" I don't mind spiders but not when I'm up a tall ladder and its only escape route is up my sleeve " Ach - you big girl's blouse Was it a blouse you had on?
I'd love to put up sparrow nest boxes, but I didn't get custody of my ladders [ ] so I'd have to do them on the single story extension. Would that be high enough d'you think - it's elevated by about a metre or more from ground level, and has a pitched roof? I could sneak then in at the front where it's a good aspect. It would be about 15 feet up.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
" I don't mind spiders but not when I'm up a tall ladder and its only escape route is up my sleeve " Ach - you big girl's blouse Was it a blouse you had on?
I'd love to put up sparrow nest boxes, but I didn't get custody of my ladders [ ] so I'd have to do them on the single story extension. Would that be high enough d'you think - it's elevated by about a metre or more from ground level, and has a pitched roof? I could sneak then in at the front where it's a good aspect. It would be about 15 feet up.
My dad was footing the ladder and said something similar. I offered to drop the spider on his head
Most nest boxes are fine between 2-3m high. Out of reach of cats but not so high that the baby birds get vertigo when they have to take their first leap into the unknown.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Cheers @wild edges. I suppose, because I always see them up and around roofs at nesting time, checking under the slates/tiles, that I always think they like being higher. I might see if I've got some spare wood kicking about [probably!] that I can use for a box or two.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Gah. My sparrow box has been successfully moved to a more sheltered spot but it is a seriously heavy lump to maneuver up and down ladders No nests in there but all three chambers are being used for roosting by the looks of it. It seems to be the same situation my dad has with his sparrow boxes; the nests are in one place but the adults must need somewhere else to shelter overnight.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Just a reminder that when you're cleaning your boxes to always check the condition of the fastenings too. This aluminium nail was fine last winter but the tree fell slightly and the box has been swinging free since I last put it back.
There were more empty boxes and failed nests this year than usual sadly. Fingers crossed for a better season for the birds in 2023.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I had to get a 'man with a ladder' to take down my 2 sparrow terraces on the front of my house. Not been touched for about 4/5 years. The one right under the eaves next to my bedroom window had 3 beautiful nests (all successful this year) made mostly from pampas grass from a neighbours garden,it seemed a shame to have to clear them out! Sparrows were back in the box before the man was down the ladder! The second box was under my bedroom window and had no nests so this has been repositioned under the eaves on the other side of the window and already has sparrows in and out.Hope it will be used for nesting next year. The young can be pretty noisy during the summer when I have my bedroom windows open!!
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
Sunbathing season is over but now's the time to pre-spring-clean your bird boxes. Mine are going to have to wait a few weeks sadly but I will update with anything interesting once I start working through them.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Is it normal for a bird box to get wet inside? We put up a new bird box with a camera, in anticipation of some bird family to hopefully move in in spring.
After the first strong rain, we could see on the camera that the bird box got quite wet inside. We only used to have simple bird boxes at the same spot, so couldn’t know if this was happening in the past, but now with the camera it looks quite it gets some water at the bottom.
At the moment there are no birds there, but I’m worried that if they built a nest and it gets wet, it could endanger the chicks.
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Ach - you big girl's blouse
Was it a blouse you had on?
I'd love to put up sparrow nest boxes, but I didn't get custody of my ladders [
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I might see if I've got some spare wood kicking about [probably!] that I can use for a box or two.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Not been touched for about 4/5 years.
The one right under the eaves next to my bedroom window had 3 beautiful nests (all successful this year) made mostly from pampas grass from a neighbours garden,it seemed a shame to have to clear them out! Sparrows were back in the box before the man was down the ladder!
The second box was under my bedroom window and had no nests so this has been repositioned under the eaves on the other side of the window and already has sparrows in and out.Hope it will be used for nesting next year.
The young can be pretty noisy during the summer when I have my bedroom windows open!!