Bird Table News

Have seen sparrows collecting nesting material.  

There is an old nest box on a tree near our garden and I’ve seen some sparrows taking a  look 

As I write this two sparrows are sitting on top of the oldest nest box we have put up.  ~they are obviously nesting there.  I nearly took this nest box down last year as the wood is cracked from top to bottom.  It doesn’t seem to bother the sparrows and  they are having a frenzie of activity around this nest box

One sparrow has just popped in and then popped out again.  They are both now sitting on a bare branch nearby.  They are never still for a minute.

I suppose the good thing about this bird box is that is is very close to the birdtable!

One of the sparrows has a small piece of grass or twig in its beak and has flown into the nest with it.

Winter is really over.

In one of the newer nest boxes have just this minute seen the tail end of a bird enter the nest box  ~Wonder what bird this is

Musn’t forger to clean these bird boxes out at the end of the season.  I know some of them have been used as roosts in the winter for the garden birds to keep warm through the winter nights.

From my kitchen window I can see 5 nest boxes that we’ve put up over the years. I think two need taking down as they look dilapidated.  Wonder if they will all be used this year.  I’ll keep my eyes open.

• » Comments (0)

Have just this minute seen a blue tit taking an interest in the nest box we put up a few days ago.

It half entered the box then flew off. 

Now I have seen a sparrow taking an interest in the same bird box. 

Perhaps next year I should put up some nest boxes with smaller holes. Perhaps.

We may get all 5 nest boxes being used this year.

The roof felt has come away from the flat porch roof and some sparrows have build a nest inside.  They perch on the spouting and seem at home hopping in and out of the roof space.  Instead of a neat porch roof we have twigs and old grass   coming through the gap.  I think nature is taking over round here.

It is certainly the nesting season.  The memories of the long hard winter will soon be long gone.

• » Comments (0)

WHERE SHOULD A BOX BE PLACED?

• Fix the bird box two to five metres up a tree or wall, out of the reach of cats

• Unless there are trees or buildings that give the nest box shelter, it is best facing between  north and south east.  This avoids strong sunlight and the wettest winds.

• Tilt the box forward slightly so that any driving rain will hit the roof and fall clear
   

• » Comments (0)

We’ve just put a nest box.  Maybe should have put it up earlier, but this is one of the jobs that got forgotten.  Will be interesting to see if it is used this year.  It looks very neat among all the old nest boxes

One of the reasons I chose this nest box was because it only had one nail fastening the lid down, so it should be easy to open when we clean it out at the end of summer. 

Did I do right?  The nest box lid is not sealed from the elements.  There was one that had a tile roof and was really fastened down but I could not see how it could be cleaned out.  

Any advice is welcome from anyone who reads this.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Another reason I chose this nest box is because it has openings at the base that will let any rain run out of the box – so keep the nest box dry.  

I have heard of fledgling drowning in nest boxes when the rain enters and slowly fills the nest box,  But again – have I chosen the right nest box.  Should I have got one where the base was totally sealed.  Again any knowledge, tips and advice welcome.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

New nest box waiting for a family

• » Comments (0)

I have never been able to afford a camera nest box as I seem to spend enough money on bird food and don’t have any left for such a luxury

If you would like to treat yourselves to a nest box that also have a camera in why not try this reasonaly prices Gardman Camera Nest Box

Gardman have a good reputation in bird food and bird care

• » Comments (0)

I thought I would put some notes about nest boxes as they are important.

There seems to be less natural nesting sites and putting a nest box up is more important than ever to help our garden birds.

Early January (or any time in winter) is a good time to put a nest box up because a lot of birds choose their nest sites early and also use nest boxes as roosts.

In most cases it is best to use a simple wooden box with opening lid. If the Bird Box has a lid that opens it makes it easy when cleaning out after the nesting season.

In February it will be National Nest Box Week but you don’t have to wait until then to put up a nest box.

More information on Nest Boxes to follow

-0-0-0-0-0-0

• » Comments (0)

Now is a good time to put up a nest box.  It gives birds somewhere to roosts on a night and is ready for Spring when they will use it for nesting.

I’ve been finding out about Cedar Wood Nest Boxes and they seem really good.

• Cedar Wood Nest Boxes need little maintenance and last a long time
• Cedar Wood has good insulation properties.  This means cedar wood nest boxes will be warmer.  A warmer nest box is better for the young, newly hatched chicks.
• A bird that roosts in a relatively warm cedar wood nestbox will be in good condition when Spring arrives and means they willhave more energy to feed themselves and their young.
• Warmer nest boxes encourage birds to lay their eggs earlier and this gives the clutch a better chance of surviving.
• No varnishing or preservative treatments need to be used on the nest box.

To find our more click the link below

CEDAR WOOD NEST BOXES 

• » Comments (0)

A reader has recently asked me ‘
Should I clean out the old nesting materials from the nest box, or just leave it,

The answer is that it is best to clean nest boxes out  This is sometimes not a nice job, but it is an important job. 

• There may be fleas and parasites inside the box that would infect healthy birds that fly into the nest or, next year could  infect  the chicks that hatch in the box in 2010. 
• Nest boxes can be important in winter.  Nest boxes are used by birds on winter nights to roost in.  Some nest boxes  have quite a few birds in one box, so it is important to keep the nest box clean and parasite free, as this will help keep birds healthy.
• After cleaning you should not use disinfectant or flea powders, but  -
• You can buy special nest box spray.  I use boiling hot water to clean them and then leave them to dry naturally
• A little amount of wood shavings or hay (not straw) can be put in the bottom of the nest box after it has been cleaned.
• It is a good idea to wear gloves as it can be a messy job and I heard of someone who found a wasp in the nest box!

It is easier if you have a nest box that opens up.  We did not realise this when we bought our first nest box.  Now,  if I am thinking about buying a nest box I always look to see how it opens.

How you clean the nest box depends on

• how accessible the nest box is
• If you can take the nest box down
• If the nest box opens up.

We manage to take our nest boxes down, but I don’t do it on my own – I get help to get the nest boxes down. 

 I get a pair of old washing up gloves, plenty of hot water and some sort of scrubbing brush / cloth.

It is a good ides to do it now as when the really old weather comes birds may be using the empty nest box to roost and in cleaning the nest box out then would disturb them. 

Birds need shelter from wind, rain, snow and freezing weather – winters can be long and hard for birds.  Some birds stay for 16 hours a day in their roost – which could be the nest box that you bought.

Please get in touch if you have any top tips or have any questions.  Looking after birds is like having pets sometimes isn’t it?

• » Comments (0)

Am looking into getting a bird camera box. It would be a treat to see the garden birds that come to my feeder actually in a bird box feeding their young!

Have been wondering which bird camera box would suit me best.

Here are some questions I have thought of

Do all bird camera boxes have sound?
Which one is easiest to clean out?
Are there different ways to wire one up?
Do the bird camera boxes come fully assembled
How long is any cable that comes with the bird camera box
How do you connect it to the computer / television. Do you need a special cable, or nail or drill?

I have found out that there are two ways of wiring them. One is by wireless and the other is with a wire.

CamNest.UK is an online shop that sell bird camera boxes. They do not sell wireless boxes any more though – because of quality picture reasons.

The prices vary as well. This would be a present to myself, so will find out more before I decide which bird camera box to get.

Any advice or knowledge would be welcome.

• » Comments (0)