Almost there

Managed to get a whole load of work done today. Put up a terrace of 5 House Sparrow boxes and went into Area 2 at Stithians and got all the boxes ready for next season.

The House Sparrow boxes are actually all damaged Tit boxes with new fronts drilled to a 32mm entrance hole.

This now means there are now 20 boxes in Area 1 with 8 boxes in Area 2.

Area 2 contains Coal Tit so some of the boxes are just above ground level with a 25mm entrance hole. As per Blue Tit and Great Tit, a clear flight path to the box is needed.

Here's an image of the House Sparrow terrace

Most of the remaining work now just involves fitting metal plates to the entrance holes, take down 3 boxes in Area 1 and check 2 boxes  in Area 3.

Images of Area 2 on now on the right hand side.

It aint half muddy mum

Carried on getting the nest boxes ready today for the new season so hopefully i don't need to bother next year.

Brought back around a dozen boxes for repair, but not sure what to do with them really. Do i keep them as Tit boxes, convert them to Starling boxes or what? At the moment i have no locations for Starling boxes although i may find some around the village when i carry out my winter Thrush surveys.

I do need two though for House Sparrow as i can just about fit 5 in where they are going.

Anyway, who said nest boxes was easy? If they are i must have the hardest scheme in the South West! Continually tripping over bramble this morning, the area was sodden and the path was just a bog. It wasn't helped by the fact i left my leggings at home and the inevitable happened - calf deep in mud and water and my trouser leg comes out of the welly! Finished the job soaked in water and mud from the knees down

Was it worth it? Yeah because i know have 3 Great Tit boxes, 10 Blue Tit boxes and a GS Woodpecker box up.

With 3 boxes left to take down, 5 House Sparrow boxes to go up next weekend, a few metal plates and securing wire to add to some of the boxes, Area 1 at Stithians is almost complete.

The GS Woodpecker box was put up at a height of 2m so it'll be interesting if this is too low - the recommended height being 3m

More boxes

Well, after spending an hour mixing with the human race this morning to look for a new gas fire (i failed to find one) i decided to recuperate from the ordeal by knocking up some nest boxes in the garage this afternoon.

I had 7 damaged Tit boxes of various sizes all needing new fronts so with a bit of spare hardboard kicking around and some sawing, hammering, drilling and 2 hours of time the boxes were complete.

I've made 3 tit boxes with a hole diameter of 25mm for Blue Tit's only, 3 House Sparrow boxes using the same sized boxes but with a 32mm entrance hole and a Great Spotted Woodpecker box with a 52mm hole. During March next year i will fill the Woodpecker box with a damp mixture of flour and wood shavings up to the entrance hole as Woodpeckers like to excavate their own site. The box used by them this year was totally destroyed on the inside as was the front (it was a tit box) so hopefully this will prevent that.

Here are the images with the dimensions beneath the boxes. Click on the image to enlargen. The lids are attached by way of bicycle inner tube.

This House Sparrow box is a set of 3 although subject to room maybe become a set of 4 or even 6.

 

House Sparrow dimensions -

 

Using a 7" plank of at least 3/4" thickness

 

Back 13"x7"

Sides 10"x7" tapered to 9"x7" to create a sloping roof

Lid 9"x7"

Front 9"x7"

Floor 5"x7" slightly recessed inside

Entrance hole 32mm  

 

This Great Spotted Woodpecker box was an old Great Tit box

  

Woodpecker box dimensions -

Using a 7" plank of at least 3/4" thickness

Back 15"x7"

Sides 12"x7" tapered to 11"x7" to create a sloping roof

Lid 9"x7"

Front 12"x7"

Floor 5"x7" slightly recessed inside

Entrance hole 51mm

What does a nest recorder do outside of the breeding season?

Well, he goes down to the hide on his local reserve an hour before dusk and listens to the Wigeon and Mallard chattering before they go to roost. He listens to the eerie squeal of the Water Rail, heard but not seen.

He listens to the Jackdaw chacking as they fly overhead to the roost with the enchanting sound of Curlew in the distance.

He watches the Magpie descending onto the feeding station to pick up the spilt nuts, beak filled with 7 or 8 at a time as it hops away to stash them under fallen leaves. He wonders when the Magpie will return for them or indeed will the Magpie remember where they are? He wonders if one of the furry creatures from the nocturnal world will find the hidden feasts tonight but above all -

He just relaxes and has fun.....

It's what the world of birds is all about......