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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 10, 2019 15:15:07 GMT
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Post by elle on Apr 10, 2019 21:06:34 GMT
Nice to hear from you Gbh, hope everything turns out just fine this time! Look forward to hearing from you next season icon_biggrin
Elle xx
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Post by sammi on Apr 11, 2019 16:19:14 GMT
Hope everything goes OK with this one GBH. Every time I see my Aldi box in bits I think of you Good luck again and I look forward to hearing about where you've sited your bird boxes in your new garden.
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Post by Taz on Apr 11, 2019 18:35:37 GMT
Fingers crossed for you GBH with your house. Third time lucky, then you can get everything prepared for next year.
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Aug 23, 2019 10:57:06 GMT
Hi everyone....is anyone around??? Hope everyone enjoyed the 2019 birding season. Can you believe we are into Autumn again.
I moved into my new house (finally!!!!) 2 weeks ago. So delighted with it.
But....to my dismay, the new garden is very 'open' at the moment...with no mature trees within the garden and I have no obvious places where to site my birdboxes.
We plan on planting trees but as Autumn is approaching I would love to get them up for a potential rooster.
Alot of the places I thought might work are to close to the house I think???
Need a bit of advice...
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Aug 23, 2019 12:58:26 GMT
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Post by matt on Aug 23, 2019 14:03:49 GMT
Wow - lovely big garden! True, it is a bit open at the moment but you have a great looking hedge around it and plenty of locations on buildings and sheds to try. Can't really give any advice, but best of luck in your new home and good luck for next season! I'd definitely be getting some trees and shrubs in pronto, perhaps a wildlife area with pond and wildflowers? Nothing has attracted birds to my garden more than the small pond we put in last winter..
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Post by karenupnorth on Aug 24, 2019 10:29:11 GMT
Lovely garden, I second what Matt says, have a wildflower area with water. I reckon the Blackbirds will love that hedge for nesting in! As for the boxes I am not so sure. Paul should be able to advise best. I would suggest having a bird feeding station set up to draw them in initially. Good luck, look forward to your updates.
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Post by suep on Aug 24, 2019 16:22:28 GMT
Hi GBH so good to see you have finally moved and hope you get things organised for next season. One of my boxes has always been on side of my bungalow (so not high) and right next to a window. Few years back (pre camera) had bluetits nest in this position, also had the sparrows in this box. Also, with box in facing wrong way I have made a sort of shade over the box (have a look at Paul’s current thread ‘Blue tits nesting in August’ and you will find photo). Looks an amazing garden with far more trees close by than I have so I would say very promising for the birds. I think next to shed door might be a bit off putting but positions you have highlighted look fine to me. Good luck and will be keeping everything crossed for you (And me). Sue
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Post by elle on Aug 25, 2019 22:00:45 GMT
Hi Gbh, so glad you have finally moved into your new home, your garden will has so much potential I’m positive when you start putting your own stamp on it, it is certainly a good size and as previously been said, with the hedges and mature trees on the outside, I’m pretty sure you will get something in spring. Look forward to seeing whether you get any different birds from the norm.
Elle Xx
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Post by WildlifePaul on Aug 27, 2019 9:50:56 GMT
I think the location on the garage would be perfect Karen, My most used boxes face "south" if you have them in shade during afternoon its fine, Maybe you could create something around the box to product the shade.
Your garden is lovely and big you'll be able to do so much with that, Looking forward to seeing where you locate the boxes, I am sure you'll figure it out in the end and your choices will be great.
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Post by sammi on Aug 29, 2019 19:59:23 GMT
Hi Gbh So glad you're happy in your new place. Such a nice big garden. One of our boxes that was used most years is next to the patio door and our presence didn't seem to put them off but it is probably higher than your shed position. I'm sure you'll find a good spot.
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Sept 1, 2019 21:34:19 GMT
Hi everyone, thanks so much for the advice and well wishes.
My bird boxes went up today...so fingers crossed for next season. Will 2020 be finally my year????
My house is a bungalow so having read that the lower height doesn't really pose a problem, I decided to place the boxes on the house in the end, rather than the garage, as this gives me the opportunity of viewing the monitor in my warm sitting room rather than out in the non-heated garage, where I was originally thinking of putting the DVR and monitor.
Box 1. The cedar top view box: East facing aspect at side of house - its the quietest side of the house and virtually no pedestrian traffic. Mature hedges opposite currently and we'll be planting some decorative stand alone trees along there too eventually.
2. The cedar sideview box: Placed on front of house - north facing aspect. Silver birch trees a few feet away opposite the front entrance of the box. We don't use our front door, favouring the backdoor, so again, it's a less frequented part of the garden.
3. The infamous Aldi box...well, I had to put it up - ever hopeful!!! I put it on East facing aspect at side of the wooden shed as per my picture. There is a working camera in it but it won't be connected up as it is too far away from house.
