bird boxes

[woodbob123]

over next week or so making a few nest boxes 1 using plastic drain pipe and all you need to make is hand saw and cordless drill + a few bits from diy store would anybody like me to try and post pictures? second is from logs will cut them in half lengthways hollow out and reasemble what size entrance hole should i use and how big should hollow be, any advice. Would any local group like a few (free) in SE Wales but also visit grandchildren regulary in Oxford.

[artdemole]

Entrance hole for smaller birds should be about 32mil diameter.linctrust.org.uk Has 6 designs for nest boxes.

[artdemole]

Re Plastic Drainpipe box.Try feepatentsonline.com There is a pdf you can download with instructions.8 pages.

[artdemole]

Re Log Box look at actionfornature.co.uk 3 page pdf.

[nightshade]

Plastic pipe works well but needs a ventilation slot in the bottom or you can get condensation inside. Lined with chicken wire and a 15-20mm enterance slot at the bottom they are also good summer bat boxes.

[woodbob123]

have 20ft of 7" soil pipe or underground pipe, fixing a plant pot saucer (plastic) each end about 3" of bunched up chicken wire in bottom + drainage and fix the whole lot together with plant support wire. log ones are all going to be chainsaw work have a 12ft 10" dia.pine log getting in the way, will then fix them in position with my grandson. one more idea going around in space between ears is to use a 4x4 post and space out boxes make it 15-20ft long and 8-10 boxes on top 10ft pushed up into tree fixed at bottom would they be used??

[nightshade]

I fit wooden tops and bottoms cut to fit inside the pipe and held with three or four equally spaced screws. Tops are angled to shed water. Chicken wire is inserted into the pipe as a full length cylinder and secured with the wooden plugs. I have had most sucess with boxes in the arc east to south west. Ten feet is a nice height but sucess depends on wether or not there are the bats
in the locality. (Bat detector for Christmas?)