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How many Bird Houses?? (1 Viewer)

The Merlin

Active member
I'm new here and just wanted to see how many people out there are like me and build TONS of bird houses.

I right now I have 20 bird houses, 10 Owl Boxes and 10 ten normal Bird boxes:t: .

The Owl Boxes are for my Eastern Screech Owls, I have a pair of Red Phase ESO pair(Red and Screech) in one half of my five acres and 3 to 4 Gray Phase ESO(Boo, Hoo, Ghost and Shadow) in the other part.

The other 10 Bird Boxes are a various array of specially made boxes for different species. So far I had Eastern Bluebirds, Tufted Titmice and Great Crested Flycatchers nest in my Bird Boxes. This year my goal is to have some Red-bellied Woodpeckers nest in my Bird Boxes, so I've made some special boxes for them:king: .

And then I've also got Gray Squirrels and Flying Squirrels living in my boxes. Hopfully, this year I can persuade the Flying Squirrels to nest in my boxes with my new Bird Feeder;)

Call me crazy, but I love having so many Bird Houses. In the two years, I've had boxes I've fledged over 60 birds!!!! Now I've just got to start breeding my parrots:king: :t:

So do you guys have any neat Bird Box storys??
 
Hi Merlin and welcome to BF. As you see, we are in a state of flux, and not many members have yet made the move to the new site. When they do, I'm sure you'll have a great response.

We look forward to hearing from you in the future. What about posting the odd pic or two?
 
I have three placed along a fence covered in Laurel and am planning to build some more for the other fences. These are on hold because my brother has asked me to build him a birdtable for his new house that needs to deter larger birds such as pigeons, crows, etc. I have come up with a nifty and simple design. Pity I ain't got a scanner to place a pic on here!
 
Merlin, I am impressed with your diy in birdboxes. Very satisfying isn't it when the birds actually use your boxes.
For my patch I have made and hung 24 boxes.
One is uses by a fieldmouse family and the rest by members of the tit family. I would dearly love to hang an owl box but do not know how to manage that by myself as they have to be very high and are heavy.
When I came to clean out the boxes last December, some had unhatched eggs in them........parents killed?
Andrew, I am looking forward to hearing about your nifty design of bird table to keep out unwanted magpies........etc. I am very troubled by rooks and I have stopped them by putting chichen mesh round the bird table but that stops other desired birds as well; like blackbirds and the like.
 
24 bird boxes, Wow!!

The most I had was 23, but then my dad made me take some down...3:)

I would dearly love to hang an owl box but do not know how to manage that by myself as they have to be very high and are heavy.

What types of Owls Boxes are you talking about putting up cause Screech owl boxes don't have to be placed very high at all.......Unless your talking about Owl boxes for larger Owls such as Barred Owls, which are indeed quite hard to do. I actually made two Barred Owl boxes based on a sighting I had had of a Barred Owl a while back, those things must have been 50 lbs each!!!! The highest I could get them was 20 feet. Ended up taking them down after a year(not an easy task) of not a sign of Barred owls and made 4 ESO Boxes and 6 Bird Boxes out of them 3:)
 
I have two self made birdboxes, and several handbuilt feeders and tables. I've even made them for a couple of relatives. One of the boxes holds a camera.

The day the day that I built the camera box, the Blue Tits literally moved in within ten minutes of me placing it on the house wall. You'd think they had been watching me build it and were desperate to get moved into their new house. That evening they started bringing in grass and moss starting the nest building project.

Andrew,

The easiest way to include a photo is the 'attachment' method, but the photo must be reduced in file size to under 100 kb.
Rather than use the quick-reply box at the bottom of a thread, hit the green 'post reply' button which brings up a new page which has all of the extra facilities on it. Simply type in your reply, hit the grey 'browse' button below the box and locate the file on your hard drive. Then hit the 'submit reply' button. Don't bother with the preview button as it removes the attachment and you would have to re do it. That should do the trick.
There is another method of attaching photos if you have them hosted on a website by attaching a hyperlink. If you get stuck send me a PM and we'll try to sort it out one way or another.
 
My birdtable design.

