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Nest Boxes .....
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ISP; By " 6" x 6" " I take it ye mean the internal floor space? Only, the box really wants to be a bit taller ~ 9" to a foot ~ than a six inch cube.
I do trust I've made that clear in what I've put down so far? Else I'll have to go back and edit some stuff, obviously.
Is it that Cutting Plan causing confusion? I realise I've left the original (small) measurements. Hard for me, because I work in inches. I know hole size mm's by rote. But, that Plan? I need to Google what " 200mm " means in inches.
Never mind. Blue tits have nested in bean tins before now. A six inch square cube would be luxury, by comparison. As I'm at pains to try and point out here; I simply have this beef about providing the biggest box ~ within reason ~ possible.
Better a bedsit than a shop door way, eh?
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Aah; Schwegler! 'Entertainment' for nest box freaks!
I've spent many a long period of quality, private, time drooling over that site.
" Internal dimensions: 18 x 18 cm Total length: 37 cm "
OK. And, based ~ presumably? ~ on that information, ye've made ye own and it's worked a treat for Dipper?
May I ask what height that internal baffle is, please? Have ye built in any access hatch?0 -
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:eek: Blimey! Yet, I've just checked out 18 cm on my tape ..... shade over 7" ! As I say, I'm not at all familiar with Dippers. Only ever saw one once. Special birding trip to Wales. Almost worth it just for the Dipper!
I'm focusing on Gray Wag's though. I reckon, from my experience of their nests else where, a half height baffle should be about right for them. They don't need it either. They just build a deep enough nest. Just belt and braces
I'll let ye know as and when we get a response to ye question about this nesting schedule
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Bingo! Did I say Wales ....?
This, hot from my e mail, from Mark ~ a fellow BTO NRS member:
" Had a lot of experience with Dipper in Wales, Finding complete nests without lining throughout February would expect to start finding them on eggs early March. When lining goes in, eggs follow shortly.
all the best, Mark. "
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So, this is a plan of my garden. It's not exactly to scale, but it's pretty accurate.
Red dots are feeding stations, and one yellow dot is the open-fronted nest box which I've just put up. I'm struggling to find a spot for the BT box.
I could probably move the feeding stations to the middle part of the plan, either side of the stepped pathway and still have them visible from the house/garden.
As I say, there is a climb along that pathway, with the top of it probably at about the height of the eaves of the two-storey house. There is a single-storey extension, and then a bit of a shed/shelter attached to that to the right.
I would like to keep the nest boxes somewhat visible from the house/garden. But if I strap the BT box to the single-storey part, it's right bang in the middle of the feeders. The trees up the back of the garden overlap more, so it's not as open there as it looks.
Any ideas? (I'm looking at you Ditch!) What prefers buildings, and what prefers trees etc?
Oh yeah, there is also an ESB pole in the front garden covered in ivy with holly and fuschia bushes surrounding its base.
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WUL; I've just got in. I've read ye post and looked at ye diagram. First thing that strikes me is that I fancy the east facing walls of the building, for a tit box or two.
Ye don't give us windows, so I don't know what's viewable from 'the kitchen sink / breakfast table' aspects. I'd imagine the feeders have already bagged those views though?
Doesn't matter. Feeders we watch. We like to see all the birds active around them. Nest Boxes? With these, the pleasure comes from the knowing.
Ye make a box. Ye put it up. Wham! Some birds actually take it over! You're a god! Ye've provided a home for them.
But, don't become that sort of landlord who insists on his right to walk into " His Property " at any 'reasonable hour'. Leave ye tenants alone to 'quietly enjoy' their occupation.
Glance up in passing. Catch the odd view of the adults nipping in or out. Comes the time their little bundles of feathers appear, quivering for food, that's what it's all about
Anyway; Looks a natural for a Blue Tit. Side of that smaller, northerly place. If the southerly block is the maim property, and higher? I'd have a Great Tit box there.
I'm liking the west / north westerly corner, with the hedge (?) too. Robin may get in there. Depends on what it's really like, of course. I can only take the broadest stabs here.
East side of the green stuff too. Box in there, with a north facing hole, maybe? It'd depend on if there's any trees along those hedges.
