Anyone intending to put up bird boxes this year?

[Philthy]

Some years ago I bought three of the SCHWEGLER "woodcrete" style nestboxes.

They're pricey initially, but like any good investment they more than pay for themselves over time. They're outside year round and don't need any maintenance beyond clearing out the old nests themselves.
I have one with a general sized hole - 32mm dia. I think it is - which is in a tree. Nuthatches are the usual occupants. The second is a long design ie. it goes back from the hole rather than down, which is buried in a bush (this one is usually full of leaves with mice in it rather than birds). And the last one is intended for sparrows and is sited just under the eaves of the house, but blue tits seem to prefer it.

I made an open fronted box for robins ages ago out of plank offcuts, and sited according to BTO advice. I don't think it's ever been occupied

[Bohobumble]

My plot is right next to lots of hedgerows that birds nest in, is it worth me putting up nest boxes?

[dogsbody]

Yes, not all birds nest in hedges - blue tits etc. prefer "holes".

[Kleftiwallah]

Going to ask my son if I can put up a barn owl box in the trees behind his house. Keep your fingers crossed. Cheers, Tony.

[BertieFox]

The blue and great tits are already exploring our boxes, but from past observations they never start to nest until both temperatures are higher AND there is an adequate supply of insects and grubs.

Birds can be little ingrates though, as one year we put up a carefully dimensioned woodpecker box and a perfect blue tit box.

You can guess what happened! The blue tits nested in the woodpecker box and the woodpeckers spent hours tapping away around the hole of the blue tit box trying to enlarge it!

[SkyChild]

It's on my extensive list of things to do. Once I can get back into the back garden (it's full of Leylandii branches) then I'll pop some up on the walls/fences and see what happens. But I suspect I wn't actually get any birds til next year what withal the digging etc that will be going on.

[burnie]

Best to face nest boxes towards the North, protects box from over heating and against prevailing winds in the breeding season. One of each type of box per garden is better and remember to put them where predators cannot easily get at the box.

[Verinda]

We have had a sparrow village at the end of our house for about five years, my husband made the boxes, each box has three nest boxes all in one. Every year one family of blue tits nest there, last year much to my delight the sparrows finally realised that all those bird boxes were actually there for them and two families of sparrows nested there. And happily their attempts to chase off the blue tits failed and they nested there too I really hope there will be even more sparrows this year.

[Bohobumble]

I have 3 tit (or similar) boxes, and one robin box in my shed at the allotment, I'm in the countryside tho so should be ok in terms of territories
We also gave a robin box at hone but think the crows might dissuade them, so may convert to tit boxes.
£2.50 each from wilko

[Snow]

Rarely get birds in my garden. Nasty magpies about locally too. Do get a small owl but that's it. Bought a small box but worried as lots of cats about and have to go on fence. Thoughts?

[BertieFox]

Depending on the availability of good nesting sites, your box could be occupied far more quickly than you think.
When I put up a tit box a few years ago, they were exploring it within the hour and had taken up residence the next day!
I guess they thought it was prime real estate!
The box has been used every year since and they are already exploring it this year.

Meanwhile, a woodpecker box (scrupulously made to the right dimensions) has remained unoccupied for around five or six years!