Just taken delivery of the Aspen and Vail models (probably too many) and ordered some more. Excellent quality and £6.99 each with reasonable shipping costs. It’s not too late to put some up, I realised when cleaning my covid purchased boxes that they’ve not stood the test of time - these are on another level of quality.
https://www.in-excess.com/products/national-trust-vail-larch-32mm-nest-box
Thanks - was going to make some but at £6.99 it's not worth my while and look well made too.
Will these work for swallows? We have swallows nesting in our stables last summer, which was lovely, but they shat everywhere, which wasn't. If I can block up where they were getting in and put something like this up next to it I'll be a happy man
Will these work for swallows?
Highly unlikely. They're called Barn Swallows for a reason, and won't take well to a tit-box like that one at all.
For an artificial swallow-box, you need something more like Swallow box perhaps with one of these? underneath it. The box though does ideally need to be installed under shelter rather than outside.
No, won’t work for swallows, swifts or house martins. Works for tits, tree sparrows, nuthatch, spotted flycatcher, lesser spotted woodpecker - depending on hole size. If I had a building that swallows, swifts or martins nested in I’d be very happy - they return to the same spot from their winter feeding grounds many thousands of miles away, all without a Garmin! If the excrement is bothering you try mounting a small platform below the nest to catch it, I’ve seen this work successfully with martins on the side of buildings. Enjoy the diversity of nature, it’s an honour to have them!
If I had a building that swallows, swifts or martins nested in I’d be very happy
At one point last summer I did a count and we had 24 active house martin nests on the property. On a warm still summer's night (especially if it's been damp in the morning) when the midge are in full swing the air is an aerobatic feast. Then at dusk the bats (70 at the last count) drop out of the loft and take over for the night shift.
f I had a building that swallows, swifts or martins nested in I’d be very happy
Don't get me wrong, I am, but they don't just crap out of the nest, they perch on various bits of pipework and stuff and crap from that too. And crap whilst flying in, around and out. And they're not actually stables anymore, one is basically a garage and the other a utility room, so crap on the top of the washing machine isn't very nice 🙁 Plus, the nest they built is literally on a light fitting, so not massively safe.
For an artificial swallow-box, you need something more like Swallow box perhaps with one of these? underneath it. The box though does ideally need to be installed under shelter rather than outside.
Ta. They can be really well tucked up under the eaves of the 'outside bit' of the stables, no issues.
Please be very careful about disrupting the swallows (easy for me to say when it’s not my property being shat on) - swallows, martins and swifts are really struggling for nesting sites these days with a resulting decline in their populations.
There may well be a local swift or swallow group around you that could advise on how to best site any replacement boxes you want to put up to maximise the chances of success.
how high do those nesting boxes need to be to be used? All I've got is the side of a shed or a fence post
2 to 3 metres up ideally
And out of the sun otherwise they bake!
Our perennial blackbird nesting site has been claimed by robins as I type. We'll see what happens when the big fella makes an appearance!
No boxes, just a dense box honeysuckle 🙂 Robbie's a very assertive type but the blackbirds are much bigger, any bets?
Thanks for the heads up. Boxes & peanut butter ordered.
The RSPB has lots of really good advice on what nest box type for which bird (eg sparrows are sociable and need to nest in groups). Where to place the box eg height, compass position. Also tips such as putting out fresh water for the birds, nesting material to put out eg wool (I collect this from fences), NOT dog or human hair or duvet fluff.
The wilder the garden the better, so there will moss, leaves , twigs, hay etc.to hand (beak haha).
On a slightly tangential topic...
We're in the suburbs of Glasgow. I went through a lot of trial and error before getting a bird feeder that was squirrel proof.
This has been great, we go through masses of sunflower seeds year round.
Well it was great until we realised that the scraps from the feeders caused a rat infestation. We've been rat free for a few months now but haven't dared to put the bird feeders out again yet.
Any tips on how to feed without also attracting rats?
We’re lucky enough to have a very large garden (very small house!) and we’ve created a lovely habitat for wildlife However, we’ve always fed the birds all year round but have now stopped due to the rats! We have two terriers who keep the numbers down but the rats hide in the next door gardens and come out when the dogs are inside knowing that they can scuttle away to safety, last year they hid under the decking and then constructed a nesting chamber under our new path which I then had to re-lay. We have foxes, stoats and weasels that should keep the numbers down but they still survive, since stopping feeding they’ve not been a problem and I still appear to have the same number and diversity of birds in the garden. I know this doesn’t help you but unfortunately rats thrive where there’s an easy food source.
