Bird boxes

[gardenqueen]

I have old nests in my bird boxes at the moment. A friend has told me not to clear out the old nests as the birds will use them again! Is this true?  I would have thought it best to clear them and give a good clean before further use!

[gardenqueen]

[goodlife]

I have always been taught to 'spring clean' the boxes..well actually 'winter clean' is more appropriate. To get rid of any over wintering pest and diseases from old nesting material and old stuff may harbour fungal spores too..all that is not good for next generation of hatchlings.
Perhaps is better be safe than sorry and tidy those boxes up...after all, they will find more 'fresh' nesting material if they need it.

[alkanet]

you should clean them out, to get rid of any parasites that carry over into the next year

http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/helpingbirds/nestboxes/smallbirds/maintenance.aspx

[gardenqueen]

Cleaning it is then! Thanks, I will do that when the weather is not thunder and lightning as it is now!

[kGarden]

I belatedly watched Alan Titchmarsh on the gardens at Buckingham palace (Part 2 or 2) and noticed the significant number of bird boxes they had on the trees there and felt guilty that I only have one or two in the whole garden (its a big garden ...)

So I've added another to the list of This Year's Projects!! to build plenty of boxes.  I would like to see more bird life in the garden, although when I have mentioned this to chums who are knowledgeable about birds they tell me that my garden is teeming with life, so maybe I'm being unreasonable!

Off to Google what's involved in making bird boxes, and whether I need a decent range of Shapes and Sizes to encourage bird diversity :)

Friends gave me a bird box from this outfit:
http://www.wildlifegarden.co.uk/nesting-boxes/
which looks very smart :) but I am hoping I can just bang a few bits of wood together :)




Multi-feeder Barn !!

[alkanet]

I thought they were 50 quid!  but they're only 50 Angela Merkels

[kGarden]

I thought they were 50 quid!  but they're only 50 Angela Merkels

Indeed ... were it not for the fact that it was a present I wouldn't even know that such existed!

First come first served here, but from the 2nd bird onwards they are all going to be living in nailed-together rough-sawn timber-offcuts boxes - which I expect they will tweet me is a bit like sleeping-under-the-arches!

[goodlife]

I would be really posh bird if I would live in a box like those
I wonder if they really would 'work' and attract any birds to take residence. On of those on the wall or 'hidden' amongst the hedge would surely stand out like a sore spot...advertisement for the predators where their food live.
It would look good as deco in garden though.

I'm afraid our birds will have to do with what ever planks of wood is left over and roughly put together with few nails/screws.
Most often they don't use our boxes but we keep finding old nests in hedges...in log piles...in shed.. etc.

[Jayb]

I'd like to replace the bird boxes in the garden, the few I have all look to have seen better days and I think it's time they were recycled for bug boxes. Anyone spotted some reasonably priced ones, I'm not very handy when it comes to making things from wood.

[goodlife]

I'd like to replace the bird boxes in the garden, the few I have all look to have seen better days and I think it's time they were recycled for bug boxes. Anyone spotted some reasonably priced ones, I'm not very handy when it comes to making things from wood.

Well...I don't think these are priced too bad...and they do even bigger bulk order lots.. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-Wooden-Nesting-Box-Bird-House-small-birds-Blue-tit-Robin-sparrow-3cm-Hole-/200747564040?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Plants_Bird_Bath_Feeder_CV&hash=item2ebd7cbc08

I would take the perch off from entrance though...not necessary and might just make 'hunting' easier for larger birds.

[Jayb]

Ooh that was quick, thanks 
Off to have a look.

[kGarden]

I wonder if they really would 'work' and attract any birds to take residence. On of those on the wall or 'hidden' amongst the hedge would surely stand out like a sore spot...advertisement for the predators where their food live.

I'll let you know later in the Spring :)

I've nailed it to the most prominent tree clearly visible from the house - so if nothing takes up residence we can admire the house instead!

[alkanet]

the main thing is not to have it in full sun

[kGarden]

the main thing is not to have it in full sun

Thanks. As luck would have it :) I've nailed it to the North side of the tree.

[tricia]

Jayb - greenfingers.com and Amazon have bird boxes from a fiver upwards. Buy two from Amazon and you get free delivery. Mine came from Lidl a year or two ago  - they have them on special offer every year for about a fiver.

Tricia

[Jayb]

Thanks Trisha, I found several quite reasonable especially without the postage 
I've ordered a selection so should have a few with different size entrances (not sure how much of a difference it makes?) and a couple of open ones for Robins.

[Jayb]

Ps when I was searching for boxes the info when given re; maintenance is to thoroughly clean the boxes out over winter.

[gardenqueen]

Thanks to all your advice, I have now been out in the freezing cold and cleaned the boxes. Hope the birds appreciate this now after I freezed my hands off!!!!!