What is National Nest Box Week?
Although its still pretty cold and wintry, the birds are already thinking about finding the best places to make their nests ready for the breeding season!
NNBW was set up by the BTO to help encourage everyone to put up nest boxes in their local area in order to promote and enhance biodiversity and conservation of our breeding birds and wildlife
Natural nest sites for birds such as holes in trees or old buildings are disappearing fast as gardens are ‘tidied’ and old houses are repaired
Taking part in NNBW gives you the chance to contribute to bird conservation whilst giving you the pleasure of observing any breeding birds that you attract to your nest box
Now is the time to check on your old nest boxes and make sure they have been cleaned out and any repairs made. You need your boxes to be as safe, warm and snuggly as possible.
Think about adding nest box protectors around the holes to protect from marauding grey squirrels and other predators
Consider increasing the size of the roof overhang to help protect your nest box from cats and other predators that like to swipe at the entrance.
If you haven't got any nest boxes or need to replace or add more then now is the time to get this done. If you need any advice on where you should site your new nestbox then please do get in touch:
dawn-chorus@songbird-survival.org.uk
Even birds who prefer to make their own nests will appreciate some help - why not put out some nesting material for then to use? Our research shows that natural materials like sheep wool or other animal fur is the best as artificial materials can upset the natural balance in the nest to the detriment of the baby birds.
If you do choose to put out dog fur for your birds, make sure that you have not used a flea treatment as the chemicals in most flea treatments will kill small birds. Find out more about chemicals and how they effect songbirds in our current research project:
