Bird boxes/insect houses etc ???

[Nicos]

I was wondering how many of these people have put up in their gardens/ allotments?

We have 5 insect houses and 4 bird boxes and I never seem to remember in time to put up more bird boxes in time for the upcoming love birds

I was considering making an owl box for our garage roof space and could do with researching some plans.

Has anyone got hedgehog boxes?...We have a female who hibernates underneath a pallet in our garage.
We also have loads of bat poo up in the mezzanine area , so clearly have some hibernating bats too!


What do you have and do you have plans for 2021????
If you have any good plans you’d like to share for bird boxes etc I’d love to see them!

[burnie]

Here's a small bird box
Build a bird box (rspb.org.uk)

[burnie]

Barn owl box
Barn Owl nestboxes: Free owl nest box plans (barnowltrust.org.uk)

[burnie]

and a Bat box
Bat Box Plans DIY | Build a Bat Box - The RSPB

[burnie]

I have 3 bird boxes, two with holes like the rspb one and one open fronted for Robins or Blackbirds and I have a Bat box, all may take a year or so to get used, though Great Tits like a new box to use.

[nick the grief]

got a couple of old ones that need taking down and replacing. one has had a nest of blue tits and a bumblebee nest in it so somethings worked.

A good guide is the BTO guide N023 Nest Boxes by CHris du Feu if you can get it. covers everything - barn owls to hedgehogs.

[Nicos]

These Nick?..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BTO-Nestbox.../dp/1902576810

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nestboxes-B.../dp/0903793296

[Nicos]

Burnie - great links!

We have both ends of the house we could create barn owl boxes!!!!!

[nick the grief]

These Nick?..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BTO-Nestbox.../dp/1902576810

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nestboxes-B.../dp/0903793296

The second one is the one I have Nicos but I'm guessing the first one is the newer version .

[Nicos]

Thanks Nick

[stevejelf]

I made up an insect box for the first time last year using old firewood a drill and pipe clamps, it was great to watch Wasps and Bees setting up home and parasitic wasps dropping in

[annie8]

We have a few bird boxes around the garden Had a family of blue tits in one last year so hoping for that again. I bought one of these from the rspb hoping to attract robins or wrens who we see regularly in the garden.Have been putting out tufts of hair from my big shaggy dog in case they want a bit of material. Certainly when we cleared out the box earlier this year there was some of the dog hair in it.

https://shopping.rspb.org.uk/garden-...rm:Nesting+box

[DannyK]

Have had three Schwegler woodcrete tit boxes up for 20+ years. All occupied every year. Cost a bit but will cost less than a £ a year each.

I have a robin one, never occupied! Must resite it again! There are robins nesting in garden somewhere.

If you want to see nuthatches feeding head down you'll need a mesh feeder.

[ESBkevin]

We've had a through type insect box among the espalier fruit trees for several years (they are against a wooden screen so not fully exposed). Also we put up a bird box with a hole about 4 years ago, moved it to the other side of the shed last year because it hadn't been occupied thus far. We always leave sunflowers, marigolds etc. through the winter for food and now the no dig beds are laid out and covered in muck/compost they are clearly a source of bird food (debris tossed about onto the paths etc.)
I might try a robin nest box but the only site on the plot would be the screen behind the espalier fruit which is probably not enough cover for them.

[Containergardener]

I had 2 jnsect boxes but no visitors . I think too exposed and facing into the wind. Should they be more sheltered?

I still havnt any bird boxes up. Last yr I was about to take out a water feature and great tits started nesting in it. So I left them.
we have bats in the summer , seems to be a maternity roost.