Nest Box Week 2017
National Nest Box week starts tomorrow and making your own nest box with the kids is a great project for half-term. There are fewer garden birds each year, so providing shelter and a nesting site for birds in your garden or allotment is a wonderful idea.
There is a trend for artistic nest boxes made from all sorts of materials. Unfortunately, these can sometimes do more harm than good. The box must be fit for purpose if you want the baby birds to survive.
Avoid bright colours as this will attract predators to the box. It should be as rustic and camouflaged as possible. The nest box should be made from wood or natural materials to maintain the right conditions inside. A metal roof will overheat the box and kill the babies. Plastic and ceramics will cause condensation. Although it looks cute, don't add a perch to your box as this helps predators gain entry. It's also best not to paint or stain the box as this could poison the birds.
Site your box in a sheltered place, ideally facing north or east. Direct sunlight will make the box too hot. More information and plans for building boxes can be found here and advice from the RSPB here. If you don't have time, ready-made boxes can be bought for as little as £2.50 (Wilko) so all you have to do is put them up.
It really is best to keep it simple or mimic nature when making your nest box. Even better, give the birds somewhere to build their own nests by planting hedges, shrubs and trees or cover a pergola, wall, shed or fence with climbers or ivy.
The blackbirds in our garden decided an old cardboard box on a high shelf in the wood shed was their ideal home (see photo above - click to enlarge). Be very careful not to disturb the nest once the birds have laid their eggs.
Finally, don't forget to tweet about what you've done!
There is a trend for artistic nest boxes made from all sorts of materials. Unfortunately, these can sometimes do more harm than good. The box must be fit for purpose if you want the baby birds to survive.
Avoid bright colours as this will attract predators to the box. It should be as rustic and camouflaged as possible. The nest box should be made from wood or natural materials to maintain the right conditions inside. A metal roof will overheat the box and kill the babies. Plastic and ceramics will cause condensation. Although it looks cute, don't add a perch to your box as this helps predators gain entry. It's also best not to paint or stain the box as this could poison the birds.
Site your box in a sheltered place, ideally facing north or east. Direct sunlight will make the box too hot. More information and plans for building boxes can be found here and advice from the RSPB here. If you don't have time, ready-made boxes can be bought for as little as £2.50 (Wilko) so all you have to do is put them up.
It really is best to keep it simple or mimic nature when making your nest box. Even better, give the birds somewhere to build their own nests by planting hedges, shrubs and trees or cover a pergola, wall, shed or fence with climbers or ivy.
The blackbirds in our garden decided an old cardboard box on a high shelf in the wood shed was their ideal home (see photo above - click to enlarge). Be very careful not to disturb the nest once the birds have laid their eggs.
Finally, don't forget to tweet about what you've done!
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