Bird boxes (ghost estates)

I said

The thought has occurred to me walking the land this morning,listening to the birds singing and nest building that I haven't spotted one bit of activity at any of the boxes I put up for Glas.
Have all of us who joined the scheme just put up a lot of bird boxes needlessly.

L1985

Well I have to laugh, ours are out up in a wood and I'd be very surprised if any birds nest there!!id love then too and i could be wrong but....

Base price

I love the title of the thread
I imagine that it would take some time for the birds to accept and use them. You might have tenants in next year.

gozunda

Clearing out a ditch once and found an old thrownaway boot lodged in some branches. Inside some little bird had built a nest.

You can provide all the fancy house you like but if the prospective tenants don't fancy the neighbourhood not much you can do

L1985

Location location location!!!

my3cents

Not a farmer but live surrounded by farms and I put up a few nest boxes this year as I hoped it might persuade the Great Tits that nest every year in our post box by the gate to go elsewhere.

Anyway of the three nest boxes put up very near the post box (nearest is a few feet away) none of them have occupants but the letter box is already lined with moss, dog hair, fibre glass insulation (from the end of a roll stored in the barn) and bits of dog blanket picked up in the dog kennels. Each time I go near the gate I get scolded by a Great Tit in a nearby tree.

So once again we have a sign on the post box say "Postman please do not use the post box, birds nesting, please use carry bag instead" and we hang a carry bag under the post box.

I even spent some time checking the ideal deminsions for Great Tit nest boxes right down to the hole size. So our Great Tits can't be useing the same system of measurement and prefer a 28cm wide slot instead of a 28 mm round hole

Alun

It's rare for a newly erected bird box to be used in the first year anyway. Usually takes a year or two in my experience. Also location will be a factor as well as orientation. They prefer the entrance to be facing north - north east-ish.

blue5000

Who needs a birdbox? Had a fcukin wagtail that built a nest, and hatched them out on top of the auxiliary diesel tank of the 110-90.

Cavanjack

Hung my first bird box a couple of weeks ago for glas. The height of madness IMO. Why the hell do the birds need houses built for them. I said it before in another thread a few weeks back. Why not make us plant a tree instead of hanging a bird box. Not as crazy as wild bird cover I know but still who thinks of these ideas?

Muckit

Cavanjack wrote: »

Why not make us plant a tree instead of hanging a bird box

Or what about getting us to look after the ones that are growing? The amount of fine hardwood trees smothered with ivy is cruel. Very obvious over the winter. I've started cutting alot of it away from trees around the farm. Be great to get paid for it!!

gozunda

Cavanjack wrote: »

Hung my first bird box a couple of weeks ago for glas. The height of madness IMO. Why the hell do the birds need houses built for them. I said it before in another thread a few weeks back. Why not make us plant a tree instead of hanging a bird box. Not as crazy as wild bird cover I know but still who thinks of these ideas?

Anyone had to put up bat boxes?

chillin117

[QUOTE=
I even spent some time checking the ideal deminsions for Great Tit nest boxes right down to the hole size. So our Great Tits can't be useing the same system of measurement and prefer a 28cm wide slot instead of a 28 mm round hole=

I have always used a 32mm hole for great tits, 28mm is just a bit too tight for them.

gozunda

Cavanjack wrote: »

Hung my first bird box a couple of weeks ago for glas. The height of madness IMO. Why the hell do the birds need houses built for them. I said it before in another thread a few weeks back. Why not make us plant a tree instead of hanging a bird box. Not as crazy as wild bird cover I know but still who thinks of these ideas?

Reminds me a bit of Brian preaching to the crowds in Jerusulam as a prophet in Monty Pythons Life of Brian ...

BRIAN: Uh, well, the birds, then.
EDDIE: What birds?
BRIAN: Any birds.
EDDIE: Why?
BRIAN: Well, have they got jobs?
ARTHUR: Who?
BRIAN: The birds.
EDDIE: Have the birds got jobs?!
FRANK: What's the matter with him?
ARTHUR: He says the birds are scrounging.
BRIAN: Oh, uhh, no, the point is the birds. They do all right. Don't they?
FRANK: Well, good luck to 'em.
EDDIE: Yeah. They're very pretty.
BRIAN: Okay, and you're much more important than they are, right? So, what are you worrying about? There you are. See?
EDDIE: I'm worrying about what you have got against birds.
BRIAN: I haven't got anything against the birds. Consider the lilies.
ARTHUR: He's having a go at the flowers now.

ganmo

gozunda wrote: »

Anyone had to put up bat boxes?

Yes

And I think the height might be down to them pesky cats

gozunda

ganmo wrote: »

Yes

And I think the height might be down to them pesky cats

Cats and bats - it only gets curiosior and curiousior!

I reckon the height thing is because if you put the boxes down low the bats won't have enough ground clearance for take off

What's next I wonder - blue-bottle boxes perhaps?

ganmo

gozunda wrote: »

Cats and bats - it only gets curiosior and curiousior!

I reckon the height thing is because if you put the boxes down low the bats won't have enough ground clearance for take off

What's next I wonder - blue-bottle boxes perhaps?

Ya forgot the sand for the bees!

jimini0

I'm not in glas but I had a short tour of a friends place today.
Bird boxes- made from soft wood , rot in 5 years?. Where do the birds go then? They lost the ability and skill to build their own nests cos they found a box nailed to a tree!

gozunda

jimini0 wrote: »

I'm not in glas but I had a short tour of a friends place today.
Bird boxes- made from soft wood , rot in 5 years?. Where do the birds go then? They lost the ability and skill to build their own nests cos they found a box nailed to a tree!

Ah but you see the rotting wood will provide little homes for the woodworm and woodlice. You wouldn't them homeless now would you?

_Brian

jimini0 wrote: »

I'm not in glas but I had a short tour of a friends place today.
Bird boxes- made from soft wood , rot in 5 years?. Where do the birds go then? They lost the ability and skill to build their own nests cos they found a box nailed to a tree!

Should the boxes not be larch, was looking at some in the store and they were larch.

Also, spoke to a friend who put up bat boxes and of five three were in use within a week.


Few things I can't understand bat or bird boxes or bee/insect hotels in the countryside. Fine in major urban areas an insect/bee hotel might be useful but in rural areas there are plenty of areas for insects and solitary bees to overwinter. I think it's a good idea but being used out of context.