate her newly laid egss. Then, one morning you notice no activity around the box, and on closer inspection, you discover pieces of shell, or bits of feathers lying on the ground. During the night, your nest box undoubtedly served as a neat little "dinner in a dish" for a local snake, raccoon, or other predator.

This is why a baffle of some kind is necessary for your birdhouse. Pretend you are the predator. Would you climb, slither, or fly into the nest box? Construct your baffle to ward off these advances.

These guidelines, and those in any birdhouse design book or article, should bring happy little birds to nest in your yard.

Melani Roewe is a former news editor, Girl Scout Leader and Adult Trainer and K-12 educator who enjoys alpine wilderness hiking, birdwatching, fishing, snow- and water-skiing, swimming, and camping. She directs her church's Youth and Adult Choirs and lives in Oklahoma with her husband and two children. . She also does glass etching and owns The Glass Carver.