Nest Box Advice

[BillyPilgrim]

I just bought my first ever nest box. One of those from Aldi with the video camera.

I've read through some of the existing threads on this subject and have learnt a few things like not to put it in direct sunlight, but still have a couple of questions.

I'm going to site it on a wall that faces north east. It has to go on a wall as I don't have any trees. I just wondered, is there an optimum height to place the box?

The box comes with a detachable panel with a small hole. Would I be best to put this on or leave it off? I'm not bothered which type of bird uses the box. I just want to have the best chance of attracting one to nest in it.

The most common bird that I see around here seems to be the House Sparrow. There are Tits around but not as many. There's also Robins, Blackbirds and Starlings but I assume the latter two would be too big to use the box?

[bobbarber]

Hello Billy, as you are not bothered too much about what species uses the box I would replace the panel with the hole and use it as a tit box. I think that you are more likely to be successful with the tit box than if you used it open fronted to attract robins. I am assuming that the wall is a bare one with no climbing plants growing up it so you could fix it anywhere between 3 and 15 feet above ground. Make sure that you place it well above cat jumping height. Good luck ...Bob

[Elizabeth B]

There's a lot of information about bird boxes here:

The RSPB: Advice: Siting a nestbox

One of our tit boxes is about 2m from the ground, the other two are 3m - they are all being inspected regularly and it looks as though Box 2 has already been chosen by a pair of bluetits.

[BillyPilgrim]

Thanks both of you for the advice.

I need to put it above my single-storey extension so it will be about 4m high. Cats can't get up there so hopefully it will be ok and attract something. I've already put the panel with the hole in on it so I'll put it up today and then sit back and wait....