This is the fifth in a series on ideas for a dream wildlife deck. This week, I'm focusing on providing shelter for wildlife. I'll provide homes for at least wild birds, bats, and orchard mason bees. I'll also put up roosts for wild birds in cold weather.

For the friendly and beneficial orchard mason bee, I will order a can of bees. These cans come with some empty tubes for the bees to nest in after their early summer forays.

To house bats, a smaller bachelor house is probably more appropriate in a small outdoor space or wildlife deck than a community bat house.

Of course, my dream deck would allow me to install the bat house in the ideal location.

I will also provide housing for wrens and robins, as they don't mind nesting around people as much as other birds. A wren birdhouse like this one and a nesting platform for the robin will work nicely.

Finally, I'd like to provide roosts for birds. Although I could build my own, I like these roosting pockets offered by Duncraft.

The Series

1. An Introduction
2. Providing Water
3. Bird Food
4. Bird Feeders
5. Shelter
6. Vines and Shrubs to Shelter Wild Birds
7. Flowering Container Plants