What are those trees, at the back? Coniferous or deciduous?
What sort of place are ye in? Urban or rural? I'm wondering about maybe Jackdaws, even Kestrel. Possibly Tawny Owl? Depends on those trees and much else imponderable to me on the paucity of given information.
There's doubtless no end of little spots where a Wren box or two could be useful too. I'm struggling to get a grip on the land lay there. Photo's, or at least a more graphic description, more detailed, would help.
I get this all the time with pest control; Someone hits me, on line. They say, " My duck had its head bit off! What did it? "
Hell, that gives me half a dozen 'usual suspects'. If I could be there, using all my own senses and observing the stuff I'm probably not even aware I tend to take in? I'd have the duck killer caught ~ or your property 'Boxed Up' in no time.
Very hard to work from hints and clues though. But, I'm always happy to try my damnedest. Flitting around the country, doing the nature detective bit would, doubtless, be fun. I just don't have a helicopter 0 -
Ah no I don't want to be sticking my head into the box every day. Just to keep an eye on it to see if it's been looked at/used. I don't mind siting them up in the trees out of sight if it's suitable. I saw your other post saying Great Tits, for example, prefer to be on a building, rather than in trees.
Here is the upper part of the 'garden'.
Looking down towards the end of the garden.
Looking back towards the house.
So BT boxes on the eastern side of the house. How much of a clear flight path into the box do you need? There are trees all along between our property and the neighbours. They're not too thick at that point though.
Great Tit box facing which direction on the lower building. It wouldn't be possible to have them facing east there because of the shelter attached to it. I could put it on the northerly facing back wall of the main building, but put the hole facing east?
The hedge on the west side is free of trees. The hedge on the east side has trees behind it, in the neighbours property. Literally just stuff the box into the hedge? Would they not be at risk of cats at such a low level?
The trees are all deciduous. It's an urban/suburban garden. I'll PM you a google map.
Thanks for your help.0 -
MGWhelan; The Eagle Has Landed! I'm about to send ye a PM containing five more comments on ye Dippers. These are the words of people largely so experienced, I'm not worthy to look them in the eye!
Please get back to me, by PM, about the river question in #5. I'll slide ye response back and, if ye both agreeable and feel the need, will put ye in direct contact to compare notes.
Please forgive the 'Cloak and Dagger' rubbish. It's simply that the BTO's NRS forum is 'screened' membership only.
Fact is; No one really says jack on there that'd be of use to an Egg Collector. I'm just respecting the notional protocol of not publicly putting out what's said there
I'll have to have a word with 'M' myself. See if they have any advice on where I might put some Dipper / Gray Wag boxes myself. I was stalking along a local site today. Drawing up my provisional plans ..... 0 -
Ditch, read your response to WUL - very interesting indeed, if not very analytical and techo :rolleyes:. My humble query is very dull and embarrassing: How on earth will i know where to EXACTLY position my BT box? - IE: SE or east facing position - as this SE/E position is 'a must' in all the bird watching sites also here on this very forum. Getting the compass position is my nemesis..:rolleyes: I don't have a darn compass
. Can i go bye the sun's position, and just go for it?
I'm going to show you my 'art work' soon: my BT box. I'll try to up load a photo asap.0 -
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Sables; There's actually very little 'Exact' in nest boxes, despite how I might make it seem. This is due to my hammering what I consider best practice.
Don't worry though; No birds are reading this forum
My favoured illustration of the way birds will defy our attempts to ~ dare I say ~ Pigeon Hole them is the Fort Widley kestrels.
Ever find yeself unlucky enough to be in Portsmouth, check out ye star again and follow that. Above Portsmouth, to the north, runs a strip of downland known locally as " Portsdown Hill ". On top of it are situated a string of forts dating from Napoleonic times.
One of them is called Fort Widley. And, in a west facing wall of Fort Widley, right above the window of the caretakers accommodation is a square hole. Some sort of vent, I'd imagine.
Kestrels have nested in that damn hole for about fifty years that I know of. Probably been there since the place was built! Yet; What's the one direction every book about nest boxes always omits as suitable for facing a box?
