Building these bird fixtures will help wildlife during the winter and help fend off the winter blahs.

The frigid arctic blast that hit us last weekend reminded me of how fragile we are when it comes to the elements.

The wildlife really were hitting the feeder stations and food sources around our place. Thirty mourning doves gave us a treat as they filtered out of the evergreens and landed without ceremony onto our driveway for some grit and sunflower seeds.

The doves depend on thick cover for protection from the wind and cold, and seem to enjoy my neighbor's spruces.

We have a resident group of birds and mammals that are regular visitors, and Renee has been calling them by pet names for years.

There's Bucky the deer, Petey the cottontail rabbit, the two roosters from the Dillaman's place, Colonel Sanders and Chick Filet, Grinner the opossum and many more. We recognize one squirrel because a predator took half of his tail and now it looks like a jaunty feather when he comes to visit the feeders.

Besides feeding the wildlife, the best thing you can do is provide habitat, nesting boxes or cover.

I seldom burn off dead brush around my small woodlot and instead stack the limbs in piles for the smaller critters to hide and nest in. Last spring, I was rewarded with some great bird life.

Some wildlife require a little more help to establish a safe habitat in our woodlots. Many forms of bird species, tree-climbing mammals and fish require our help with suitable housing. Bird boxes, platforms and fish cribs are all easy winter projects that will certainly chip away at the winter doldrums.

Many years ago, I built a wood duck nesting box on a small pond and waited eagerly for its first tenants. I was rewarded with a pair of ducks in the first year. They successfully hatched a brood and it has been used time and time again for new generations of ducklings.

I found the plans in a game magazine and adapted them to the building materials that I had around the house. The sweet thing about wildlife is they prefer older wood that isn't painted or stained.

If you have a few simple hand tools and some 1-inch thick boards, you can make a nesting box. Placing the box in a good place that will appeal to the target species is the most difficult part of the project.

A 12-inch wide piece of lumber about 6 feet long will be suitable for the front, back and roof of a duck box. The back should be 31 inches long, the front 24 inches long and the roof about 12 by 12 inches.

The sides should be about 24 inches long by 10 inches wide. The entrance hole needs to be about 4 inches in diameter for a wood duck and about 3 inches in diameter for a squirrel.

I usually place some foot holds inside the box leading up to the exit hole. Use chicken wire or wood strips to help the ducklings out when they fledge.

I also drill holes for drainage and put 3 to 4 inches of sawdust in the bottom for the nesting material. The nest needs to be near water and at least 10 to 30 feet above the ground.

You can use a tree, but a pole standing alone in water is better and provides protection from predators. Use stainless hardware to fasten the wood together and make a cleanout door that latches onto the side to keep up with new families each year.

Once a box is established it will be used every year and give wildlife a good home and give you plenty of personal satisfaction for your effort.