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I want to put up a nest box or two but one wall faces east and gets strong sun in the morning and of course the opposite side faces west and gets fairly baked in the afternoon.
The third wall faces south but is completely shaded by next door. However next door is just 5 feet away - that is there's a passage way between the two houses. Is it worth putting a nest box in this somewhat gloomy place? For perching and preinspecting there is a tree at one end, a large bracket holding a security light and some wooden steps up to a 1st floor back door. Just not sure if birds would find it or want to live there.
Hi and thanks for your post!
Some species like house sparrows often nest in the eave space and gaps in the roof that open out in to passage ways, as long as the nesting box is located sufficiently high enough and is relatively free from disturbance. Underneath the overhang of the roof as close to the front/back garden as possible would be a decent location for a house sparrow nesting box.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
Hi Syntarsus,
We have a similar space between us and next door - a little more than 5 feet, but still dark and gloomy. A pair of starlings raised a brood in that passage last year - they found a hole in the roof sofits - and didn't seem to mind the gloominess one bit.
Cheers, Linda.
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Hi Syntarsus
I have a passageway too and it is used most years by Swallows which nest on shelving that I have put up close to the roof. I don't know if you are in an area that might attract Swallows - but I've also had Starlings investigating holes in the roofing felt in the past so a nestbox for them might work.
CJ
Starlings may well take advantage of a box in this sort of situation, our starling box might be worth considering.
Swallows are an unusual species to use such a place for nesting on the outside of buildings, they mostly choose internal spaces such as barns and other open outbuildings. The habits of house martins would be more suited to this sort of scenario, have a look here about ways to help them out as it may be possible to attract them if they are in the area.
OK thanks. I quite like starlings. Cheeky chappies and they're the only wild bird I've managed to hand feed other than feral pigeons. There's also been a pair coming to my peanut cake feeder every afternoon recently.
But having thought about the problem of hot positions has made think of something else. But I'll save it for another thread.