On the nest box topic, here’s some information to help site them -
https://www.bto.org/how-you-can-help/providing-birds/putting-nest-boxes-birds/putting-nest-box
I’m about to order some Swift boxes to go under my guttering on the front of the house, which is north facing, I’ll get someone I know to fit them, because there’s no way I would go up a ladder! I’ll see how they do, there are swifts around, so if they are successful, I can add some more - I think I could get six along the front of the house. I’m thinking of putting some sparrow boxes along the side of the house as well; I used to have at least one regular family, but for some reason they stopped nesting under the eaves, so I want to encourage them back, they’re such cheerful little birds to have around.
Chap that came round to look at a big dust extractor I was selling was showing me some of his wood turnings. And very nice they were too.
In amongst them were bird boxes he makes, turned and shaped like giant acorns.
I've some laurel logs from some trimming we did at the parents-about 10" in diameter, and they've been drying int heir cellar for the last 2 or 3 years and i intend to plagiarize his bird boxes into some. Ive 3 sections of log(probably 9-10" diameter by 12" high), to hopefully make 3. Hopefully they'll all remain split free and should turn well enough.
Ignore, misread post
Ordered 25 for our Cubs to build.
Looks to me as if they come ready assembled..............
The open fronted boxes for robins, wrens etc are self assembly, I’m doing one with our grandson on Thursday.
Looks to me as if they come ready assembled…………..
Hmm, you could be right. Ah well, in that case we'll take them along to a bit of woodland we have access to and have fun putting them up.
All ready to put up, stainless hole protectors added to the ones that didn’t have them, sheep’s wool added inside and the labels with the most sticky of sticky stuff removed.
The majority are now up, a blue tit inspected before I’d taken the ladder down! I found that if fastened to trees it needs a fixing in addition to the ones supplied, I put another screw in from inside to stabilise. On sheds or fences it’ll be fine.
Excellent psa - the 2 I ordered are arriving tomorrow, and will get put up at the weekend!
Yep, great psa...got 4 on order
My 3 turned up earlier all a bit worse for the trip Glued and clamped, should be ok tomorrow. Bit of a shame but easily fixed.
2 arrived yesterday. Seem pretty good.
Any ideas on how to attach them to a tree without nails or screws? Pine tree with about a 60cm wide trunk.
Also, any tips on the best places to locate them?? I've got a couple to put up...
edit - google helps!
These are great quality, fantastic PSA.
Thoughts on using a water based treatment on the outside to protect the timber?
Update on the boxes I’ve installed. A lot of interest in all the boxes, the only thing is that the sheep wool I’ve put in has been removed! I’ve just been observing a blue tit going in a flying out with great clumps- obviously has to be their idea!!
Got a bunch delivered on Fri (although not put them up yet!) Great quality, cannot argue for the money. Also got a couple of feeders that take a jar of peanut butter which seemed like a good idea! (again not put them up yet or bought any peanut butter 😂)
double post!!
These are amazing quality for the money, top PSA.
They came with a hook to secure, might fit a bracket to the bottom to stop them rocking in the wind, anyone put theirs up yet?
Anyone worked out what the odd little metal hook thing in the side at the bottom of a vail is meant for? I'm thinking changing a bird feeder off maybe.....
The hook is to keep the front panel secure, turn it to point downwards and the panel can slide off for cleaning. I wouldn’t hang a feeder from it would discourage prospective nesters!
@gecko76 that’s brilliant! It might inspire a lifelong interest in them.
"I’m thinking [of] hanging a bird feeder off maybe….."
As @wheelsonfire says, the general advice is not to do this, as it results in the birds that have hopefully taken up residence in the box end up spending most of their time & energy defending their 'territory' from invaders. And thus not concentrating on their nesting attempts. Same in gardens - don't put boxes up close to any feeders, and those bird-tables you sometimes see where there's a hole & box built into the roof over the table are likewise a bad idea.
I put a couple of boxes up ages ago, neither seemed to get much attention, although a couple of tits seemed vaguely interested, but nothing happened. Anyway, one box I noticed has light coloured wood around the entrance hole, and I spotted a bird by the hole, so I grabbed my binoculars and there was a great tit busy pecking away around the edge of the hole, poking its head inside, then pecking away some more, then it’s head came out from inside the box, and it flew off carrying something in its beak, looked like a large leaf or something. I really hope they actually nest and raise a brood.
The other box has a perch on the front, but it’s well below the entrance hole, so I think I out to take it down and make up a perch just below the hole for smaller birds.
Just so long as panthers can’t get in… 🤭
The other box has a perch on the front, but it’s well below the entrance hole
Osprey box?
I don’t think perches are recommended as it means predator birds have somewhere to land, they’re certainly not required for the nesters. The nesting birds do quite often peck around the hole, I’ve fitted the stainless hole restrictors to mine (28 & 32mm) £3 and £2 from the RSPB and this has actually increased interest- it means that squirrels, Woodpeckers etc can’t raid the nests as easily.
