Nesting Boxes for Birds, Bats, Butterflies, Mason Bees, etc
Feb 18, 2020 12:28:10 GMT -6
macmex likes this
Post by heavyhitterokra on Feb 18, 2020 12:28:10 GMT -6
This morning, Spring was in the air on our tiny farm and the yard was alive with activity from the wild birds that I feed here all winter. They all seemed to be very busy, looking for nesting materials and available nesting boxes. My heart always goes out to them when I see this and it causes me to want to delve into looking up ways to help them find what they need to make raising a family a little bit easier.
I like to think, our Lord, God, looks out for us in much the same way when he sees one of us looking, struggling, or trying very hard, to provide a better place for our own families.
When I find things laying around the house in Winter, that look like good nesting material, I try to remember to stow them away in an old, empty, oatmeal container until Spring. Then, on beautiful, warmer days like today, I fasten these trimmings to the bark of trees near my bird houses, using a round, wooden toothpick as a biodegradable nail. (Tapping it in with a small hammer will blunt the exposed end nicely, so no birds get skewered by the previously sharpened point). The frayed remains of the old point also act as a way to hold things in place during windy weather. A zealous parent often finds a way to remove the toothpick to incorporate it into the nest as well.
Below, I have attached a very simple design on video, for a Black Crested Chickadee Nest Box. The opening for a Chickadee nest box should only be 1-1/8" inch to prevent unwanted birds like starlings from using the nest. Wrens might also enjoy these smaller nest boxes.
Always be careful not to make the entrance hole too large, when placing such a small box. This will help prevent short-sighted parents of other bird varieties from accidentally building a nest inside a box that is not large enough to support the needs of their larger babies at hatching to fledgling time.
If you have plans for building nesting boxes for any of God's Creatures, please share them with us on this Nest Box Thread. The caption field for the title of this thread was not large enough to list other species needing nests, so things like 'Owls and Purple Martins', got left out of the title. Please do add them to your list if you have plans to share with us here.
I like to think, our Lord, God, looks out for us in much the same way when he sees one of us looking, struggling, or trying very hard, to provide a better place for our own families.
When I find things laying around the house in Winter, that look like good nesting material, I try to remember to stow them away in an old, empty, oatmeal container until Spring. Then, on beautiful, warmer days like today, I fasten these trimmings to the bark of trees near my bird houses, using a round, wooden toothpick as a biodegradable nail. (Tapping it in with a small hammer will blunt the exposed end nicely, so no birds get skewered by the previously sharpened point). The frayed remains of the old point also act as a way to hold things in place during windy weather. A zealous parent often finds a way to remove the toothpick to incorporate it into the nest as well.
Below, I have attached a very simple design on video, for a Black Crested Chickadee Nest Box. The opening for a Chickadee nest box should only be 1-1/8" inch to prevent unwanted birds like starlings from using the nest. Wrens might also enjoy these smaller nest boxes.
Always be careful not to make the entrance hole too large, when placing such a small box. This will help prevent short-sighted parents of other bird varieties from accidentally building a nest inside a box that is not large enough to support the needs of their larger babies at hatching to fledgling time.
If you have plans for building nesting boxes for any of God's Creatures, please share them with us on this Nest Box Thread. The caption field for the title of this thread was not large enough to list other species needing nests, so things like 'Owls and Purple Martins', got left out of the title. Please do add them to your list if you have plans to share with us here.