How many nestboxes? (1 Viewer)

Euan Buchan

The Edinburgh Birdwatcher

Supporter

• Jun 15, 2004

• #1

How many do you have? I have 3 one big one that my Grandpa made me and a nest packet one that I got a botanic garden and a lil wooden one that I got in a £1 shop Im not to fond on the pocket one because Ive noticed a few bird trying to pull the brown things out but then again Im sure the birds would love them. Lots of birds have been going up to them sencing them out so fingers crossed :eat:

 

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joser

Well-known member

• Jun 15, 2004

• #2

Ive got 3 also. 2 ideally for blue tits and a robin box. I'm thinking of getting a sparrow box after watching 'Britain Goes Wild' as we have quite a few around our area. The robin box is yet to be used though.

 

John P

Usually on a different wavelength

• Jun 15, 2004

• #3

Five, two blue tit size, two great tit size and one robin type box, three in use this spring and good broods from two of them,9 blue tits and 6 great tits (the other one in use is full of bees). The robin box has never been used and you have made me realise that I should probably re-position it. Several other birds(including robins) nesting in the garden but not in boxes.

I'm thinking of making an owl box as we used to get fairly regular visits at night from a Tawny owl (although not recently) but I'm not sure if I can get far enough up the tree to position the thing.

 

John N

Well-known member

• Jun 16, 2004

• #4

I've got 3 Euan. All tit boxes, but only one has been in use this year . I am going to get a sparrow terrace next. John.

 

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goplaces

Bob D

• Jun 16, 2004

• #5

I also have 3, 2 blue tit and 1 robin. 1 of the blue tit boxes was successfully used and I also had blue tits nesting in the eaves of the house, ( is this unusual ). I also had long tailed tits nesting in a hedge. As I have had blue tits, great tits, green finches, gold finches, blackbirds, great spotted woodpeckers starlings, dunnock bringing their young to the garden to feed I am certainly going to add more next year.

 

Jos Stratford

Eastern Exile

Staff member

• Jul 30, 2004

• #6

Too many boxes?

I don't think you can have too many boxes - more just means more choice, so better chance of having at least one occupied. I have a small garden surrounded by pine forest (in Lithuania), but have TWELVE boxes. I thought this was being optimistic, but in fact occupancy this year was:
2 pairs Pied Flycatchers
1 pair Redstart
1 pair Blue Tit
1 pair Great Tit (failed)
2 pairs of Starling

Not bad, there was a second pair of Blue Tits, but they were evicted by more aggressive Pied Flys! Last year, Swifts took over one box when the Starlings finished.

 

snowyowl

Well-known member

• Jul 30, 2004

• #7

I have seven but only two got used this year. Two of them are for chickadees/Downy Woodpeckers and I think that I put them up too late in the Spring. I have three swallow boxes and normally get Tree Swallows in one and House Sparrows in one. For some reason this year the swallows rejected the box they have used in other years. The A. Kestrels used their box and raised three chicks.
I have a Martin house but it has never been used, but I only put it up on spec. because martins don't usually occur inthis area.
I plan to build new swallow boxes this Winter plus I'd like to build a lot more boxes of different sizes including an owl box. The problem is how to get large nest boxes high into suitable trees.

 

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Rhion

Well-known member

• Jul 30, 2004

• #8

I've got nine, all of which were used.

4 GreatTit
4 Blue Tit
1 Nuthatch

I think they all fledged young. The tits have hada good year, with lots of young birds around. Last year was very poor.

 

K

Kenny

Natural Magic

• Aug 18, 2004

• #9

Nine here plus a bat box. Success stories this year: Multiple broods of Tree Sparrows plus Blue Tits & Starlings. All is quiet now and I suspect breeding has come to an end for this year. I plan to put up more boxes for next season and to perhaps cater for the Great Tit (32mm hole). Messy task of clearing up lies ahead.

 

Last edited: Aug 18, 2004

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Elizabeth Bigg

Addicted member

• Aug 18, 2004

• #10

Kenny said:

Nine here plus a bat box. Success stories this year: Multiple broods of Tree Sparrows plus Blue Tits & Starlings. All is quiet now and I suspect breeding has come to an end for this year. I plan to put up more boxes for next season and to perhaps cater for the Great Tit (32mm hole). Messy task of clearing up lies ahead.

Click to expand...

That's amazing - how big is your garden?

