Where should I put a new nest box

[Joolz]

Hello to those who know much more about birds than me!

I already have a nest box, placed about 2 metres high in a lilac tree in the garden. I put it March 06, and from October to March 07 a blue tit (we called her Mrs Joey) roosted in it every single night, it's wired to the TV in my kitchen and I've spent more hours than I should watching it!

Nest building began in March and was almost complete,

see http:// www.sassywebs.co.uk/joey.htm

Then we got back from a weekend away at Easter and Mrs Joey was gone.

I was GUTTED.

The box is still there and still nothing, I've not seen another blue tit anywhere near.

Maybe she just decided to nest somewhere else or maybe a squirrel got her? There are lots of them, I live in an old 1930s semi where all the gardens are a good size and they all back onto each other, lots of foxes too.

I have bought a new box with a colour camera, old one was b&w.

So, the question is: where do I put it?

I've read so many conflicting reports:

Put it in a tree, it's easier for the fledglings
Don't put it in a tree - it's too easy for cats and squirrels

Put it high on the the wall of your house
Don't put it high, house sparrows will scare off other blue tits, marsh tits

Face the box anywhere except South
Don't face the both North as the cold will kill the chicks

PLEASE HELP!

I know there is no right or wrong, but advice would be appreciated :)

I can post a couple of pictures of the garden if that would help with advice??

Thanks in advance :)

Joolz

[KnockerNorton]

You don't have to worry too much about it, as a determined predator or competitor will usually find a way to attack a box if it really wants to. Put it on a tree or a wall, any direction really but avoid SW-erly if you can, or wherever your prevailing weather comes from (but this isn't vital either), anything above 5ft. The main thing, seeing as you've got 2 boxes, is to have them as far apart as possible, as if they're too close together then you may get problems with pairs interfering with each other. At the very least, in a garden, I'd make the holes accessible to both blue and great tits (and why not the sparrows? Sparrows are in more need of help than great or blue tits right now!), so that one species can have one and another species the other. That way, you stand a better chance of both boxes being used. Have them at least 10 ft apart if you can.

Just make sure that it isn't easy or obvious for a cat to jump onto them, but this is hard to prevent anyway. There is nothing you can do to prevent a squirrel attack, as they can climb up anything and knaw through almost anything.

Remember, lots of boxes aren't used, and lots of boxes that ARE used do not succeed due to predation, weather, poor chick-food supply in gardens etc. It's not necessarily anything you've done or not done. It's just the way it is.