Hurrah, I now know how to post attachments in replies, thanks mate. Here is my birdtable design, there is a separate thread on this called 'Pigeon proof table?' with a poll too. Check it out.
 

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I wanted to put up a camera box, too, but it was to far a way to get a clear feed. Instead I have little "windows" in my Owl boxes with covers over them to keep out light. Hopefully it will make observing the Owls nesting much easier and safer. I have scars from last years encounters with the Owl parents3:)
 
I love Birdhouses. This year I will attempt to build my very first one. I have 2 that I bought,very expensive to buy and yet so cheap to make,go figure.
 

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LuBird.....interesting to see your birdbox........seems like a highrise flat! They do not cost too much to make depends if you make them from good outdoor, thick wood, so they will last, it would cost a bit more. I made mine out of marine plywood.
Merlin, ( nice to see another owl avatar), I only have Tawney owls around me, so they do need quite large cylinder-shape boxes. I will manage it some time and get some help with the hanging of it!
 
I just got back from following my Owls around this evening. I'm still amazed at how fearless they are. I can got within a foot of Hoo(my gray phase female owl) this evening!!! I once got to within inches of Red(my red phase male) awhile back. Such delightful birds they are :t:

Sadly though, I don't have all the owls I had last year. Right now, a month before the start of the Breeding season, I only have The Reds(my red phase pair) and Hoo. Last year around this time I had The Reds, Boo(gray female) , Hoo, Ghost(gray male) and occasionally Shadow(another gray male). I can understand the absence of the males as they are probably defending the territory, the Boo absence is peculiar. I suspect that Boo is probably Hoo's daughter and had just not left Hoo's territory yet last year and probably has left for another territory with probably Ghost(it's actually hard to tell Ghost and Shadow apart as they look quite alike). As you've probably noticed by now Hoo is kind of the "matriach" of my Owls. :king:

Ohh well two Owl pairs this year:king:


OK, I'm done now:bounce:
 
Nice birdhouses Lu... and we have several houses here for the different birds.. bluebird boxes, wren houses, chickadee houses and downy houses and the biggest yet are the flicker boxes.. they are huge.
Plans for more Bluebird boxes to be put up on the ridge.. further away from the house..
 
OH Gaye! I so long for a Flicker House. We hve big,beautiful Flickers here. My problem is space. I have to keep things free for the Hummers when they return,doncha know.
 
Merlin, we have only 4 boxes that were supposed to be the dimensions for Eastern Bluebirds. We have had Tree Swallows 2 yrs., E.Bluebirds (first time last spring), Black-capped Chickadees 2 years.
 
I suppose this isn't really the place to mention that Owl boxes have to be placed where no rain can get into them, otherwise the Owls get too wet to woo.

No, thought not.

Tony
 
Hi and Thanks Paula. Could you tell me if marine wood is a special kind of wood for birdhouses? My book simply says to make certain to have the wood thick enough and not use anything treated with chemicals or paint. It recomended using Pine.:gh:
 
Thanks and Hi Paula. Is marine plywood a special kind of wood for building birdhouses? The book I have said to use wood thick enough to insulate and not to use treated or painted lumber.

Tony,Hi. I think this is the place. We so long for an Owl in our backyard. I am thinking about placing an Owl house on the trunk of our big Hemloch tree. It would face East and give us the best view from the Deck. I hear an Owl every morning in the Springtime
at 4:30AM and I have been practicing for 2yrs. hooting back. The Owl will come nearer a I hoot and I think it is answering me,but I never see it.
 
The reason for not using treated or painited woods is the birds need rough surfaces to climb out and when birds such as a Blue Tit comes he/she may peck at the hole to widen it. Paint, etc.. could harm them if swallowed.
 
The most we put up was 3 (in a half-acre property in South Africa). Only 2 were ever occupied though, the 3rd was obviously too close to the first because the resident Crested Barbets (Sal has posted a picture somewhere) wouldn't let anything else come close.

There was a great battle when the first box went up between the Barbets and a pair of Cape Glossy Starlings. The other box was inhabited at various stages by the Barbets, Starlings and Reb-Billed Woodhoepoes. No pictures - sorry :(

Colin
 
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