Bird boxes/ insect houses etc 2022

[annie8]

Definitely the blue tits. Seems plenty big enough for them to get in and out but they clearly aren’t happy with it, despite this being the second year in a row that blue tits have nested in it.

[peanut]

I had Blue Tits pecking at the hole on their Blue Tit box, so the following year I got them a larger holed box, one for Great Tits and they didn't peck at that one at all. They knew how big they wanted their hole to be!

[Jungle Jane]

Some bird boxes have the metal ring around the hole to stop woodpeckers from accessing the nest,they peck away to get to the eggs & baby birds. Are you sure it’s the blue tits pecking?

[annie8]

Never heard of such a thing before how interesting. We have a pair of blue tits nesting in a box on the side of the house. They can be heard pecking at the hole to widen it _ although they have no problem getting in and out. Bought another brushwood one from rspb and put that on the Rowan but nothing seen yet. It was aimed at the robins or wrens that spend all day in the garden.

[quanglewangle]

We don't have any soffits. The facia is attached directly to the wall. Because the wall is rough stone the gap between the facia and the wall varies between zero and about 20mm. The sparrows can squeeze though the lager gaps. I don't know where they go then.

When they tore off the old roof they cleared out a whole line of nest material just inside the wall - full width of the house (late summer so unoccupied) So there was some way in then.

They'll either get in or they won't. They didn't trouble us before.

(edit) We'll get the box put up when we can.

[Jungle Jane]

I have sparrows in the soffit here,there’s a really tiny gap in the fascia,they can’t get into the loft space that way though. There is a tiny gap near the top bricks of the house at the side,they can get in the loft space that way (I need to get that cemented one day). I’ve always left the soffit for the sparrows nests,had the soffits done just over twenty years ago & always been a home for the sparrows,looks fine,sparrows very house proud,I haven’t needed to buy a box maybe yours will be ok Q,if they can’t access the loft & they’re just in the soffit?

[quanglewangle]

We won't sweat it. Birds can have some roof space I guess. I don't suppose the U value of birds' nests is very different from insulation material.

Here in Cornwall tradespeople do things "dreckly", like mañana, but more relaxed

[Nicos]

Oh no! ^^^^
Ah well - will you call back the roofer ( and get him to put the bird house up at the same time?)…or just leave them be for future years?

[quanglewangle]

Sparrows have given up waiting for their smart new house and moved into the roof, in spite of assurances from the roofer that is bird proof.
Three pairs in seven metres of facia.

Oh well...

[Vince G]

Make it? Me? Would be covered in blood. I steer clear of sharp tools. From RSPB online - they say sparrows like to nest in groups and high up. They certainly did in our roof!

They can't get in now we've had the roof done so I feel I owe them a new home.

Mrs quanglewangle: "You aren't putting it up: you'll break your neck. I'll get a man in"
Me: "But I used to be a solo winter mountaineer"
Mrs quanglewanlge: "I never liked you doing that either"

Haha OK QW, thanks. I'll take a look on the RSPB site, or others.

[Snoop Puss]

Absolutely brilliant box. Absolutely brilliant repartee in the QW household. I do love this forum.

[quanglewangle]

quanglewangle Where did you buy your sparrow terrace or did you make it?

There's a bush at the front of our house where house sparrows seem to like to congregate. Started hanging a seed feeder in the bush and they clear it out every 2 days or so. Strangely they seem to be mostly male sparrows so Mrs G refers to it as The Lads Club, haha! Would love to have sparrows nesting as they're still struggling in the UK.

Make it? Me? Would be covered in blood. I steer clear of sharp tools. From RSPB online - they say sparrows like to nest in groups and high up. They certainly did in our roof!

They can't get in now we've had the roof done so I feel I owe them a new home.

Mrs quanglewangle: "You aren't putting it up: you'll break your neck. I'll get a man in"
Me: "But I used to be a solo winter mountaineer"
Mrs quanglewanlge: "I never liked you doing that either"

[Vince G]

quanglewangle Where did you buy your sparrow terrace or did you make it?

There's a bush at the front of our house where house sparrows seem to like to congregate. Started hanging a seed feeder in the bush and they clear it out every 2 days or so. Strangely they seem to be mostly male sparrows so Mrs G refers to it as The Lads Club, haha! Would love to have sparrows nesting as they're still struggling in the UK.

[quanglewangle]

Our sparow terrace is waiting for better weather so we can hassle the person who said they would put it up for us. I would do it but no long ladder and Mrs quanglewangle forbade it - honest.

[Mr Bones]

I opened up the blue tit box to clean it out after last year's bumble bees and it was already absolutely spotless, not so much as a dusting of leaf litter.. something had already beat me to it.