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Nest Boxes .....
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Wrens like 'em big, mate. All there is to it
In fact, in the interests of accuracy, I've just been out and measured the hole in an actual, natural, wren made wrens nest.
Know what? 40mm wide. 30mm top to bottom. That's why I say to do like I said
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LittleBug; Cats ~ and other things ~ can be kept out of most nest boxes. Bit of 'Architectural Aikido' sorts that out. I'll write up a post about it some time.
Or, if ye thinking about when the young leave the nest? Well; It's a jungle out there. We can give them a safe place to be born and raised. But, once they leave that safe place ....? Cats. Sparrowhawks. Crows. Motors. Windows. I could go on and on. It's almost a wonder any birds reach maturity.
They do though. And, providing good boxes mean more get hatched to stand a chance at reaching maturity. Eggs not getting laid is every bit as bad as cats killing the results.
Go on. Get one up and see what happens .....
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Bit late (well a lot late) cleaning out the nest boxes this year, only got round to it today and my best box which is very lucky and has a family in it every year, had two teeny little skeletons in it
sooo sad, I gave it a good scrub out and put it back up, hope it is luckier this year. I also got one of the boxes with a camera in from Aldi's, not the biggest of boxes only 4" base but the camera is really very good and lots of cable with it, I might make a bigger box for it but it was good value for money.
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So what would you suggest for a small/ medium sized rural estate garden?
What a daft question:rolleyes:
More details. smallish back garden. The back wall is 6ft high and I have various climbers and shrubs planted along it. Too much to be honest and it turned into a bit of a jungle last year thus the blackbirds I think In the corner I have (had:() a large tree type shrub which I love(d) but I think hasn't survived the winter. The name of it escapes me for now.
When I have feeders out I get goldfinch, greenfinch, bluetit and occasional coal and great tit, chaffinch, sparrows and starling by the dozen. Without the feeders the only regulars I have are blackbirds, songthrush and a pied wagtail that hangs out by the back door sometimes. I've never seen a wren in my garden.
We are backed onto farmland with lots of outbuildings so there are lots of swallows around in summer.
Big problem now is the planting along the back wall, some of which has died and other stuff has collapsed with the harsh weather. I think there's a major replant/ reorganisation needed but I'm happy to do that in line with planning a nest box or two.
I'd be happy to have a nestbox on the side of the house but would want to talk nicely to him indoors about that one.0 -
LittleBug; That back wall sounds good for a Blue Tit Set the box low though, to save a cat sitting on the wall above it and swiping at the birds entering or leaving. Roof a foot below the top of the wall should do it. BT will accept such low boxes.
With the wall of a house? Just about anything's possible. Of course, direction will have some bearing in all this. Even one box is better than nothing though 0 -
I've been inspired to put up a box but I don't know if I can.
Mid terrace house with a protruding porch similar to this pic pinched off the web http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/floraltips/55190519.jpg
Front faces east, back to the west. The feeders are at the back.
I would like a box (or 2)for the front but I have a lot of starlings and come spring they will nest en masse underneath the roof tiles...even in the porch bit.
Will other birds use boxes so close to these starlings?
I have the same variety of birds as Littlebug...plus I did see a little wren during the freezing weather. Didn't see it before and haven't seen it since the thaw.
My veg patch is out there too. Would my presence stop any occupation.
Mind you, it doesn't seem to annoy the starlings.
Sorry for all the questions but it WAS you who got me hooked 0 -
Siledee; Situation ye describing there? Fantastic news about the starlings. They've gravitated towards human dwellings and are now finding themselves, quite simply, 'built out' of so many places.
I envy the hell out of ye, with ye starlings. The Pest Controller in me says; 'One shouldn't really have Starlings nesting in the fabric of the home.'
But, that's just 'scientific' fluff. The Truth in me says; " Wow! How many Starlings?! "
" Front faces east, back to the west. The feeders are at the back. " I'd imagine ye Veg Patch is too? Source, potential, of all sorts of little insects that the birds in ye area will need to feed their young.
I'd say put up a tit box on the front. Blue or Great type. It can always be painted to match the fascia 0 -
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Put up a Great Tit box today Made it up out of some odds and ends of sawn planks I had laying around. 7" planks.
Front opener, like I've advised yeselves to make. Total childs play. Took me probably less than an hour, start to finish. Used a hand saw; As I do on planks. Save the power saw for ply sheets.
