Birds and Tits ...
 

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I knew that would get you clicking the thread ... you DIRTY lot! :lol1:

Anyway, serious question ...

I have just hung up a couple of bird nest boxes, mainly for the tits ... now, the instructions say Hang on a North Facing wall.

Does anyone know - why North facing? :wonder: :wonder:

Thanks for reading ;)

Could it be to do with the temperature in the box?

Ooooh you are a one! :)

I have also heard that said and the answer was that it is cooler inside the box during Spring and Summer which is preferred by the birds. Also for some reason they prefer the boxes to be lower rather than too high-don't ask me for a number though.

Les

I was thinking it could be to keep it out of the sun ..... probably keep it away from the worst of the weather too?

It intrigued me ..... I was half hoping that it was some amazing reason, seems it may just be Temperature.

Dont forget to move it though for the daylight savings :thumb:

isnt is because tits have difficulty keep sunglasses on

This pair of tits are having no problem with keeping sunglasses on :Suspiciou



http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TkQAoGTCE6...s400/boobs.jpg

That time is coming up soon ..... I'll have to turn it back :lol1:

We put a couple of boxes up last year. We have had some "viewings" by a pair of blue tits but they seem to peer inside and not venture inside itself. Expecting nesting might start say March if it warms up.

Ours are out of direct sun. I'm told that they don't like to be too close to other birds so keep away from feeding table or other nesting boxes. Don'r know about the height thing. Great fun watching them though :)

dl

We put ours up last year and again had viewings and was hopeful as they would go in a stay for a while but they never ended up nesting. They have been back this year, saw them last weekend in the box checking it out so hoping they may use it this year. Apparently it's normal for a new bird box to be left empty in the first year after it is put up.

North and North east. the boxes will get the early sun but not the scorching hot afternoon heat. also it will help keep the boxes drier.

dont forget that tits like small holes 26mm 28mm and 32mm are the usual sizes for tits sparrows etc.

i have just put up my robin box and a hanging ball of nesting material :thumb:


and dont forget to tip the boxes slightly forward so the rain wont get in the box.

i am getting a camera box so we can watch the chicks :p

Face therm North so that they get as litt;le direct sunshine through the hole as possible, keeping the temperature down for the babies.

Don't forget to remove any old nest material BEFORE the nesting season starts again, tit's don't usually use an old nest.

Pete, I'm near Pangbourne so not a million miles from you! :eek:

I cleaned out our two boxes & rehung them back in December; they both face West, with one on the West face of the South-facing porch and one on the West face of the North-facing porch. Both are tucked up under the porch eaves so are about 8 foot up.

Last year we had Blue Tits raise chicks in the South porch one and Great Tits raise a brood in the North porch; the home office overlooks the North porch so you could watch ma & pa GT charging back & forth with as many caterpillars from the garden that they could find :)

Sara; nice idea the camera box :thumb:. Our neighbours have put one up and they'll be giving us the Ip address for the wireless signal so we can watch that - they had Blue Tits last year too.

Steve

Mine are about 6 foot up ...... 6 foot apart.

The hole is small ... there is no entry perch though, do they need something to land on before going in - or do they land on the edge of the hole?

No need for a perch, they'll either hang on to the hole or go straight in.

you guys not much into going clubbing or somethin then huh? ;)

was gonna post the "no b00bs = fail" comment but fortunately swisstony saved the day .... what an epic example! lmao!

(i'm having to try really hard to avoid making jokes about the post by john_s though ..... gonna end up having to staple my hands to the desk or something with that one :lol1: )

pi$$ taking aside, you guys seen this one? : NestCams Website - View Live Nest Cams, explore photos, video, and daily archives, and view HD footage of nesting behaviors from Macaulay Library.

We moved into our house last year and there are two bird boxes in the garden. I have never seen a bird go near either of them. After reading this i now realise they are both facing the wrong direction. So my job for the weekend will now be to take them down and clean them out and put them in better positions.

DO get it done this weekend, since birds are already marking out their teritories and next month will begin looking for mates;)

here is the bird hole guide


25 mm for Blue Tits
28 mm for Great Tits
32 mm for House Sparrows
45 mm for Starlings


some birds will only go in the exact size hole that they fit in, and yes just a couple of mil out and the bird wont usually nest.

not many are looking for nest now but they may roost in the box until its time to collect nesting materials. sometimes birds wont go near a new box until its been up a while so now is the3 best time.


i never knew there were so many bird fanciers on this site ;) :thumb:

We bought one of those sparrow terraces (like 3 tit boxes joined together) a couple of years ago. We hung it up and 20 minutes later a pair of blue tits had moved in! :lol1:

They had 5 babies but only one survived. :(

250mm for J4CKO....







Actually about three feet, you lot thought I was being rude !

An easy read :)

Bird boxes - Garden nest box questions - Your most frequently asked questions!


dl

Blue tit babies are little b*ggers for faling out of the nest well before they are ready. I put at least 10 back in last year, but there were only 4 in the nest. :confused: Dunno how many eventually survived, the local cats get 'em, or if I don't see 'em, they die from the cold or lack of food.