Nest-box info required. (1 Viewer)

I have a small garden, with a correspondingly small list of visitors.

We get visits mostly from the local Goldfinches, as well as a Blackbird or too, some Magpies and plenty of Starlings.

We also get occasional visitis from a Collared Dove, who today seems to have brought "a friend".

Does anyone have any knowledge/info regarding providing a nextbox for Collared Doves... do they take to nestboxes even, or is it already likely to be too late?

Also, in the next few weeks as the hirundines arrive, we shall doubtless have many House Martins and some Swallows circling the garden.

Last year, some of the Martins clung to the side of the house, and I was hopeful that they may nest under the eaves - something I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing since my schooldays - but it didn't happen.

What about these ready-made cup-nests... worthwhile? And if so, would half a dozen be too many?

For the record, our rear wall faces approx SE, if that has any influence for either bird, although the HMs looked similarly interested (and ultimately similarly disinterested) in front and back last year.

Hi Birdman.
As regards your collared doves, i have no knowledge of them using boxes. They seem to like just a few twigs in a tree for their nest!! how they manage i dont know. But house martins & swallows, will use those ready made cup nests, my advise is get some up, if not used this year there is always next as we keep telling ourselves!!As regards numbers i would go for 4, but thats up to you, and as regards purchase i would say you can't go wrong wih CJ birdfoods. good firm, very good products. hope its some help, and good luck.
bert.

You would be hard pressed to get Collared Doves to use a box, they nest much in the same way as pigeons, a scruffy pile of twigs at the top of a tree.
You may be able to encourage Starlings into a box but it would require quite a large hole, say, 40-45mm dia. and the box would have to be a little larger than a standard tit box.
As with House Martins, here in Stevenage they only nest on the three-storey houses. My father once made two 'nests' by casting a sort of 'woodcrete' into half a football and then cut it half. Trouble was, we only got House Sparrows, not intended but nice to have all the same!
Generally though, your hole should face east or north if possible.

Its worth a go, Birdman. As you say they looked interested originially then there is a strong chance that they may use them. If there is an existing colony nearby then youve probably got a good chance of occupation. Ive heard that they prefer houses with a white or cream wall and would require a north or east facing wall.

The cream wall we can do... North is tricky... depends how fussy they are about east... we're sort of ESE I reckon.

birdman said:

The cream wall we can do... North is tricky... depends how fussy they are about east... we're sort of ESE I reckon.

Click to expand...

That should do it.

Thanks folks... If I get anywhere, I'll let you know what happens.