nest boxes (1 Viewer)

Hi can anyone tell me why after 2 years tits or robin will still not nest in my boxes. There are lots of feeders in the garden and i generally get a large number in feeding. I have seen 6 birds over a three week period sit on , look in and go in the boxes especially the tit box, but no one has moved in. Its not in the wind or to sheltered it gets the sun during the day and I dont have cats in its about 10 foot off the ground on a wall. I have ****** seed nuts ,mixed , sun flower, fat balls etc out and all fresh and clean, I have two baths one stone one plastic. I think I have covered all area's. Sod it move in the garden myself, better looked after than I am.

Any idea's please.8-P

It could be the fact that there are feeders attracting other birds to the garden, especially if they are within view of the boxes. From the birds point of view, food supply = lots of birds = predators, especially of the winged variety, therefore putting their offspring at risk. I would be interested to know if anyone else has both feeders and regularly used boxes in close proximity.

shrek said:

Hi can anyone tell me why after 2 years tits or robin will still not nest in my boxes. There are lots of feeders in the garden and i generally get a large number in feeding. I have seen 6 birds over a three week period sit on , look in and go in the boxes especially the tit box, but no one has moved in. Its not in the wind or to sheltered it gets the sun during the day and I dont have cats in its about 10 foot off the ground on a wall. I have ****** seed nuts ,mixed , sun flower, fat balls etc out and all fresh and clean, I have two baths one stone one plastic. I think I have covered all area's. Sod it move in the garden myself, better looked after than I am.

Any idea's please.8-P

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I understand your frustration, but I'm afraid that in the world of bird boxes it really is a buyer's market, and with so much encouragement to put up nest boxes these days the birds can be spoilt for choice. A Blue Tit's territory can extent over quite a few gardens - how many neighbours have also provided boxes? I've had boxes up for six years or more before they were used, and a neighbour's box had been up much longer and was almost completely rotted through before a pair of Blue Tits moved in!

Your posting raises a couple of questions for me -

First, how big is the garden, and when you say that you have lots of feeders in the garden, are they spread all over the place? How far from the feeders is the tit box, and any other boxes you have up? Could it be that the garden is a good place to feed but too busy to nest as it could attract predators?


Next, you say that the box is 10ft up in a wall and gets the sun in the day. What direction does the wall face? You don't want the box exposed to the sun on a wall that faces anything like south.

Is your Robin box also out in the open, or quite low down and hidden away, which is what they would prefer?

boxes

lots of things i had not thought there. My feeders are within 15 foot or so and I have a tree like feeder and a bird table. the wall with the tit box faces west and is well protected. Ive seen no large predators in the garden and cats dont come cos of the dog, he only allowed out in that garden to scare off the cats now and then. he has his own garden out the side of the house. the garden is quite but not much cover so i bought a tree to cover the other tit box and robin box. only one person around me feeds the birds but has no nest boxes so dont think there is much competition yet there is a huge tree at the bottom of the garden and a small woods accross the path. just have to be patient i suppose.:t: