Nest Boxes

Hello everyone, I recently got a nest box for our garden. We managed to nail it to a fence facing North Eastish. It has been up now for 2 days.

I am just wondering how long it normally takes blue tits to find their new home and move in.



Thanks in advance.

 

Thank you for your reply.

We built our own nesting box at our local museum. The RSPB were there and it was a suggested donation of £5 which we were happy to donate. My 3 yr old son loves watching the birds.

The lady that helped us build the box told us that blue tits start looking as early as February and to get it up as soon as we can. Since it has been up, i've only noticed 2 blue tits flying around. It's a very rare occasion that they stop by our bird table. I've heard that they love mealworms to eat.

Does anyone know of a good site that sells bird food for a reasonable price?
[hr]
Just another question.

I've noticed that our Aldi's store is selling next boxes for robins. I've heard that robin next boxes should be fairly close to the ground in behind foilage. Is this true?

This puzzled me as, we do have a cat that roams nearby, and I thought that the cat would get to the box if it was too close to the ground.

Also I could I have a robin nest box roughly 7ft away from the blue tit nest box?

 

Thanks again.
Could you put a robin box higher up?
As in roughly 2m above ground?

 

Robins have never used the open faced box I put up for them. Bumble bees used it last year. The robins want to nest around our patio and don't like us using it.

 

Don't worry ArcticFox. If the birds want to nest in your garden they will !
They can find the places Some of them where you wish they wouldn't.
I've a pair of sparrows who nest up and under the gutter above my bedroom window and in the breeding season shout their heads off from dawn til dusk.
The Robins make their nests in my open on one side log store - and I don't go in there for any logs for fear of disturbing them
The blackbirds will make their nests in any stupid place - including on top of the clothes props or in a pot that has a plant growing in it.
Other birds favour the hedges.
I've found old nests lined with the most amazing things - the fluff from the tumble dryer - I didn't realize how much pink I wore til I saw the pink lined nests
The goats hairs from the rugs I shake outside
The clippings from my husbands hair discarded outside.
If the birds want to nest - they wil !
Enjoy !

 

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice.
I will just have patience and hope the blue tits like the penthouse suite i've built them.

 

I've got 2 nest boxes up, the blue tits have used one of them. Stupid pidgeons nest at eye level in the elm hedge right next to the house.

 

Just a quick update.
Spotted 2 blue tits pecking at the entrance hole of the new nest box.

Is it true there is no difference in appearence between male and female blue tits?

 

I have had a homemade nestbox for 3 years and it has been used each spring by a pair of great tits. One of the birds, not sure which sex, moves in late november and roosts every night. It has done the same again this nov and has now got a mate. Chicks in spring hopefully.

I also have a robin box which I keep meaning to put up, maybe this year.

 

I also have several nest boxes up and it's great to whatch what goes on...had greenfinches last year..great tits and blue tits but the robins decided thier box was't for them...instead i'd got my 'display' of window boxes looking all fussy until one day i was watering them and noticed a little face staring back at me..a lovely little fat Robin on her nest...that window box didn't look so 'fussy' anymore as i stopped watering it so as not to disturb them..but who cares..