Bird box in garden

Nest boxes for Tits, starlings and sparrows should be between two and four metres above the ground although as starlings and sparrows are communal birds they will also next under the eves. The boxes should be facing between North and East so as not to 'cook' the birds on sunny days. Tilted slightly forward to make sure the rain does not enter.

Robins etc should be placed hidden in vegetation and low down.

Most birds start prospecting for suitable nesting sites in the Autumn but still give it a go. Also make sure there is plenty of food easily accessible - Good Luck. xxxxx

Just finished reorganising the pantry, and the double mattress for the '3-sleeper' bunk beds has just arrived.

Mr Aka is away for a few days (he's be upset to have missed the mackerel in mustard), so I bullied persuaded the delivery men to take it upstairs and into the my bedroom (it took two of them) now all I have to do is unwrap it, wrestle it into the spare room, up onto the bottom bunk and make the bed.

If you don't hear from me for the rest of the week afternoon, I'll be lying trapped under it. Thinking on, I'd best put my mobile phone in my pocket just in case

Sorry posted on wrong thread!!

! As you were....

There is some very good advice about nesting boxes on the RSPB website.

We have had a couple of nesting boxes for a few years now. They are attached to the fence at the bottom of the garden they are N.E. facing and about 6ft up. We have seen several prospective tenants doing an internal inspection but unfortunately none have ever moved in.

We also have several nest boxes including an old kettle which robin's are having a good look at. We have a sparrow box with several compartments. Hoping the tits will nest again this year.

We have nesting boxes (facing ne, one was in the ash tree for years before it was used by a great tit for 2 years then abandoned again. The other one had 3 compartments and 2 were used but this winter the squirrel gnawed the holes and made them much bigger. DH has just made a new one but not sure if it will get used in the first year.

Also had a robin nestbox which was not used. We once saw a robin's nest with young In a bicycle basket in a frequently used car port.

I have about 20, all east-facing. I have put them all on a fence behind shrubs or on posts that are surrounded by honeysuckles or other climbers. One is usually colonised by bees, which is a bit unnerving at rose-pruning time as it is behind a huge climbing rose and if one leaves it makes me jump. A painful process.

A pane of glass in my greenhouse was blown out in the gales, no chance to fix it yet. Noticed yesterday a robin flying in and out with twigs etc, so won't be using it for a while now incase I disturb it!

We once had a robin nest in the hole in the middle of some rolled up barbed wire which was hanging on a nail in the shed. It was a perfect protection from our cats!

We have robins regularly nesting in the garden shed they squeeze through a tiny gap above the door. Make sure cats can't reach any nest boxes as the birds will avoid any that they think are vulnerable to attack.

We have hopeful nesting boxes in all sorts of nooks and crannies. Where do the blighters nest ? Anywhere but a RSPB approved box. And almost always in something we had planned to prune vigorously. They can read your mind.

Wish we had robins nesting in our shed, all we have is a hungry mouse.

Anyone know if you should clean them out for the new tenants or leave well alone.
We've had a few sunny hours here and I noticed the tits having a look and then leaving....does last year's nest put them off?

Pittcity, I've just asked my knowledgeable other half about your nestboxes and he says yes, they should be cleaned out as they could harbour parasites. He also said they are sometimes taken over by mice.
Hope that helps.

Thanks nannyfran. I remember having to take a bee or wasp nest out one year...after the inhabitants had left of course, but the weather has been so odd this year that the tits are already investigating so it may be too late.