It's not in an ideal position, just yet. I've put it somewhere as an experiment. It's also unpainted yet. As it'd look awful, painted drab green, in it's present position. But, there it is. I just want to see what happens
So enjoyed myself actually getting that done, I couldn't resist the big, 9" planks laying there. All un cut and doing no good.
Before I knew quite what had come over me, I'd ripped together a nice Starling box too
Think I'll have to get some more planks in. I fancy trying out one or two of these " House Sparrow Terraces " everyone raves about these days.0 -
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That's brilliant! What we need, isn't it? A net work of kindred spirits, all wandering about popping up boxes. I'd love to have a fellow enthusiast near enough to me to share with. That's why I started this whole thing; Looking for people to share experiences with.
I'm, frankly, pretty sure there'll be no Dipper on any 'river' I can access ~ sadly. Dunno if 'A' could offer me any pointers? Must ask him.
Gray Wag are a certainty though. I'm more or less satisfied with the details of a design for them now. As soon as I'm completely settled, I'll knock up half a dozen or more and let myself loose on an unsuspecting part of Leitrim
Kestrel? I see 'one' round here. And I have a spot or two on my ground just screaming out for a kes' box! My own problem there is quite simple, to date:
I just haven't got a high enough ladder!
I have this 'Gorgeous' great, high, north facing 'back wall' to my cow shed. It's perfect for a whole world of boxes! Simply no way of me getting at it, without a double extender.
Cheeser. I used to have one. Left it behind a couple of moves ago. Sold a house to move into a bungalow, see? Now I'm in this single floor cottage.
Maybe I should look out for another one? I'm loathe to borrow 'tools'. And, if I get the boxes up there? I'll need to access them regularly. Sod it. Guess I'm in the market for yet another ladder! 0 -
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Finally after reading this thread... alot of reading Ditch.. you got me thinking .....
Lot of reading? I'm not even into my stride yet! In fact, I'm deliberately taking time out from spattering more stuff onto this thread, just to give you people time to digest what's coming in
Now then; Ye mention a Barn Owl visiting ye Dublin (?) 'back garden'. And this garden is big enough to have tree'd hedges around it. Non Urban enough to attract a local Barn Owl .....
Trying to picture this. My only experience of " Dublin " being from an approaching plane or else being amongst the ~ to me ~ abject horror of what I imagine was 'city centre'? Looked like London, to me! :eek:
OK. So, you're obviously in what I saw from the plane? 'Wider Dublin' ? Here's my thoughts, pretty much as they come:
That owl ye saw must've been hatched somewhere. Where? What's within a couple of klicks radius of ye, where they might nest? Go have a look.
Because it used to appear on an almost daily basis, I'm wondering if it no longer appears at all? Or just less often?
Pole Boxes, as the site says, are really The Most loathsome things. " Get a contractor to erect the pole, with the box already attached. " What? In ye garden?! Mobile crane? Be serious!
Listen; A/ Ye have so much wedge that ye can't be doing with knocking up a box. Ye'd as soon pay someone to make one for ye. B/ If ye read that site with both eyes? How can ye even (afford to) consider hiring " a contractor " to pitch a telegraph pole in ye garden?
OK. What ye worth ~ and owls worth to ye? None of my business. But, I reckon I can save ye a shed load of potential spending here:
1. Get out there and find where 'your' owl may have been hatched. Try to find out if they're still using the site.
2. If not? Why not? Could they use a replacement situation? Might it be a good place to site a box? Eg. Someone's pulled down one structure and replaced it with a squeaky clean new one.
3. Anywhere else within ye own neighbourhood that presents a good site for a box? (I mean an inside box. A tree box. Any box that doesn't need cranes and contractors in ye own back garden!)
What I'm saying is; Think beyond ye own garden. Owls living / breeding nearby will still come to you. Don't have to be nesting on top of ye.
4. People who'd make ye a box? I'm sure a swift feed into Google would bring up half a dozen. Only, personally? I'm fussy. I don't go for all this stapled together tat.
Stuff built by 'Master Craftsmen' and offered on dedicated sites tend, to my mind, to come down to 'economy of build'. Kit cut, then lashed together with a staple gun.
Naah. Find a place where it's practical to site a box. Sort out the right box for the situation. Find someone to build ye that box. Bound to be a retired or low on work Joiner near ye. Someone who won't charge ye stupid money for the equivalent of MFI chipboard.
How's that sound? Have a think about it and give us ye response. All grist to the mill of this on going thread 0 -
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WYL; Nest boxes are usually best cleaned out after use. Thus we want access. This usually entails a 'Door' (even if the door's the roof).
