Bird box.

Hi All,

My children got me a lovely painted bird box for Christmas. Is it too late to put it up now?

Rusty

 

should still have time for them to get used to it , any chance of a photo

Spruce

 

It'll be fine Rusty the birds will love it.Great present

 

It's too late for Christmas

 

Been trying to get birds into our boxes for 10 years . Only succeeded once , but it ended unhappily . I thought you would only need to put them up by the end of March , before they start pairing ? The orientation needs to be considered as well I read North to West is best. But as I have virtual zero success , maybe our birdie members will give better advice .

 

Put it up as soon as possible so birds get used to it but not in the sun as (later) it will bake. If it is for Tits they will only have one brood in April/May and hopefully the hole is at the right height. Some boxes are made for appearances and not practical for the birds concerned.
Put a pic up if you can.

 

you as so correct as some are just not deep enough and magpies Jays etc can easily get at the chicks and eggs

Best time to put up is Autumn

Spruce

 

Here is a link to the RSPB website, re: Bird Boxes. - We have made dozens of these over the years for siting in community gardens, nature reserves and school grounds etc. all approximately to this pattern.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/helpingbirds/nestboxes/smallbirds/making.aspx

a-a

 

I would love the birds to visit my garden , but being a new build and no trees in sight I think I'm on a loosing battle. I have added a water bath and a fat ball for them to feed off but no luck yet.

 

Here is a picture of the box.

Rusty

 

Don't put nest boxes on the apex of a shed above guttering that sticks out or the fledgies will all tumble out into the guttering below and if they hop along the gutter they'll all tumble down the downpipe and drown in the water butt underneath.

 

You could put a nest box on the house

 

From the RSPB site
The entrance hole size depends on the species you hope to attract:

• 25 mm for blue, coal and marsh tits
• 28 mm for great tits, tree sparrows and pied flycatchers
• 32 mm for house sparrows and nuthatches
• 45 mm for starlings.

Not much on the sites about positioning , just as Armandii said keep it out of the sun , so they do not overheat . I am going checking my entrance sizes now ! Hope to get some nesting this year ..sigh...
The little monkeys do pinch the coir lining from my baskets to nest in somebody else's garden , bare faced cheek !

 

And a quite part of the garden , I have one on the back fence overlooking the river , otherwise if you are out and about all the time gardening etc it disturbs the parents especially at feeding times.