Garden Bird Nestboxes
We hope our nestboxes will make a difference
In many gardens across the country ready made nesting boxes are put up on fence posts and garden sheds in order to provide potential nesting sites and safe alternative roosts for whenever the weather turns cold or wet. The placement of these boxes is very important because it must be within the birds' territory and the entrance needs to face away from the prevailing wind, this prevents the birds from becoming neither too hot or too cold.
Here at Twelve Oaks we have positioned fifteen nest boxes for smaller breeding birds and one Tawny Owl nest box. We know that not all of them are in use at present though some are. The use of the nest boxes by potential breeding birds depends upon several factors decided upon by the individual birds. We have a variety of nest boxes, some with small holes which we hope will attract blue and coal tits, other boxes have slightly larger holes to attract great tit. With the intention of attracting wrens, robins and spotted flycatchers we have nest boxes that have small open fronts.
Some birds, robins and blackbirds in particular have a habit of nesting in all kinds of strange places and can be very adaptable, for example a pile of clutter at the bottom of the garden can provide an ideal nesting place. With this in mind we have intentionally left areas of the garden and woodland to remain wild and undisturbed.
Last autumn we erected our first Tawny Owl nesting box which is located deep within the oak woodland and approximately five metres off the ground. Deciduous woodland is a favourite breeding area for Tawny Owls, though they occasionally breed in coniferous woodland. We frequently hear two owls calling out to each other during the evening and have watched them sitting on the garden fence posts. Courtship usually begins between December and February and they normally pair for life. They tend to hunt mostly at night and after watching their prey they swoop down and drop their wings around the victim.
Once the eggs are laid and successfully hatched, the male will bring food for approximately six days when the female will hunt for food herself. Fledging normally takes place between 28 and 36 days as the young are still dependant on their parents for up to three months after leaving the nest. We have not attempted to try to find out if the box is occupied because we do not wish to risk any disturbance particularly as the breeding season approaches as the owls can cause very serious injuries.
We are really excited about the coming Spring and hope that our nesting boxes will make a difference and give our breeding birds a helping hand.
© Helen McDermott
