All my Bird Boxes! (2019)

madpenguin

All my bird boxes are now in position and hoping for a successful year with them!
On the front of the house (East facing) are 2 sparrow terraces and 1 other box they can use.The top one has been successful in previous years for breeding and winter roosting.


In the back garden I have a box on the garage wall(North facing) which was successfully used last year by Blue Tits.


An open fronted box put up last year a bit late in the season.(West facing).


A Pyracantha bush with a Simon King Robin nester tucked away at the back (North facing)



An open fronted Blackbird (or other) nester.It looked a bit exposed so have covered the top with chicken wire and poked in some Pyracantha twigs,I may put some more on.(North facing).


And finally a wren ball I put up last year under a bay tree and tucked into the ivy.Not sure if it has been used but have noticed there are no cobwebs over the entrance hole anymore so could indicate activity.Have seen wrens in this area.


I hope I have given the birds enough choice!!

Rubytoo

I think so, it is great how many you have, so birds do have a choice , even if they don't all get used. Love the sparrow terraces, I had heard of those but not seen them.
I hope you don''t mind a tiny criticism though.
The Blackbird one even though you have put pyracantha bits over it. It is so near a fence top do you have cat scarers as it appears as if cats would be able to access that one too easily.
The birds might not use it. (We had a very well hidden one but the neighbours cat found it and worried them away, even though it was under and behind a foot thickness and height above fence of trachelospermum). Sorry if that sounds negative it is only that particular box.

And where is your penguin box......

barry island

I put mine up the other day, the wren/robin box is low down hidden in a bush with wire netting around it in case a cat spots it. I was thinking of putting a house sparrow box up but the only suitable place that it could go would be above a doorway and I was worried about detritus falling from the box onto the doorstep, although I see that you have boxes above doors and windows.

Fran IOM

Not only are your bird boxes great but your garden looks good too. Must remember to put my one box out soon 

madpenguin

Rubytoo said:

I hope you don''t mind a tiny criticism though.
The Blackbird one even though you have put pyracantha bits over it. It is so near a fence top do you have cat scarers as it appears as if cats would be able to access that one too easily.
The birds might not use it. (We had a very well hidden one but the neighbours cat found it and worried them away, even though it was under and behind a foot thickness and height above fence of trachelospermum). Sorry if that sounds negative it is only that particular box.

And where is your penguin box......

I know it does seem a bit exposed so I am planning on putting a bit more round it.There are still some other things to grow over it,I have a Clematis which runs riot on the trellis to the right and I want to train the Pyracantha round it.I also have some cat spikes I can put on the top of the fence,will see how things go.

As for the penguin box that is the big brick one.....

madpenguin

barry island said:

I put mine up the other day, the wren/robin box is low down hidden in a bush with wire netting around it in case a cat spots it. I was thinking of putting a house sparrow box up but the only suitable place that it could go would be above a doorway and I was worried about detritus falling from the box onto the doorstep, although I see that you have boxes above doors and windows.

I have never had a problem with stuff falling from boxes near windows and doors.The Sparrow terrace though is right by my bedroom window and can be quite noisy of a morning!!

barry island

I may build a sparrow terrace and get it up before they start nesting if they don't make a mess. In one house we lived in swallows or swifts built a nest under the eaves over the front door and the step was covered in droppings. As for blackbirds nests we had one a few years ago hidden deep in a bush but I fear it was raided by magpies, during April magpies seem to go on an all out campaign to raid birds nests.

madpenguin

barry island said:

In one house we lived in swallows or swifts built a nest under the eaves over the front door and the step was covered in droppings.

I understand you can buy (or make yourself) a shelf that goes underneath Martin or Swift nests to catch the droppings etc.
Presumably you would clean it off once nesting is over.

Mary370

They are fabulous............I hope you get lots of lodgers!

George2019

madpenguin said:

An open fronted Blackbird (or other) nester.It looked a bit exposed so have covered the top with chicken wire and poked in some Pyracantha twigs,I may put some more on.(North facing).

If I asked kindly, would it be possible for you to give me the dimensions of your blackbird box? I like making things like this with my children, however I cannot find the dimensions anywhere to make one for our blackbirds. We have made lots of other bird boxes, just not one for them.

Many thanks in advance.

madpenguin

This box is about the same as mine and it has the dimensions in the specifications.
https://www.birdfood.co.uk/lancaster-open-nest-box.html#producttabs1

Looks as though it may be fairly easy to duplicate.
Good luck and nice to see you getting the children interested!