DIY: Nest Boxes

I love making these super easy bird boxes and since lockdown started in the UK I’ve been churning them out whenever I start to get bored. Real estate is clearly in high demand with the local birds as most of the boxes we’ve put out have been snapped up within a few days. The pied flycatchers are actually pretty aggressive in claiming them! I made the bird house pictured below with a smaller entrance hole and it’s currently housing blue tits, fingers crossed they don’t get kicked out! It’s a really good feeling to put the effort into making something for local wildlife and getting to see them using it. Don’t be disheartened if it takes a few seasons to attract occupants though, sometimes birds will use the boxes to roost in even if they aren’t using them for rearing young. It’s a fun way to spend a bit of the weekend (or long lockdown days) regardless, you can even spend some more time decorating them.

I used the RSPB guidance to make mine and it works really well, especially if you have a plank available. If you’re working from scraps of wood it’s still a good pattern to follow it just takes a bit more measuring and cutting. The RSPB also gives a lot of really useful guidance on the sizes required for different birds so it’s a good idea to have a think about what kind of bird you’re making the house for before starting.

Take into account the birds you actually have visiting your garden. If you’d like to provide a space for a Robin they require an open fronted home and a lower down location with plenty of undergrowth coverage nearby. Blue tits however require a very small entrance hole to prevent them being bullied out by larger birds. Larger birds like sparrows, nuthatches, great tits etc. require larger entrance holes and tend to prefer a higher up home than Robins.

You’ll also have to consider neighbours! Sparrows live in small colonies and you can put a few houses up near each other for them, but other garden birds are unlikely to nest near each other. This can all get very involved! If you’re not too fussed, simply build one, follow the guidelines in my pdf (below) and you’ll be fine. But if you’re building for a specific bird it’s definitely worth doing your research to ensure you’re building them the right kind of home. Having said all this, the best laid plans don’t always work out and anything could happen!