Bird Houses, Baths and Feeding Shelters: How to Make and Where to Place Them

A charming period piece from 1944 that captures the golden age of American birdwatching. Edmund J. Sawyer was no armchair naturalist - his instructions for building birdhouses, baths, and feeding stations reflect decades of hands-on experience watching birds in the field. The book offers specific, almost obsessive detail: exact dimensions for wren boxes versus bluebird houses, recommendations for particular woods and gauge of wire, placement guidance that accounts for predator access and morning sun. What elevates this beyond a simple DIY manual is Sawyer's conservation ethic. He writes with real passion about protecting native songbirds from invasive English Sparrows and European Starlings that were overwhelming nesting sites across America. The text feels impossibly practical in an era before big-box stores sold plastic feeders. If you're restoring a mid-century garden, starting a bird-friendly yard, or simply curious about how Americans once approached wildlife in their backyards, this little guide holds quiet treasures.