Nesting birds taking up Nest Boxes



Had 3 nest boxes in my garden for a few years now and never had one bird in it. Apart from the time the wind blew one from the tree.

When I picked up the box I thought I could hear something rattling inside. Gave it a bit of a shake and a blue tit popped his head out.

Probably the reason I dont get any, no doubt the blue tit told his mates to stay clear of our place
 
Swindon On Tour said:
What a lovely surprise today. Been watching a pair of Nuthatches going in and out a nest box I built last year. The Blue Tits and Great Tits are already selecting suitable homes.
Little things to cheer you up.
Mind you the Barn Owl box has a pair of Jackdaws throwing sticks into the entrance.
Finished off a Tawny Owl box yesterday and located a suitable tree. Just need my Mate to pull up the rope and hold the ladder and will put it in place, unfortunately I am a little late with this one, however could hear one the other night in the surrounding trees.
Cut the grass and in between listened to the chorus of so many different varieties.
Just a lift today from nature to help me on my way.
Click to expand...
Do you have a big garden?
 
We have been living where we are now for over 2 years and every time we pass a little wooded copse near the farm by the Wear. I say to the missus 'Perfect Habitat for little owls that'...

Found them on Thursday afternoon being pestered by Grey Squirrels... Buzzing. :) Sat watching then for ages.

I know of 5 little owl sites in and around the NE (Some I've Photographed very successfully) but never one so close to where I live. I know the farmer too so he may just let me put my pop up hide in the field and take some snaps :)
 
Onlyfoolsrushin said:
It sounds like its more of an estate, than a garden.
Click to expand...
Yes it sounds impressive.

I am tempted to rig something up for next year, we tend to have sparrows and starlings trying to nest under roof tiles.
Tuono said:
Spotted a heron circling my garden this morning. No wonder there's only one clump of frog spawn, usually there's loads this time of year.
Click to expand...
During a run last year I saw a heron swoop down and take a small duckling off. I almost didn’t believe that I’d seen it.
 
Last edited:
Swindon On Tour said:
That is incredible and really early for March.
Never seen a House Martin in March, only Swallows. Used to get Sand Martins where I used to live and they would nest in the banks of the gravel pits.
The Swifts around here are usually the last. Noticed a real decline last year with the House Martins numbers.
Click to expand...
I live in Sunderland but also have a static caravan in the lakes. Last year I didn’t see one Swift at all in both places. The Swallows and House Martins aye, but no Swifts.
Very worrying.
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
Yes it sounds impressive.

I am tempted to rig something up for next year, we tend to have sparrows and starlings trying to nest under roof tiles.

During a run last year I saw a heron swoop down and take a small duckling off. I almost didn’t believe that I’d seen it.
Click to expand...
I've got around 12 feeders in my small garden. Sat in the garden for a couple of hours yesterday and got 17 species in or over.

Swifts are in massive decline. The volunteers over at Tice's Meadow on the Surrey/Hampshire border have built a swift tower to try and attract them to the meadow. They've successfully attracted Barn Owls to the nest box on the Kiln which is a community building net to the medow. and their Barn Owl web cam is live, and you can find the link on the Tices Meadow Bird Group Website, their Twitter feed and Facebook Group pages.

Hansons the aggregates company own the land/site but have decided to sell, probably to a developer although it hasn't been announced yet. Its a great place for birding and the water levels are quite high due to all of the winter rainfall and storms. Ideal for development,,,,,,,
 
Highlights over time. Seen from window through binocs, male Cuckoo in its inimitably horizontal habit perched on the lines over the adjacent farmland, calling. Large flocks of yellowhammer invaded the garden a few times. Never been so lucky with waxwing. A dozen or more Long tailed tits landing one by one, to crowd out a small fatball 1 yard away from me as I stood. More recently... sparrowhawk pair taking turns to bathe in pond. One day, thump at window, looked up in time to see pigeon seem to slide down it a la Tom and Jerry after being chased into it by a sparrowhawk, feathers left behind in characteristic pattern after plucking on lawn. Another to knock on a window was a goldcrest. Kept a local cat at bay for the 30 mins needed for UK’s smallest to revive and fly. See new goldcrest families in garden some years. Mallards nesting behind the pyracantha hedge by the front door, chicks survived all kinds of risk to hatch, one day they all marched off up the front path into the road, then turned up in the back garden regularly, fewer each time alas. Female Merlin (rare these days) in old cherry. treecreeper busy on its trunk every year. One time found Robin nestlings on top of waste in overfilled green bin, lid ajar just enough. To the present day. Plenty of birds this year, seems to me too. The likes of wren, bullfinch, chaffinch, tits, robin, blackbird and others are welcome as ever to eye and ear.
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
Do you have a big garden?
Click to expand...

Really lucky as it’s really spacious and a paddock backing on to the back and side.
Trees all around.
Today I have cut down the hedge at the front of the garden and as we are fairly high up we can now see right over the fields and a farm in the distance.
Was watching the rabbits from my door step this afternoon.
The Nuthatch’s have built the nest in the box and have been in and out all day.
My lad heard a Tawny Owl last night thus fingers crossed but sadly a Barn Owl has been killed on the road going out the village.
I built 5 nest boxes last week out of some spare wood and will be putting them up tomorrow in the trees across the road from our house.
Country bumpkin me and love giving the birds a helping hand.
Quinninho said:
We have been living where we are now for over 2 years and every time we pass a little wooded copse near the farm by the Wear. I say to the missus 'Perfect Habitat for little owls that'...

Found them on Thursday afternoon being pestered by Grey Squirrels... Buzzing. :) Sat watching then for ages.

