Showing posts with label nest boxes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nest boxes. Show all posts
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
and back to arrgghh
had a quick mooch this morning before work to find that two of my five House Sparrow boxes put up two days ago have been attacked by a Woodpecker. Will now leave everything until Springtime......
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
From arrgghh to ahhh
spent an hour in the hide tonight after work, lovely to see Dave again.
Wasn't so lovely to find out i had just missed a drk Mandarin and that a Brambling had been on the feeding station. Sitting there with Dave i could hear knock, knock, knock in a slow tempo coming from the back of the cut off. Last time i heard that it was a GS Woodpecker attacking one of my nest boxes! I hope it's had the decency to attack one of the three remaining boxes that i need to pull down.
With a least 3 Water Rail calling and dusk rapidly approaching, the highlight appeared - A Barn Owl flew through the bushes hunting. 2nd sighting this Autumn and a lovely end to the evening.
Wasn't so lovely to find out i had just missed a drk Mandarin and that a Brambling had been on the feeding station. Sitting there with Dave i could hear knock, knock, knock in a slow tempo coming from the back of the cut off. Last time i heard that it was a GS Woodpecker attacking one of my nest boxes! I hope it's had the decency to attack one of the three remaining boxes that i need to pull down.
With a least 3 Water Rail calling and dusk rapidly approaching, the highlight appeared - A Barn Owl flew through the bushes hunting. 2nd sighting this Autumn and a lovely end to the evening.
Saturday, 10 November 2012
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.
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.
Sunday, 4 November 2012
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
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
Saturday, 3 November 2012
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.
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
Friday, 2 November 2012
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......
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......
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Weekend
The weekend got off to a good start. I went out for a training ride on the bicycle cresting Carnmenellis Summit to be greeted with the orange sky of the rising sun. Down the other side i turned left heading for the North end of Stithians reservoir. Just before the reservoir are some flat open fields to which something came up into the orange sky. Silhouetted, the bird flew towards the road and then over into the darkness of the West - Tawny Owl. Nice start to the day.
The afternoon was spent preparing for next years nest box season at Stithians, four boxes put up, all 28mm holes to accommodate either Blue Tit or Great Tit. On the other side off the cut off many were taken down for repair following damage caused by a GS Woodpecker.
Sunday saw me spend 90 minutes erecting two more boxes in the back whilst having to wear chest waders. Not an easy task and whilst watching a Goldcrest in the back a Water Rail squealed out less than 30ft away, providing the proof i needed that there were indeed three on the reserve.
This box looks as though it's been chewed by a mammal.
Interestingly, all the boxes were cleaned in September, two of them now contain mammal nests.
The afternoon was spent preparing for next years nest box season at Stithians, four boxes put up, all 28mm holes to accommodate either Blue Tit or Great Tit. On the other side off the cut off many were taken down for repair following damage caused by a GS Woodpecker.
Sunday saw me spend 90 minutes erecting two more boxes in the back whilst having to wear chest waders. Not an easy task and whilst watching a Goldcrest in the back a Water Rail squealed out less than 30ft away, providing the proof i needed that there were indeed three on the reserve.
This box looks as though it's been chewed by a mammal.
Interestingly, all the boxes were cleaned in September, two of them now contain mammal nests.
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