Spending your daytime hours can be more fun if you have a worthy diversion. The problem is when you want to daydream, the computer or cell phone captures your attention. When you want to de-stress, a book could be too intense. Instead, a good solution is to just look out a window. If you are in a home or business that opens to the outdoors (large yard or small spot), you can invite wildlife into your view.

The National Wildlife Federation offers lots of advice about a Certified Wildlife Habitat. This habitat needs to offer food, water, cover, and a place to raise young. That's all. It can be as small as 3'x3' to acres. If you are in fact offering these four elements, you can apply for certification through the Federation at http://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/Certify.aspx.

If you want to build your habitat, now is the time to start with housing or "cover". Putting out a bird house in late February and early March is a perfect invitation to those early birds. For first timers, it is important to know that the type of house you put out attracts specific kinds of birds. The hole size and the depth and size of the house will attract different kinds of birds. My favorite bird to attract is the house wren. They like a small house with a 1" to 1 1/8" hole. Any larger hole (like the houses you get in the big box stores) is an invitation for sparrows to take over. Another important feature of a birdhouse is a clean out. If the birdhouse is really built for birds and not decoration, there will be a wall or floor that can be opened so you can clean out last year's nest. Kinds of bird houses can range from pottery bird bottles, gourds, wooden, composite, and plastic.

It is also great to pick up a field guide and see which birds like to use a birdhouse. Not every bird will use birdhouse. Some favor their own nests. Cardinals and mourning doves like to build loose nests in shrubbery fairly close to the ground. Robins make their own nests along with hummingbirds and bluejays. Grackles and starlings also nest outside of birdhouses. Carolina wrens are often found nesting in a hanging planter or eave. Goldfinches don't nest in houses either.

If you are in a densely wooded area or water-side, you can offer more unique housing. Birds such as woodpeckers, wood ducks, and owls can be attracted to the right house. Purple Martins have condo-type housing, AND they require a specific habitat to be successful. Also bluebirds are not found in our area, because they prefer open fields and country living.

Near the birdhouse you can offer food. It is good to keep some distance between them because only one bird will use the house, but many birds will be attracted to the food. Offer fresh seeds like sunflowers, safflowers, millet, or peanuts to invite a good variety of birds to your window. If you have a small area, you may want to try a feeder that attaches to your window. If you have a large area, it is still good to place your feeders near the window so you can view the visitors.

The next time you want to de-stress or daydream, look outside. See what your feeder and birdhouse has attracted.