At this time of year, millions of birds across the country will be house hunting, ready to set up home and raise a family in the spring. So if you’ve never built a nest box before, why not give it a go this weekend - after all, it is National Nest Box Week!
There’s a bewildering array of different nest box designs out there, so how do you know which one to choose? Well, this really depends on what species of bird you want to attract.
Read our online guide and you'll find out everything you need to know about what nest box to choose and how to make one, as well as where to site it.
If you fancy having a go at making a box yourself, but think you might need someone on hand to help, why not pop along to one of our reserves this weekend and take part in a National Nest Box Week event – there are lots taking place up and down the country.
If your carpentry skills aren’t up to much, never fear, we’re offering 10% off all ready-made nest boxes from our online shop until 22 February and a FREE nest box if you become a member before 31 March – so there’s never been a better time to help your garden birds set up home.Not only will you be making a real difference to garden birds by providing a safe place for them to rear their young, putting up a nest box means you’ll also be able to see birds up close and get a really great insight into their lives.
If you see any odd behaviour or peculiar goings on in your new nest box, let us know - we’d love to hear your stories and might just have the answer!
I wish to site nest boxes in my garden. (Await FREE nest box having joined recently). Thanks for very useful advice.
Gerald Smith
I would love a nest box and have an ideal place for one up on my housewall among some ivy, but have two cats and others that visit, so not sure if it's advisable. Any advice? Thanks.
We made nest boxes with our scout troop just before christmas (around 25 in total), the boys and girls aged 11 - 14 really enjoyed the challenge and we've had a great response from them. We put a number in our own garden a couple of weeks ago, and the following day they were being visited by Blue Tits and Long Tailed Tits. If you are a Scout or youth leader, do give it a go, the kids loved it.
Scout Leader, Crosby - Liverpool.
to esbod you can site your nest box on wall as long as its not in full sun and theres no means of cat climbing on anything to get to it ideally if you could put it about 8-10ft high that would be suitable.
esbod you can site your nest box on house wall as long as it wont be in full sun, and high enough so cats have no means of climbing on anything to get to it.
Well, 2 more nest boxes brought last weekend and hope to erect this one, i was so pleased and happy when 3years ago my first 1 went up within the oralmental cherry tree which stands alone in a small back garden..not expecting any birds to nest but wonders of that moment when.. blue tits had me late nearly every day for work, to see their flechlings emerge was worth all the time spent, watching and staying out of the garden not wanting to disturb them, she had 14 intotal from early afternoon to 8.40am the next morning last one out was so tired, but mum gave one last try at her call when he flew as high as he could -- which landed on my first floor pushed out window frame, it felt like a hugh thank you for feeding and caring, i'll never forget that moment.. just wanted to share with you, what nature can bring to as all.
The last of my tit nest boxes are on sale at my local grocer, she doesnt put put 100% on the price. Instead i spend me earnings in her shop, an it's all legal, (well i hope so) The robin boxes went fast this year, they prefer open fronted. Each box comes with a leaflet about siting nest boxes. Not south facing, baking in full sun, not into the prevailing westerly winds, but a north-easterly position sheltered and quiet. Make sure the roof is not the lid of a squirrel's lunchbox!
loverofbirds
Last year a pair of blue tits made a nest in the tit box. I then noticed that they abandoned it and made a nest in the sparrow box nearby in which they raised a brood. When I looked in the tit box there was a perfect unused complete nest.
Just a note to say that yesterday I finished putting up 7 bird boxes along the river walk I'm making.
I did put the first four up during the winter but they take a little time and effort to make, so the last three are going up a little late for this year. Nonetheless, no sooner had I got some of them up and taken the ladder down, the blue tits were exploring them. This does not mean they will necessarily nest in them this year but they may well use them as a roosting site on these cold spring nights.
Bird box example can be seen on : purwellvalley.blogspot.com
These bird boxes are made of recycled plastic sewer pipes with wooden tops and bottoms. (if I can't find enough plastic lids -as in the example) I also put some fabric wadding in the bottom just to start them off!
I opted for this hard plastic-type box because during last season all my wooden boxes were broken into and the young chicks were taken.
We think the 'vandals' were woodpeckers because of the type of damage that was done, but it is possible that it could have been either rats or squirrels. Either way I feel that these new, stronger style, slippery boxes stand a better chance of keeping the predators at bay.
The example box is painted green but for the most part I just leave them in their natural colour which is the light brown that can just be see in the back of the entrance hole. Because the surface of the box is slippery I screw a perch at the entrance. However, this is not really necessary as most of the birds that are likely to nest in these boxes are quite agile enough to land on the entrance without a perch.
My thinking is that you can never have too many nest boxes because the doormice and other critters also use them if they are available.
I purchased a box from the RSPB online shop as my next door neighbour had a robins nest very close to my fence last year. I am delighted to report that a robin has been busy building a nest, I wonder if it was the RSPB logo on the box that attracted her?
i put 4 nest boxes around my garden 2 years ago none have been used i give tem free board and lodging plenty of oter food water mealworms nuts wot am i doing wrong
I made 3 tripple nest boxes last year but only one two of the nine nest boxes were used. One by a tree sparrow and one by a great/blue tit. moved one of the boxes this year so hoping for better results. have about 20 boxes and feeders scattered all over the garden. Wish i could get a remote camera into one of the boxes. Don't have the skill. We sit in our upstairs conservatory and watch the birds every day. wonderful entertainment from nature.
In the past few years I have purchased nesting boxes which has a tunnel like shape at the entrance. The tits love this as it protects the babies from being snatched by larger birds through the entrance.
Harry
We had two nest boxes on our trees, one old one favoured by blue tits and one newer one as yet unused. Christmas 2009 I gave my husband a sparrow terrace which was duly installed on one of our gable ends. Last Spring to my joy a house sparrow appeared in our garden - a rare appearance - and then started building a nest - in the blue tit's box! I don't know if he shouted his expertise to all and sundry a little too much from the top of the box but after about 2 weeks he and his mate disappeared into thin air. We suspected a visit from the local kestrel but had no proof. Meanwhile the blue tits built a nest in the middle of the sparrow terrace and, subsequently, a great tit built in the end section. There was frantic activity to and from our bird table for weeks and eventually we heard the baby tits voicing their hunger. Imagine my surprise when one day observing the visits of both pairs of tits to the box, I saw the blue tit enter his/her own section in the middle, pop out again and enter the great tits' section. This continued for some time over a period of days and the blue tit or tits were definitely feeding the great tits' brood. Eventually the great tits all fledged into the nearby trees and I thought the blue tits had also fledged a brood but I was mistaken because we have just taken the terrace down to clean it out ready for the Spring and found the blue tit's nest with 10 unbroken eggs inside. There was certainly a large brood of fledged blue tits chasing amongst the trees so there must have been another nest nearby in the hedges. The unused section of the sparrow terrace had a great deal of droppings on the floor and must be used for roosting purposes. Meanwhile the unused newer box on the tree had been attacked by (we suspect) squirrels and the hole dramatically enlarged so we took it down and found the lid was loose which may account for the birds being uninterested in it, as we have seen them inspect it on occasions. We will replace it with one with a metal plate round the hole. We have also just replaced the other tree box with a strong new one and now await developments this Spring. I like the idea of Julie's nest box with a tunnel entrance to deter squirrels, etc.
I'm surprised that the nestbox shown has a perch, particularly as the RSPB "Nestboxes" leaflet specifically states ...."Do not fit a perch on the front of any box, as this will encourage intruders. Birds do not need a perch."
Any thoughts?