Nest box despair thread! (1 Viewer)

For those of you that read all the successful nest box stories with envy, post all your disappointing stories here!

Here goes with mine:
Home made nest box cam lovingly made to fit bargain £30 security camera. After a couple of days of birds inspecting the outside......nothing! Gallingly great tits started going in and out of a nearby box (never used before) with a "far too big hole", and blue tits were seen going in and out of one on my pine tree. I have yesterday madethe hole a bit bigger in the hope of getting house sparrows....in fact anything!

Starling cam: another cheap camera postioned by contortion to look into roof void over back porch. Although I have tried repsitioning, and I know starlings are going in (they use it every year), I haven't seen anything on camera. Don't know if they aren't going right in or if they have a secret route, but it's a bit frustrating.

Wren cam: On Friday saw wren near roosting pocket in clematis on fence. It had moss in, so I relocated my garden fork cam (previously successful frog cam and successful bird table cam) to be a wren cam. I had a couple of days of intermittent visits and was fairly confident. yesterday there was only one visit plus possibly a visit from another bird (didn't press video in time) and nothing today, so I think it's another disappointment.

Oh well, that's life.......

Hi Dampflippers, how is nestbox positioned in relation to compass?? put many up over the years and found SW facing seems to favoured. Think I read something along similar lines many years ago. South facingapparently can get to hot unless well shielded by foliage and conversely north to cold. Also read introducing some nesting material, dried grass, moss etc is another encouragement which I always also do. (Not a lot just enough to cover bottom).

Keep on posting, enjoying the thread and dare I say better luck!

Stewart

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Hi Stewart,
The nest box cam one is in the back of the house. The only place it could go because of the short power lead (even though it's wireless). It faces NW ish. One window along there was a box which had been successful in the past (but not every year) so I though it would be ok. I took this one down before it was used and put it elsewhere as an open fronted one.
I might try the trick of adding some nest material. I think a bit of moss in the hole might be the first thing to do. In fact, I'll do it now!

By the way at 12pm a little while ago a female (I think) wren was doing housework, so perhaps I spoke too soon.

What stage are your birds up to?- I see you are in Northumberland.

Hi again Dampflippers, made a sited a nestbox on Monday and had Blue Tits prospecting it within 30 minutes (I did post a thread) Not a lot of nestbuilding activity as yet, many just at the prospecting stage. The usual early species, Lapwing, Dipper etc already nesting and on eggs along with Tawny Owl.

Expect to find tits and finches on eggs by mid May.

Stewart

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i have 4 blue-tit boxes,1 great-tit box and 1 open fronted.I thought 2 of the blue-tit boxes were being used as birds were in and out with nesting material especially the persian cat fur i saved from my mums cat! but over the last couple of days not one bird has gone in or out...i am very dissapointed ..Is it normal for them to have a break in nest building or have they gone elsewhere?

Don't give up Tracy, a quiet spell may mean nothing at all, they might be still looking on the box as their new home. Additionally, when the birds begin egg laying (one a morning), the box really will seem 'deserted' as parents don't try to attract attention to the box. Would recommend not taking a look, disturbance at the early stages is risking saying goodbye to the birds

Hi Tracy, I agree with Jos, also this cold wet snap of weather were experiencing at the moment will delay them a bit.

Stewart

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Ok, there is not a hint of sarcasm here at all, but
what I have noticed from my dealings with the House Sparrow is that they like the NABS boxes best (wood boxes set up to specifications for the Eastern Bluebird, you can find dimensions online). They like being near the house, with some sort of perching place in front of hole, like fence or post or tree. They love free hand outs, cracked corn is favored, bread crumbs, millet, mealworms offered daily and regularly. They like to feed on the ground or in a low platform feeder best. (In the winter, I have a platform feeder that sits on a garden bench and the 8"diameter plastic plant saucer that I scatter millet and songbird seed (with black oil sunflower seed) in both....they flocked enmass with the mourning doves...and that was with NO cracked corn or bread crumbs!!!
Also offer nesting material....they go bonkers for feathers.
If I could, believe me, I would love to send mine out to you....but I can control my visiting population with special feeders, feed and sneaky box keeping.
Shelley