Nesting Boxes

Nesting Boxes

Fifteen years ago we built a nesting box and hung it on a tree in a shady spot of the garden where cats could not reach it. During every one of those fifteen years it had been tenanted by blue tits. These feathered visitors have made a welcome addition to the garden, which most of us would appreciate.

Should you desire to make a nesting box of this character, obtain a piece of a tree trunk at least a foot and a half long, and no less than three-quarters of a foot in diameter. Then bore out a chamber 9 in. down and 6 in. wide. Do this by burning with a red-hot iron, or by chipping and using a drill. Three inches from the top cut a circular hole through the side, 2 in. in diameter, to serve as an entrance. Lastly, nail a piece of wood on the top to take the place of a roof.

Hang up the box some time before the nesting season, in order that its newness may have worn off before the birds wish to take up their residence in it. Also, hang it tilted slightly forward; if it slopes backwards, rain may beat in through the entrance hole. Place it in a shady spot, and never on a wall. The illustration shows four patterns.