Roosting in nest boxes

E39MSport

I cleaned out the nest boxes around the house after they were vacated. I noticed that they had been used for roosting last winter so I've left them out again this winter.

I have a little day night camera in one of them and I can see a solitary blue tit in that box all fluffed up. A second box has 2 tits in it I think.

I've had a read on the internet and looks like in order to winter proof for roosting, I need to: -

- seal off the vent holes in the floor
- seal the edges with duck tape on the outside
- apply bedding

I'm going to rake out some moss from the lawn tomorrow and dry it for use as bedding. I might also line the inside of the boxes with thin styro board stuff.

Anybody else customise their nest boxes for roosting? Any suggestions?

Mothman

I would only use natural materials. The birds could be quite sensitive to whatever toxins etc may be in the likes of styro board.

Half-cocked

Thats interesting, I have several nest boxes I haven't hung yet. I was going to wait until the early spring but will hang them this weekend as winter roosts. Do you think that the birds roosting in them will then nest in them come spring?

boneless

Many years back I had a load of longtailed tits spend the winter in a nest box . Must have been about twenty of them crammed into it!

E39MSport

Half-cocked wrote: »

Thats interesting, I have several nest boxes I haven't hung yet. I was going to wait until the early spring but will hang them this weekend as winter roosts. Do you think that the birds roosting in them will then nest in them come spring?

Yeah. Clean them out in February or at intervals. Keep an eye out for jumping flees.

Kess73

E39M, keep an eye on the box with the camera if we get a run of frosty nights.

I have a number of nesting boxes and roosting pouches around the garden, most of which are already back in use for roosting, but on frosty nights wrens will pill into a nesting box if they find one, and the numbers that can gater inside one box may surprise you. They literally will pile in and create one big bundle of wrens.

E39MSport

Yeah, noticed that last year. The wrens here are using the 2 swallows nests in my porch. Had 5 of them in one last year during especially on cold nights. Sadly they are disturbed when the front door has to be opened but I try to keep it to a minimum. However, if its well below zero they won't budge at all even if there's plenty of traffic in and out of the house at night.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

There is really no need to line the nestbox with anything. Better to clean it out after nesting and just leave it. This is sufficient and more hygenic over the Winter. I don't know about vents in the floor as none of mine have any and the edges don't need sealing on a properly constructed box.

Nest boxes should be put up now so birds get used to them by Spring and they have the bonus of potentially providing Winter shelter.

Half-cocked

Put up my nest box with camera over the weekend. No interest being shown in it yet but its early days. Numbers of tits in the garden is rising as the weather gets colder so hopefully I'll get a visitor to the box soon.

martinnyl

E39MSport wrote: »

I cleaned out the nest boxes around the house after they were vacated. I noticed that they had been used for roosting last winter so I've left them out again this winter.

I have a little day night camera in one of them and I can see a solitary blue tit in that box all fluffed up. A second box has 2 tits in it I think.

I've had a read on the internet and looks like in order to winter proof for roosting, I need to: -

- seal off the vent holes in the floor
- seal the edges with duck tape on the outside
- apply bedding

I'm going to rake out some moss from the lawn tomorrow and dry it for use as bedding. I might also line the inside of the boxes with thin styro board stuff.

Anybody else customise their nest boxes for roosting? Any suggestions?

I am looking to buy a nesting box and camera for my dad he is the bird watcher and i dont know where to buy but dont want to say a word to him so i see you have one wher can one buy them

Half-cocked

Birdwatch Ireland are selling them:
http://shop.birdwatchireland.ie/birdwatchireland/product_info.php?products_id=561
But its only black and white. I bought mine from this crowd:
http://www.handykam.com/
Full colour and goes black and white when it gets dark.

I noticed the Irish Times was selling them the other day in their readers offers leaflet, it really seems to be catching on.

E39MSport

Hi Martinnyl,

I found the price of them prohibitive.

I purchased a night/day mini camera from ebay for Eur 8 (12 incl postage) and mounted it myself to a standard nest box.

Took about an hour and I needed to cover 5 of the 5 infra red led's because there was too much gain in the small area.

Works a treat. Has audio too.

hth,
K