I know of 5 little owl sites in and around the NE (Some I've Photographed very successfully) but never one so close to where I live. I know the farmer too so he may just let me put my pop up hide in the field and take some snaps :)
Click to expand...

Superb Mate I love Little Owls. They have the most amazing sound a piercing whistle usually at dusk.
Get rid of those bastard squirrels as they will take eggs.
Onlyfoolsrushin said:
It sounds like its more of an estate, than a garden.
Click to expand...

Onlyfoolsrushin said:
It sounds like its more of an estate, than a garden.
Click to expand...

When we bought it the garden was a jungle and we have spend a lot of time and effort on it.
Stevie Freestein II said:
Yes it sounds impressive.

I am tempted to rig something up for next year, we tend to have sparrows and starlings trying to nest under roof tiles.

During a run last year I saw a heron swoop down and take a small duckling off. I almost didn’t believe that I’d seen it.
Click to expand...

Keep feeding particularly in winter and they will come.
No cats here, Magpies, Squirrels and Crows get shot :)
It’s like living in a bird aviary and we are so lucky.
vinegar hill said:
I live in Sunderland but also have a static caravan in the lakes. Last year I didn’t see one Swift at all in both places. The Swallows and House Martins aye, but no Swifts.
Very worrying.
Click to expand...

House Martin numbers were noticeably down here last year.
Plenty of Swallows as farm land and barns to build nests. The Swifts take the Church as a nesting site.
Onlyfoolsrushin said:
I've got around 12 feeders in my small garden. Sat in the garden for a couple of hours yesterday and got 17 species in or over.

Swifts are in massive decline. The volunteers over at Tice's Meadow on the Surrey/Hampshire border have built a swift tower to try and attract them to the meadow. They've successfully attracted Barn Owls to the nest box on the Kiln which is a community building net to the medow. and their Barn Owl web cam is live, and you can find the link on the Tices Meadow Bird Group Website, their Twitter feed and Facebook Group pages.

Hansons the aggregates company own the land/site but have decided to sell, probably to a developer although it hasn't been announced yet. Its a great place for birding and the water levels are quite high due to all of the winter rainfall and storms. Ideal for development,,,,,,,
Click to expand...

They get so tame as well don’t they.
Lovely spotting all the different spicies. My Mrs (no) always asking me what they are. In fairness she is starting to know the differences.
We get a pair of Bullfinches now, the Male particularly is absolutely stunning with that dark red colouring and black head. Goldcrests as well.
bm's neighbour said:
Highlights over time. Seen from window through binocs, male Cuckoo in its inimitably horizontal habit perched on the lines over the adjacent farmland, calling. Large flocks of yellowhammer invaded the garden a few times. Never been so lucky with waxwing. A dozen or more Long tailed tits landing one by one, to crowd out a small fatball 1 yard away from me as I stood. More recently... sparrowhawk pair taking turns to bathe in pond. One day, thump at window, looked up in time to see pigeon seem to slide down it a la Tom and Jerry after being chased into it by a sparrowhawk, feathers left behind in characteristic pattern after plucking on lawn. Another to knock on a window was a goldcrest. Kept a local cat at bay for the 30 mins needed for UK’s smallest to revive and fly. See new goldcrest families in garden some years. Mallards nesting behind the pyracantha hedge by the front door, chicks survived all kinds of risk to hatch, one day they all marched off up the front path into the road, then turned up in the back garden regularly, fewer each time alas. Female Merlin (rare these days) in old cherry. treecreeper busy on its trunk every year. One time found Robin nestlings on top of waste in overfilled green bin, lid ajar just enough. To the present day. Plenty of birds this year, seems to me too. The likes of wren, bullfinch, chaffinch, tits, robin, blackbird and others are welcome as ever to eye and ear.
Click to expand...
Superb mate. Not heard a Cuckoo here for a few years.
Lucky you.
 
Last edited:
Swindon On Tour said:
When we bought it the garden was a jungle and we have spend a lot of time and effort on it.
We get a pair of Bullfinches now, the Male particularly is absolutely stunning with that dark red colouring and black head. Goldcrests as well.

Superb mate. Not heard a Cuckoo here for a few years.
Lucky you.
Click to expand...
We get to hear a cuckoo most years and one flew over one year, I'm lucky to live near countryside and an old MoD site is just south of me. We get allsorts in and around the garden, and I've been here 35 years this year.
Tawnys call regularly. we've had Bullfinches in the past, and goldcrest in the front on the conifer. Marsh Tit was a good one I had for a while. We get the Fieldfares and Redwings in the winter, with Siskins and the occasional Lesser Redpoll. Regulars overhead are the Red Ktes, Buzzards and Sparrowhawks. I've even had a Pheasant and a Red Legged Partridge in the garden.
I love going down the coast and the New Forest, but thats all stopped for now.
 
Onlyfoolsrushin said:
We get to hear a cuckoo most years and one flew over one year, I'm lucky to live near countryside and an old MoD site is just south of me. We get allsorts in and around the garden, and I've been here 35 years this year.
Tawnys call regularly. we've had Bullfinches in the past, and goldcrest in the front on the conifer. Marsh Tit was a good one I had for a while. We get the Fieldfares and Redwings in the winter, with Siskins and the occasional Lesser Redpoll. Regulars overhead are the Red Ktes, Buzzards and Sparrowhawks. I've even had a Pheasant and a Red Legged Partridge in the garden.
I love going down the coast and the New Forest, but thats all stopped for now.
Click to expand...

Nice one. We have a tame Pheasant that comes in the garden a few times a day.
He roosts in one of the big trees to escape the Foxes.
 

Back
Top