BUSY NEST BOXES

Any one who believes that wild birds only use nest boxes during the breeding season would be very surprised to witness the goings on in our orchard bird boxes. Along the ivy wall we have a number of boxes ranging from robin ,wren and tit boxes to old teapots and woven nest pouches. One of the wren boxes is currently being used by a family of mice and is stuffed full of cherry stones,but both the tit boxes are used every night by so large a number of birds that it is hard to imagine just how they manage to pack themselves in. The roosting pouches likewise are occupied continuously and offer excellent shelter if suitably located.

Most surprising to me was the realisation that robins will roost in their boxes in bad weather which means that almost all of our boxes are in constant use throughout the year.
In this part of the world we have Rose Necked Parakeets living wild in quite large flocks , these birds have been the cause of controversy in recent years as there are some who consider them a pest . Speaking for myself I find them fascinating to watch as they go about their business.

They are entertaining and ours are very friendly with some birds almost tame. These birds seem to use their nest holes as winter roosts and they guard their property from interlopers with vigour. We have several nests in the orchard and quite enjoy the antics of these lovely birds. I have heard it said that they take the nest sites of both Green and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, we have both types of bird nesting close by and my own observations suggest that this is not the case.

Both Woodpeckers and Parakeets use the feeders quite amicably and in the pecking order it is the woodpeckers who have first place. Certainly in our garden there is room for both to live without conflict. Others complain that they are noisy, for anyone who lives under the Heathrow flight path where most of the Parakeets live I would say that is nonsense. My son works night shifts and has never once complained about the noise made by these birds even though they are fed beneath his bedroom window and to have a dozen birds at a time is not unusual.

Perhaps a little live and let live is what is needed here, after all a Parakeet must live. I was once asked by an acquaintance what type of bird feeder she should purchase as she only wished to feed Blue tits, no sparrows, robins or starlings. I thought it strange that she should worry about the welfare of one species to the exclusion of all the rest, but this seems quite a common attitude.
We feed all comers here and are amazed at the diversity of species which visit us and their antics keep my disabled partner amused for hours. Squabbling Starlings are hilarious, Blackbirds stately, blue tits and other members of the Tit family are cheeky acrobats while wrens blow in and out like leaves in the wind. For us though our special bird is our Robin who has been with us for almost three years and follows us about whenever we go outside.

These amazing little creatures have a tough time surviving summer and winter alike and I am afraid that it is living in proximity with humans..us.. which can cause the trouble.
Putting up nest boxes and putting out food all the year round goes some way to redressing to balance but we have taken so much of their habitat that we came never truly compensate for the loss.

Take five minutes a day and just watch what is happening in your garden or in your local park, it is a great way to relax and it is great fun too. If you want to put bird boxes in your garden do it now so that the birds will have time to become accustomed to them before the breeding season begins. The same applies to bat boxes and bee houses, good luck.