Believe me; The Front Opening type of 'basic / tit' box I've shown ye above is my personal favourite.
Why? Because it doesn't need any rebates cut.
Because it requires no 'Hinge' ~ be that a screwed on brass one. Or a nailed on strip of old inner tube.
It allows for a roof sloping front or back or either side.
Tools / materials required? Hand saw. Pencil. Tape. Drill. Right sized bit / hole saw. Hammer. Plank. Box of nails. Oh, and, if ye want to be flash? A set of these:
I expect ye local hardware shop will sell ye a set. Personally, I buy wholesale boxes of them. 'Left' and 'Right' handed. I'm a heavy user
Thing is; Any door / lid is liable to coming adrift, if not fastened. Wind could do it. Predator could do it. So, we fasten it.
Posh, brass hooks and eyes or a couple of short nails with a twist of wire round them. Choice is yours.
But, a box I had to unscrew would get on my nerves. Any box stapled together so I couldn't get at it for the annual clear out ~ or, in my own case; Regular Nest Recording ....? I wouldn't bother with it.
You have a 'home made top opener'? Couple of tacks and a twist of wire0 -
Now i have two BT (Blue tit) boxes up - well up about 4/5 meters off ground level.
Five metres? That's, what? Just over ..... five times three ..... Fifteen foot? Hmm. I wouldn't, personally, bother to go that high, for a Blue. Great? Yeah. They like it high and clear.
I have a natural hole nest here. Blue and Great tend to argue over it each year. It's ten to twelve foot up, in a stone wall. That's as high as any Blue Tit needs to be. It's also plenty high enough for people to be climbing about.
Blue Tit is the 'every body' bird. They'll nest where we provide. And they'll nest where it's convenient for us. Just put the box a milk crates height above face level and ye can't go far wrong ~ long as ye have a milk crate in the shed!
" Hidden by foliage " ? Problem with conifers, see? Why ~ I believe ~ I said earlier; Hack a branch off. Blue tits will adopt a box put up in a bare deciduous tree. Then fly in through the thickest new cover growth to get back to it.
'Hide' the hole initially though? Nah. Not a good idea. As Sareem says; " The entrance should be clear. " But, that's only until they find and adopt it.
Look; Simple method of BTB placement: Stand at ye observation post ~ if ye insist on spying on the boxes? Examine the vista. Look for bare spots facing north, east to south east. About seven foot up. OK? There's ye main choices.
Tree trunks. Walls. Bare ~ right now ~ branches of small, thornless trees. Apple, eg. Feel free to ask more questions. Bang up photo's of ye potential sites. Help us to help you to get it right as ye can.
Ye'll have them nesting 0 -
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Sables; Don't allow yeself to get bogged down in a mire of exactness
Does the site explain what a 'non clear path' is? Would someone's washing hanging out a hundred and fifty yards away constitute a blockage to the 'path'? Would a single twig, crossing the 'view' of the hole constitute a perch, or an obstruction of the 'path'?
BT's will take a box on a bare wall. They'll also ~ as I said in my last post ~ take one stuck in the middle of a fully leafy tree. As long as it's not 'hidden' when they find and adopt it.
Stop and think for a minute. In fact, go outside and look around as ye thinking. See the truth: Right now, the trees are a bit bare. Yeah? Bird sees a hole in a tree. Adopts it.
Next thing ye know? Lo and behold; Leaves break out all over the tree. Suddenly the hole is 'inside' their cover. Does the bird think, " Sod this! " and desert ....?
Most sites, even many books, just try to bang down the points of 'best practice'. But here we've seen how it can lead to confusion.
This is why I'm so 'long winded' in many of my posts. I try to explain my points fully and thoroughly enough that ye left clearly understanding what I'm on about. I don't want ye going away chewing ye lip and thinking;
" Yeah. Well. I think I've got the idea of what Ditch was telling me. Sort of. I guess he probably mean't something like ..... "
Rule of thumb? If the bird can see the bloody thing now? There's every chance it'll adopt it presently. But, shove a BTB into a cottoneaster hedge or high and deep amidst a leylandii? Not so clever.
That clearer for ye?0 -
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Jeez Sables you are gonna give yourself a heart attack worrying about it :eek:
Build it and they will come...maybe not this year but they will use it eventually.
This is one I put up three years ago and is head height on the trunk of a tree, I
cut back the ivy every year and it has been used every year since I put it up.
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That said, I supect that there were some blackbirds nesting in the jungle along the back wall last year 
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