No one's ever gone up and told those kestrels they're facing in the wrong direction. And it's never bothered them, or their annual, successful broods either.
No. We try to follow best practice. But, nothing's written in stone.
Here's a thought to wreck ye head with: When a thrush builds its round nest in the branches of a tree; Which way's that nest facing? 0 -
WUL; My apologies. I was in town yesterday and I'm afraid it looks like a bit of a case of 'Johnny being so long at the fair'
Came home. Relaxed with some of my own Home Brew as I studied ye pictures. Wound up relaxed as a hand cart and took myself off to bed after waking up in this chair towards 04:00!
Anyway; Go and snatch an ivy leaf off of one of those trees and nip down to ye local hardware shop with it. Have a run through the paint cards, darker greens. Find a reasonable match for ye ivy leaf.
Buy yeself a pot of that shade of green, in what ever type of paint the man says will be best suited for exterior wood. (There's so many stupud names for paint these days; " Vinyl " was a record, in my time. Silk was stockings)
Fetch it home and take down that bloody eye sore glaring at us all from ye photo's there. Paint the damn thing on the outside and then put it back. Only. I'd try to thrust it in amongst some cover somewhere. Lot lower too. (I take it it's supposed to be a Robin Box? Looks more like a Kestrel one! Bit big, isn't it?)
Anyway, that's the first ~ and possibly most important ~ thing we glean from ye photo's. That box stands out like a punch in the mouth. Every Magpie for miles around will be gagging for some bird stupid enough to lay eggs in it.
That said? Ye've got some lovely trees there, for putting suitably coloured boxes on. Tit type box, attached to one of those ivy covered trees, would just stick out of the ivy and present a nice, natural seeming hole, see?
Nothing wrong with putting a Great Tit box on one of those trees, by the way. They're just the sort of trees I was talking about earlier; Separated and allowing a good view.
I'd put a GT box on one of those trees. Blue Tit on another. Then another BT on the building I referred to earlier. How about a Starling box somewhere? Ye've plenty of room and scope there, judging by these and the other photo's ye've sent me.
Robin box would be better served shoved down into all that lower stuff. The hedge / wall of ivy running along beneath those trees. Tuck it away in there somewhere so that it's hidden from view. Pull some ivy back and then pull it back over the box. Ye with me? Make it a secret.
How about House Martins? Have ye got any in the vicinity? Only, I couldn't help but spot that gorgeous, white gable end! Up there in the apex would be sweet!
Of course, there's never any harm in putting up such 'boxes' on the off chance. Always possible that, one year down the line, some passing martins may decide to accept the offer.
Anyway, talking the hind leg off a herd of donkeys here. Basically, the world's ye oyster. Those scruffy trees are perfect for putting boxes on. The lower ivy provides ideal cover for robins and wrens.
The house is sure to present more opportunities than I can make out from here. The situation's good too. Sort of offering ye the best of both worlds.
Only one thing I'd like to stress though; Beware that big road! Don't go siteing any low boxes beside that. Tits, up on the trees, will fly in and out high, see? But, any robins or wrens flighting in and out of that boundry won't last five minutes against the traffic.
How's that to be getting on with?0 -
Your my NO NON-SENSE man. I like your style Ditch. Well, it's up now..so, they can 'grab the bait'.....:eek::eek:. (Wishful/hopeful thinking..eh?). I'm seriously hopeful they'll see it and 'investigate' their future HQ....:D:D.
Guess your right about the SE/SW South....what ever - if they like it, they'll grab it with both...eh...wings
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Green boxes, gotcha!
Box is 6"X5" to not make it a "cough" bedsit *cough cough*. Probably just looks a bit bulkier because it's made from inch thick timber. It is supposed to be a Robin box.
So basically more camouflaged in general. Was just trying to keep it off the ground/wall, with an open path into it.
Not sure about House Martins, but I can look into putting a box up.
There is a good big trunked tree right at the end of the garden. Any ideas for that? You've seen the location now, I wouldn't imagine it would be suitable for owls or kestrels?
Thanks again for your help.0 -
Robin boxes? Something I've not covered yet. So ye weren't to know the score with them. I'll deal with those presently.