I've to get the cctv cables into the house next and connected up, but as long as the boxes are up, the pressure is off.
So, that's that. Job done
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Post by matt on Sept 1, 2019 22:17:28 GMT
Everything crossed for you GBH, I think this could be the season for you! Locations for the boxes sound ideal, I have to say.
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Post by karenupnorth on Sept 2, 2019 6:30:44 GMT
Sounds good to me! I so hope next year is a good one or all of us and hopefully you will get a rooster checking in. icon_biggrin
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Sept 2, 2019 7:00:06 GMT
Thanks Karen... And wouldn't you know I woke up this morning thinking "what if something goes into the Aldi box?. Wouldn't that be typical" So now considering one of these to get around my no cables issue!!! www.thegardenshop.ie/nest-box-camera/Has anyone tried one? What are they like?
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Post by WildlifePaul on Sept 2, 2019 10:51:10 GMT
Sounds like all your places are great GBH Can't tell you about wireless camera because never had one myself. Really hope you get a nest next season after all these years, Hope the new house / garden brings you luck!
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Oct 30, 2019 6:15:28 GMT
Hi all...We got our first rooster! Thrilled! He must have come in on the night of the 27th October as it was the following morning I noticed droppings in the box. He is in the long box at the side of the house. Also, got our very first visit in the sideways box which is situated at the front of the house. So fingers crossed we might get another rooster there. Hope everyone is keeping well....chat soon.
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Post by Ann70 on Oct 30, 2019 7:20:20 GMT
Good news, looking good for you
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Post by matt on Oct 30, 2019 8:40:26 GMT
Brilliant!
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Post by WildlifePaul on Oct 30, 2019 10:25:10 GMT
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Post by suep on Oct 30, 2019 16:51:58 GMT
So pleased for you GBH. Looks like luck with the birdies has moved in with you. Brilliant news Sue
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Post by natalie on Oct 30, 2019 22:30:35 GMT
Super cute 🥰
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Jan 28, 2020 7:57:11 GMT
Well hellooooo everyone!!! Happy New Year to you all! Just popping in to read the latest updates and see how everyone is getting on. Since I last posted my little rooster in the long box at the side of my house (now named Maurice) has been consistently returning every night like clockwork. It has been an absolute pleasure to watch him coming and going and seeing his night time routine. Great to see a stretch in the evenings already. The reason I'm posting this morning is because he's only gone and got himself a girlfriend!!!!! Yes, there has been a noticeable change to the activity in both the boxes since mid December....with sets of blue tits visiting into the boxes. Can't tell if they are the same pair, or a variety of different pairs, but judging by the number of blue tits in the garden, there must be more than just the two. There is a flock of blue tits in this new house, like I've never experienced before at my old house. But the update is that yesterday I switched on the screen and I couldn't believe it...but Maurices house, previously full of a pile of poo built up over 3 months, was cleaned out!!!.... Looking at yesterdays footage, Himself and Herself had been coming and going all day, he dropping in first then allowing her to drop in, then he leaves and she sets to work cleaning out the box and in one day she has more or less removed all the poo!! She headed off then and he stayed the night as normal. So something major has developed - just like that!!! What changed in one day??? The sideways box at the front of the house has a daily visit at more or less the same time every day since just before Christmas by a pair of blue tits....I've yet to ascertain whether this is Maurice and his partner checking out both boxes, or if it is a different pair - time will tell. But this pair seem very interested in that box and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens there. (One interesting thing happened one night with that sideways box to the front of my house, was a blue tit roosted on TOP of the box - not in it? It was a one off occasion and it didn't roost there again, but I wonder was it staking out the place to see its potential before committing to it....it was soon after that, that the pair starting visiting regularly.) No interest from any other species of bird other than an odd beak poke into each of the houses by a Great tit....oh and I've sporadically had to evict a number of very large hibernating wasps on the sideways box throughout the last few months. Glad I kept on top of that now! So, that's my news. I'm going to head off and read a bit of everyone elses updates. Edited to add some photos - always forget how to do it!!! Daily visit to the sideways box by this pair since mid-December. Poo in box, as of the other day. Deciding where to put the bookshelves? Maurice giving herself "house cleaning tips", cheeky bugger.
Nearly done! Took one whole day. She's a hard worker.
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Post by sammi on Jan 28, 2020 10:57:45 GMT
Woweeeee GBH This is such good news Maurice is a fast worker🤣 I agree with you that things are looking very promising. So pleased for you. Your new home seems to be a great hit with the birds. I managed to avoid hibernating wasps this year thank goodness but the BTs last year soon got rid of them when they were house hunting. Lovely pics too. I had to relearn how to post them after the break.
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