National Nest Box Week

Give your Garden Birds a Helping Hand this Breeding Season

This winter has been a hard one for garden birds and many, particularly smaller species, will have perished in the snow and freezing temperatures. The breeding season starts soon and to coincide with St Valentine’s Day when romance is in the air, the British Trust for Ornithology is launching National Nest Box Week.

Many people are unaware that birds are fussy about what they see as suitable accommodation to breed their young.

Robins like open fronted nest boxes, house sparrows are keen on ones that have a 32mm hole but great tits and tree sparrows favour those with a 28mm hole, whilst blue tits go for a box with a 25mm hole. Gardman has a wide selection of roosting pouches and nest boxes to suit the garden birds that you hope to attract and who need some help this breeding season. There is a multi nest box which is supplied with different diameter holes and with an open fronted option, a sparrow colony premium nest box which is three nest boxes in one, ideal for the social nester! There is even a camera nest box so you can enjoy the thrill of hearing and watching your garden birds from the comfort of your living room. Click here for more details on the Gardman range available.

Here are some hints and tips on siting your nest box or roosting pouch:

It should be out of the reach of predators but not in a position where it is in direct sunshine for a long period
Robins like their boxes fairly low down and in the cover of an over-hanging ivy or shrub, but don’t forget predators
For the hole-type boxes for starlings and house sparrows, the higher the better with a clear line of flight to the nest box
Make sure that it is securely fixed.

Support National Nest Box Week to help our garden birds.

Visit www.bto.org for more information on NNBW and its valuable work.