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I am pleased to introduce you to these unique and fun birdhouses and to the rewards of Bird Gargler™ ownership. Bird Garglers™ are whimsical dwellings made especially for the birds around your home. Attract birds to your garden and enjoy watching them nest in these delightful critters throughout the year. I have about forty Garglers™ installed around my home and studio. Every one is occupied and it is always a pleasure to see birds sitting in a "beast's" mouth or perched on it's nose or tongue.

On the following pages you will find information about my offering of handmade terracotta Bird Garglers,™ and related creations, how I make them, how they are installed, and examples of some of my past work, as well as instructions for making a purchase.

Bird Garglers™

Derived from a combination of colonial American earthenware birdhouses called "bird bottles" and medieval gargoyles, Bird Garglers™ are my own hybrid creations.

The French verb "gargariser" means "to gargle."  It is believed to be the root word for "gargoyle," the term for the water spouts that adorn medieval cathedrals and castles.  As a gargoyle gargles water, my whimsical Bird Garglers™ appear to gargle birds.  With all of the activity of the birds nesting, mating, and caring for the hatchlings in the "throats of the beasts," it seems as if the creatures are, indeed, gargling birds.

Bird Garglers™ provide safe and unique all-season nesting habitats for birds around your home and garden. Birds easily adopt the Garglers™ for their nesting place anytime of year, particularly during the spring.  Once birds have nested, the Gargler™ will remain home to many generations of birds.

Each bird house is made with the birds in mind as much as the bird enthusiast with a sense of humor.

All of my ceramic birdhouses are individually handmade; no molds are used in their creation.  By attending to each creature separately , I am free to explore variations and combinations of physical attributes and personality traits thereby imparting a unique character to each Bird Gargler.™ Made of quality red earthenware clay, each completed Gargler™ is allowed to air dry and then fired to 2000°F. After cooling, glaze and colors are applied; the Garglers™ are fired again to 2200°F.  The completed Bird Garglers™ are quite durable and can remain installed outside throughout the year to provide all-season protection for the birds. Each Gargler™ measures approximately 9"-12" from mouth to the back and about 8"-9" across.  Dimensions will vary according to the particular style of Gargler.™

Installation

Choose a location for the Gargler™ beneath the eaves of your home, garage, potting shed, or on a deck structure, garden arbor, even inside your home for display.

Installation is quick and easy, requiring only a wide headed nail (roofing nail) or a screw. Once a suitable location has been determined, anchor the nail or screw in the wall leaving just enough space between the anchor head and the wall to fit the thickness of the back surface of the Gargler.™  Select a perching twig (this is not required for the birds) and insert it into the holding holes provided under the chin of the Gargler.™ Position the creature over the nail or screw at the point of the "cutout" on the back of the  Bird Gargler.™

Note: If you choose to install the Gargler.™ on a tree you must check the Gargler™ regularly. The tree grows out rather than up and will exert pressure between the bark and the Gargler™ as the tree grows. This pressure will cause the Gargler™ to break at the back. The insertion of a rubber washer as a cushion between the tree bark and the Gargler™  will help reduce the pressure for a short time. Even with a washer cushion the Gargler™ should be checked periodically.

The Bird Gargler™ is now ready for occupancy!

Glazed or Unglazed?  Which style is your choice?

All items are available either glazed or unglazed. Your choice is primarily an aesthetic decision. Which do you like best?

Both styles are fired the same number of times to the same temperature, and both can remain outside all year without damage; both styles have virtually the same durability.  The glazed items have a "waxier" surface and a more "old world" look to them, more like stone, while the unglazed items have a "dryer" surface and are brighter and more colorful.  

The glazed pieces are coated with a waxy "grayish stone" colored glaze over which additional colors are applied.  During firing the colors blend and become muted. 

The unglazed pieces have a "dry" surface and basic color typical of red terracotta. The color stains are applied directly to the unglazed clay and remain more distinct and vibrant after firing.

Confused?

I will be happy to explain further when you order.

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Douglas Fey Pottery ~ 1220 Alpine Street ~ Longmont CO ~ 80501 ~ (303) 651-3329

                                                   douglasfey@earthlink.net                       © 2007 Douglas Fey