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Building a Nest Box

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sbwhart:
Hi Chaps

I've been building nest boxes for more years than I care to remember, every year I make a small batch and have got it down to a fine art, I've just nocked up two in a couple of hours, I like to give them away as presents to people, and I know they give years of pleasure as they observe the coming and going of the birds raising their brood.

Its also a great little project to get children involved in, I help my son make one when he was 10 years old, that got him interested in ornithology a hobby that's still with him 20 years on.

You can get a plan from here http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/wildlife_gardening/bird_box.htm

Over the years I've used all sorts of scrap material to make them old pallets are a good material source.

First step mark out you wood for cutting and cut out the bits,

Tip:- so the front and roof fits neat makes these from joining pieces, and make this the last cut.

To cut the roof and front set the saw blade over at an angle.





With the saw still set at this angle cut out a small 1" wide batten this will screw onto the back and form a slot for the roof to slide in.

These are the bits



You can nail it together but I like to glue and screw.

So starting with the back drill three screw holes down each side, and screw on the sides making sure that the two side are level with each other.



Do the same with the front




Then sit the box on top of a piece off wood that will make the base, and from the inside mark the base and cut it out.



Assemble the base so that it sits about 1/4" inside the box so that water will shed over the outside.

Then screw the short roof batten to the back so that the roof fits under it.



Don't glue the roof in place just fasten it with two screws at the front of the box this is so it can easily be removed for cleaning out the box out after the lodgers have fledged.

Drill an entrance hole toward the top of the box this is so predators can't reach the chick inside



Her we are two done



Hole sizes these are for UK species

26mm Blue Tits, Coal Tits, March Tits,

28mm Great Tits

32mm Sparrows

Open front Leave top half of the front open:- for Black Bird

You can modify this basic design for other species such as bat boxes.

Sparrows like to nest communally so I've made a Sparrow tower. The decline of Sparrows has been partly put down to lack of suitable nest sites due to changes in building practices.

This is my Sparrow tower and bat box, the tower is used but we've never had a bat




This is the box I made with my son it still get used twenty years on.



It's not to late in the year to get a box made and for a pair of birds to raise a brood so if you've got  :proj: get box making.

Have fun

Stew

Bernd:
Reminds me I need to make some for the birds that visit my backyard. The Bluebird's and Purple Martins.

I like that 3 story condo you build for the birds.  :thumbup:

Bernd

websterz:
Here in the US our Great Tits are much larger than 28mm.  :lol:

raynerd:
Absolutely super Stew, I made one last year and I have loved watching the birdies go in and out.

Chris

Bernd:

--- Quote from: websterz on April 18, 2010, 10:26:45 AM ---Here in the US our Great Tits are much larger than 28mm.  :lol:

--- End quote ---

I was thinkin' it.  :lol:

Bernd

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