I’d get rid of the perch!
Osprey’s have huge open nests on exposed trees…
I put one of these cameras in mine
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005962102456.html
Fingers crossed something takes up residence!
Still not too late to buy one and put it up! I have nesters in quite a few of mine now, I put them up to replace other old/home made ones and they must be a perfect interior size and hole size as I’ve now got nesters where previously I’ve had none for years. The small bits of wool that I put in to start them off has been chucked out of every box and I now have clumps of wool all over the garden. They like to put their own stamp on it apparently!
All I've got on mine is a wasp 🙁
To attract swifts to new boxes it can help to place a speaker nearby playing swift calls. Swift conservancy have some MP3 files. We rigged a bluetooth shower speaker last spring and had some (probable) yearlings investigate. Hoping they will come back this year to nest.
Some wasps made a nest later in the summer in one of the swift boxes. Anyone know if we can remove the old nest?
Here’s the two I put up on my silver birch some years ago, which like those posted above, had no perches on the front. I added one on each, but neither seemed to attract much attention, until this year, when I noticed the great tits hanging around the top one, with a lot of tapping going on. You can clearly see the birds have been going at the entrance hole like woodpeckers, and the bottom photo shows why. The lower box has had some pecking going on, but I think I put the perch much to low, so I’m taking it down and moving the perch a lot higher, it might get the blue tits more interested.
I certainly think any nest box should have a perch on the front, just a screw with a bit of tubing over it, or some heat shrink tubing, so the birds can perch and look into the box.
I’m looking into a double swift box for the front of the house as well.
A couple of birds nesting associated reads...
Breeding seasons can vary by a month from year-to-year https://theconversation.com/the-great-tits-in-this-oxford-wood-are-adapting-their-breeding-times-as-climate-changes-heres-how-224172
Nesting sites alone aren't sufficient for Swifts https://theconversation.com/swifts-need-more-nest-boxes-but-that-alone-wont-be-enough-heres-why-223410
Our perennial blackbird nesting site has been claimed by robins as I type. We’ll see what happens when the big fella makes an appearance! No boxes, just a dense box honeysuckle 🙂 Robbie’s a very assertive type but the blackbirds are much bigger, any bets?
Robbie seems to have claimed the box honeysuckle, while the blackbirds explored the Photinia shrub. Ironically it's the Red Robin variety and they didn't stay
I'm disappointed that my Osprey dad joke was ignored ^^ but it was bad 🙂
A woodpecker has just vandalized one of my PSA bird boxes, with nesting blue tits but I think the chicks are still ok. There is a hole about the size of a 2p half way down !!
Is it me or are have the prices gone up a lot from the original post?
https://www.birdfood.co.uk/national-trust-products/nesting-boxes
I tried to site my boxes on parts of trees where there wasn’t anywhere for predators to perch, @binman are there any branches that you can prune to keep the fledglings safe?
@MrSparkle the original link was to an excess stock site - In-Excess - they’re like home bargains but online. Stock has probably gone from there now and your link goes to the original supplier. In Excess are good for all sorts of random stuff though, including camping equipment.
well yes, but that's a totally different website to the original PSA!Is it me or are have the prices gone up a lot from the original post?
@binman are there any branches that you can prune to keep the fledglings safe?
The woodpecker just gripped into the bird box.
@MrSparkle the original link was to an excess stock site – In-Excess – they’re like home bargains but online. Stock has probably gone from there now and your link goes to the original supplier. In Excess are good for all sorts of random stuff though, including camping equipment.
That'd explain it! I've obviously missed the boat with this one!
still this on the original site
https://www.in-excess.com/products/aspen-larch-28mm-nest-box?_pos=1&_sid=a2bf2cfc0&_ss=r
An update and a reminder for you to clean the boxes out. From the ten I put up, five have been nested in, mostly tits I think and the fluff from dogs tennis balls used in at least one. I’ve cleaned them out today, a light disinfectant spray and a small amount of hay inside. Some birds use them for shelter in winter, my wife counted over thirty wrens going into one of ours one winter evening!!
Also, I’d be interested to know what you other boxers think of them? The ones I have with the sloping roofs as above have stayed a lot drier than the square ones.
I’ve got a Swift box, I’m waiting for the chap to come and fit it, and clear my gutters at the same time. Having looked closely at the house frontage, it seems like I can only fit one up under the guttering, because there are air bricks at the top of the walls, and quite a lot of utility wires that could be a risk to the birds coming and going, which is a shame. I can get a bunch of sparrow boxes along the side of the house, and I’m wondering if a Swift box could be fitted at the front end as well - they’d be able to have a clear approach and departure, so might work ok.
Who’d a thunk supplying housing for the wildlife would be so fraught with difficulties!
