Bird Table News

Many species of birds come into gardens in winter to feed,  but in some gardens they cannot stay and nest because there isn’t  anywhere suitable  for them to nest.  A good idea is to put up nest boxes.

Modern houses are built without any of the nooks and crannies under the eaves in which birds nest.  This is one reason why house sparrow numbers have declined  such a lot. 

Bird boxes come in all shapes and sizes to suit all shapes and sizes of birds.

The  size of the ‘front door’ opening of nest boxes attracts different types of birds.

• House Sparrows like a front door of about 32 mm across
• Great Tits like a front door of 28mm
• Blue tits like a front door of about 25mm across.
• When the whole upper half of the front of the nest box is open it can attract robins and wrens.

It doesn’t matter if you are just casually interested in birds, putting up a nest box is a good idea.  The sight and sound of young birds in your garden will always lift your spirits.

Here’s a photo of two fledglings I had visit my garden last summer

Beware of novelty design birdboxes which may not meet the needs of the birds. 

Do not buy a nest box that has any sort of perch because: -   

• Birds need a safe. clear flight path into their nest box.   
• The exterior of a nest box is a dangerous place for birds.   Bird perches on nest boxes encourage birds rest outside the nest box and so make it easier for cats and weasels to catch birds.

Buy from a reputable source such .

The gardens in this country have an area much bigger than all our nature reserves put together to the ability for us to use our gardens as nesting sites for birds is enormous so go out and buy a nest box and help the next generation of our British Garden Birds.

 The result of putting up a nest box

Tags: fledgling, house-sparrow, nest-boxes, RSPB, sparrows