Bird boxes/ insect houses etc 2022

[Jungle Jane]

I have sparrows in the soffit here,there’s a really tiny gap in the fascia,they can’t get into the loft space that way though. There is a tiny gap near the top bricks of the house at the side,they can get in the loft space that way (I need to get that cemented one day). I’ve always left the soffit for the sparrows nests,had the soffits done just over twenty years ago & always been a home for the sparrows,looks fine,sparrows very house proud,I haven’t needed to buy a box maybe yours will be ok Q,if they can’t access the loft & they’re just in the soffit?

[quanglewangle]

We don't have any soffits. The facia is attached directly to the wall. Because the wall is rough stone the gap between the facia and the wall varies between zero and about 20mm. The sparrows can squeeze though the lager gaps. I don't know where they go then.

When they tore off the old roof they cleared out a whole line of nest material just inside the wall - full width of the house (late summer so unoccupied) So there was some way in then.

They'll either get in or they won't. They didn't trouble us before.

(edit) We'll get the box put up when we can.

[annie8]

Never heard of such a thing before how interesting. We have a pair of blue tits nesting in a box on the side of the house. They can be heard pecking at the hole to widen it _ although they have no problem getting in and out. Bought another brushwood one from rspb and put that on the Rowan but nothing seen yet. It was aimed at the robins or wrens that spend all day in the garden.

[Jungle Jane]

Some bird boxes have the metal ring around the hole to stop woodpeckers from accessing the nest,they peck away to get to the eggs & baby birds. Are you sure it’s the blue tits pecking?

[peanut]

I had Blue Tits pecking at the hole on their Blue Tit box, so the following year I got them a larger holed box, one for Great Tits and they didn't peck at that one at all. They knew how big they wanted their hole to be!

[annie8]

Definitely the blue tits. Seems plenty big enough for them to get in and out but they clearly aren’t happy with it, despite this being the second year in a row that blue tits have nested in it.