Know what? This is doing my head in. I actually came here and kicked all this off because I was so excited about the fact that I was about to set to work and saturate my own property with nest boxes.
There I was, power saw at the ready. Various planks. Tin of paint. Open my mouth in here and now I've been tied to this bloody key board, day and night, fielding questions and pumping out information for others to work from. Result is; I haven't had a chance to cut a bit of wood yet! How ironic's that? Classic case of do as I say; Don't for god sake do as I do!
More irony, actually; A robin's more at home in a smaller box than a blue tit is. Sick, isn't it? All these tits crammed in like sardines, whilst robins bang around in boxes with far too high a ceiling.
House martins? Ye buy these 'House Martin Nests' for them. We've already covered these very things on this thread, actually. I hope the OP can forgive me for having simply forgotten which of ye they were? Only, it's not on this page so I can't check their name.
I'm set for maximum posts per page. Thus this is page three to me (Probably hence the Great Tits!) House martins would be on my page two. Anyway, there's a photograph of a pair of them ~ HM nests. Not great tits :rolleyes:
Find them and perhaps PM that poster to see where he bought them? I know loads of places. But, because they're made of concrete, shipping from UK would be a bitch!
That big tree? Ooh, yeah! I could well see a kestrel box on that! Not certain how much open grassland ye have around there? (My connection's hopeless. No way I can go to Google Maps and try to check out the surrounding habitat)
Ever see any kestrels around your way? Always a good indication of a birds presence; Seeing one. See them and they're there. They're there? Offer them a box
Owls? You so much as dare contemplate a Barn owl and I'll have to visit ye during the wee small hours! That road right outside? Poor thing wouldn't last five minutes. They have this tendency to flit along roadside hedges. Often hopping from one side to the other. Splat!
Of course, we have no Tawny or Little owls here. Long Eared don't accept 'Nest Boxes'. However, we can provide 'baskets' for them. Not sure ye tree's suitable though. They like to be 'inside' trees. As in; Surrounded by other trees.
No. I'd certainly go kestrel. That tree's screaming out for it. And how about a Jackdaw box, or five, in some of the others?
I might bang on about jackdaw boxes next. I like jackdaws Right now though, I must go and check my post box 0 -
Still haven't done a thing construction wise but have been inspired by reading all the posts on this thread. There is an old Joiner not far from me and I'll be lazy and get him to do all the cutting. Marine ply for me too - only the best!
Not far from the Joinery is St.John's Street full of traditional town houses with slated roofs and it is these that provide the wonderful 'traditional' nest sites for the Swifts and House Sparrows. The sparrows are already busy prospecting and come April the Swifts will be back. Fortunately even houses which have been modernised on the street have left their roofs alone so there's plenty of sites available.
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Everyone should put up a few wren nest boxes. They roost in them during the winter, as well as nest in them come summer.
Not really much I can say about a wren box, to be honest. Just cut some wood up and stitch it back together again so ye end up with a box, anything from six inches square, inside, down to four inches. Wren'll use it.
30mm hole or just leave a slit at the top of the front.
Siteing wren boxes is dead easy. Just stick one beside the gate. Wrens, I've found, are buggers for nesting in the ivy that tends to grow up around gate posts. At the hinge end, as a rule. Less disturbance, I suppose.
Then ye can put one in any accessible (to wrens) outbuildings ye have. They'll get in there too.
Just look out for 'landmarks'. A crafty nest finder friend of mine once pointed out that birds, just like us, like a landmark to get their bearings from.
Thus, if ye looking for nests in a hedge? Head for the trees in the hedge. Birds use those as markers and tend to nest near them, rather than simply at random in a long, 'identical' looking belt of hedgerow.
How's this for a point perfect site for a wrens nest? So good, a wren actually nested in it!
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Vary them, Trebor. Wrens aren't at all picky
I've had them nesting at four foot, inside a Cottoneaster hedge. Six foot, on a wall plate in a shed. Eight foot, up in the ivy round that concrete pillar in the photo there. I expect, if ye put one up on the apex of ye gable end, the little buggers would use that too
Just place them where it's convenient for yeself. Like I say though; They do like a bit of ivy and any kind of 'landmark' is good too.0 -
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