Bird Boxes

[JennyWrenn]

My first attempt at putting up a bird box - anyone think it is in a good spot - my study just overlooks it but the birds cant see me and when the tree comes into life then I will be totally hidden

It is on the wall of the garage

Anyone else feel free to post pix of your Birdy Houses ;D






Study; tree will act as guide as to how close to house

[farmersboy]

I see you have a naked laydee in your garden,Jen hope theres not a man to,showing his bits ;D

[JennyWrenn]

Def not; trust you to see that

I think she is a mermaid

[Plocket]

Oh that's lovely Jenny.

Ours isn't actually a bird-box, but a tiny watering can hanging off a tree, and I can't take a photo at the moment because I don't want to put the robins off.

We've never put bird-boxes up because up until recently we had the cat, and I didn't want to encourage the birds with her around.

[JennyWrenn]

I dont think a cat can get at this one tho - unless it can hang by its tail from the garage roof ;D

I just hope the robins dont make a nest again in my container right by the back door - it was a 24:7 job keeping an eye on them

[farmersboy]

Had a robins nest in our hedge couple of years ago,waskeeping an eye on it,till one morn when i looked,all the babies were on the ground, dead,supose it was a cat

[Plocket]

I remember your robins last year - they were such adventurous little souls!

I think your bird-box looks very well placed and I wouldn't have thought a cat could get to it either.

[JennyWrenn]

Oh glad u remembered my robins - they were such a responsibility ;D

[Susie Snowdrop]

I don't really want to put up bird boxes in my garden as there are quite alot of pussy cats around . My cat, Tilly, is pretty much past it now but there are plenty of other prowlers!

Pity, as I watch them nesting in my Dad's garden and they are fascinating to watch

S x

[Tig]

We have two boxes (will try and get a snap tomorrow if it isn't pouring down).
One is on the pole that the washing line is fixed to, the other is on the eves of the garage, both are out of cat reach.
The blue-tits usually inhabit them and we have had chicks every year in one or the other box, but only once did both have eggs hatching at the same time. x Tig

[Barbara]

i dont know if this sounds stupid, but, can you put a bird box too high?,
i ask because i bought a robins box a few years ago and nothing uses it,
i put it right up at the top of the garden wall, which joins us to next door,
its probably about 25ft up.
next door on the other side had birds nesting in the old hanging baskets last year.

[JennyWrenn]

I have a very pretty box on my summer house - it even has a little step for a bird to rest on but no one has ever claimed it

[Tig]

Found this Barbara - your box may be a little bit high

www.nestbox.co.uk/siting.shtml

I knew that the blue tits don't like the box to be in full sun all day x Tig

[Barbara]

i placed it facing north, so it wouldnt get the sun on it, but i will try to get oh to lower it ,
and see if we get any visitors this year this year thanks tig

[Tig]

You are welcome Barbara
Here's to getting some action soon - they are sussing out prime property at the moment
x Tig

[Weeterrier]

My Dad makes birdboxes, so our garden is like a bird housing scheme, he puts them up anywhere he can. They are rarely used, because we are surrounded by woods and trees and I have two cats prowling around. Keeps him occupied though. ;D

[Plocket]

Have you got any sort of wildlife centres or schools that would want them WeeT? There are loads of boxes at our Wildlife Trust

[Amo]

Our front garden is like some yobbish youth group in their Saxo's zooming all over the place at the moment. Sparrows!! Squalking and racing around. They've decided to set up two communities under the facia boards and it's mayhem out there!! Really fun to watch though, just dangerous if you're a bit tall!

[Weeterrier]

Feb 22, 2008 8:10:57 GMT Plocket said:

Have you got any sort of wildlife centres or schools that would want them WeeT? There are loads of boxes at our Wildlife Trust

Dad used to sell them for Church funds before he moved in with me, but I think he likes to stockpile them really
94 year olds aren't easily persuaded when they have all their marbles.

[carolann]

We have lots of bird boxes scattered around the farm yard, most of them are way up high and they have young of some sort in them every year. At the side of the veg garden is one in a tree facing north it must be about 25ft high and we always have a family of Blue Tits nesting in there. Its great in Winter as I like to go around the tree line and see just how many nest we have in the trees which is not very many considering that we have trees everywhere. There is a line of trees going down the paddock which are Hazel, Holly, Blackthorn and Hawthorn and I only counted 4 nests in there this year. Beside the dog cote next to the well is a Forsythia and there are a pair of Goldfinches who nest in there every year. I have spotted a few nests on the pond which has Elderberry mostly growing around it. I don't think the height of the nest box really matters as long as the birds are happy, but I would never put one too low.

[Plocket]

Feb 22, 2008 10:50:21 GMT Weeterrier said:

Feb 22, 2008 8:10:57 GMT Plocket said:

Have you got any sort of wildlife centres or schools that would want them WeeT? There are loads of boxes at our Wildlife Trust

Dad used to sell them for Church funds before he moved in with me, but I think he likes to stockpile them really
94 year olds aren't easily persuaded when they have all their marbles.

Ah! Ok then

[Tig]

As promised - nothing special - but the birds don't seem fussy

[Shrubrose]

What's the strangest place you've found birds nesting in?

We had blue tits rear young in the external vent of our expelair one year. I was terrified for them, what with the noise and them somehow getting caught in the workings. They completely ignored the two bird boxes on the same aspect! As Carol says they must have felt 'right' about it though.

[Dutchy]

I just hung one at MssK.
Rule of thum is hang them at 3 meter app 10 feet high, facing east.
The hight I suppose is because cats can't jump tht high but when things hang on a shed I can see them leaning down to get a the box.
East because when they have youngsters the general winds out here blow in from the west south west, rain and all so..
Hang as high as you can and not too low and at least try to get the opening to face into the nice weather rather than the rain.
I have always hung the box in a tree so I think sunshine does not really matter there.

Just wait and see Jen.
It's up to the birds.

[purplejulia]

I have a couple of bird boxes in my garden. One is in a holly tree and the other is lower down in a conifer tree. It is has an open slot which is supposed to attract robins (I have put some barbed wire to deter predators). The boxes have been there since early last year and so far no birds has nested in either of them. I don't know if I am doing something wrong. Anyway here are the photos:





PJ

[Babyswan]

For Dutchy,

who didn't believe me!!!

One I made myself and exported, in hand luggage, around OH's 'smalls' !!!!



regards
babyswan

this is one on our house, home made

[Tig]

Home made - looks excellent BS

[Babyswan]

Thanks Tig.

They are from the bbc nature and wildlife boards.


The silence from Dutchy is deafening!!!

ba,sw

[Dutchy]

Actually I haven't been silent.
I posted a reply and it has disappeared.

I'll reply again...

Ok ok ok BS I beleive you now even though he could still have bought that birdbox in Japan ;D

( yes I am notoriously of little faith ;D )

Does your friend ever get birds nesting there?

[JennyWrenn]

My birdbox had a visitor yesterday - obviously some interest is being shown ;D