 

Michael W

Mountain Chickadee

• Aug 18, 2004

• #11

On our twenty-five acres we have about twenty-two, although the number changes often. Most are used by Western Bluebirds (about 6), Violet-green Swallows, Tree Swallows (1-2), Pygmy Nuthatches (about 6), White-breasted Nuthatches (1), sometimes Mountain or Black-capped Chickadees (not this year, though) and House Wren.

We also have a "bluebird trail" with about ten more boxes that extend down a couple roads around here. Most are used by Western Bluebirds, but Tree Swallows and House Wrens also use some. We always have trouble with House Sparrows, but it's not too bad.

Michael

 

K

Kenny

Natural Magic

• Aug 18, 2004

• #12

Elizabeth Bigg said:

That's amazing - how big is your garden?

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I have one and a half acres of garden Elizabeth and many Silver Birch trees for the nest boxes. You should have heard the chattering from these boxes this year, quite something.

 

Last edited: Aug 18, 2004

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Elizabeth Bigg

Addicted member

• Aug 18, 2004

• #13

Kenny said:

I have one and a half acres of garden Elizabeth and many Silver Birch trees for the nest boxes. You should have heard the chattering from these boxes this year, quite something.

Click to expand...

Perhaps I've done quite well then, with my two in a garden of 6% of an acre!!! We've been watching one, then two bluetit boxes for 4 years now via miniature cameras in the boxes - all is revealed at www.biggonline.co.uk - sadly one of the boxes failed after the nest was completed this year.

 

K

Kenny

Natural Magic

• Aug 18, 2004

• #14

Elizabeth Bigg said:

Perhaps I've done quite well then, with my two in a garden of 6% of an acre!!! We've been watching one, then two bluetit boxes for 4 years now via miniature cameras in the boxes - all is revealed at www.biggonline.co.uk - sadly one of the boxes failed after the nest was completed this year.

Click to expand...

Visited your site and looked at the spectacular photographs. I haven't progressed onto cameras within the boxes. I don't even climb the ladder to count them anymore, preffering to stay well away so as not to disturb them. Happy in the knowledge that it's all happening down the bottom of the garden.

 

Last edited: Aug 18, 2004

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Andy V

absolutely quackers

• Oct 12, 2004

• #15

Which way should I face a birdbox?
And how high off the ground?

I'm going to fix it to a telegraph pole in my garden as I dont have any trees (is quite a small garden). Not ideal, I know as there will be no 'cover' around it, but I dont have any choice. I have seen some very exposed boxes in use in the past so maybe there's hope.

 

C

Christina

Active member

• Oct 12, 2004

• #16

Euan Buchan said:

How many do you have? I have 3 one big one that my Grandpa made me and a nest packet one that I got a botanic garden and a lil wooden one that I got in a £1 shop Im not to fond on the pocket one because Ive noticed a few bird trying to pull the brown things out but then again Im sure the birds would love them. Lots of birds have been going up to them sencing them out so fingers crossed :eat:

Click to expand...

I have seven boxes in my garden, four were used. 3 pairs of great tits and one pair of robins (letter box slit -instead of hole- in deep great tit box)

Tina

 

S

Stuart

Well-known member

• Oct 12, 2004

• #17

Not sure if everybody is aware, but the advise I got from a fellow birder a long time ago was not to worry about how you construct it, big or small box or hole, try and put them in groups of three.This was intended more for woods than gardens, because normally blue tits arrive first and take up residence, then great tit, leaving the third box for that special bird....
Im thinking nuthatch or maybe pied flycatcher

Ive tried this myself and it does work, think it groups of three!!

Stuart

 

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dampflippers

Well-known member

• Feb 20, 2005

• #18

Hi Stuart (or anyone else)
I am interested in the concept of putting them up in threes.
Are you saying that great tits and a blue tits will nest in close proximity? Don't they compete for territories?
The reason I ask is that I have just made a nest box cam, which is on a house wall. I had to postion it about 6 ft from wher I previously had a box (and have taken this one down). It's day 5 now, and no interest has been shown in the box at all. Today at 5 though I noticed great tits going in to another box with a big (40mm hole) that I had put up on a fence for sparrows or starlings.
Now I am wondering whether I stand any chance of getting inhabitants in my camera box.

Another thing- would it help if I attached twigs or clematis prunings around the box to give it some disguise?