Winter roost cabin? Would this work?

This is a great idea, there was a survay done last year through the B.T.O regarding nest boxes and the use of colonial ones, yours looks just the job, the more we can do to help house sparrows the better, as with modern houseing there is getting less and less space for them, and the swift, although in some parts of the country house builders are been encouraged to build swift boxes into the house roof space, I would as I am sure other members be interested on how you get on, and if it gets used, pictures would be good.

The blue tits will definitely use it - they use mine all winter. My terrace has 3 holes and compartments, and each one is used. The sparrows don't use it because it's too low down on the wall for them.

Hi Karina,

Love the sketch, and the idea.  I'd say go for it!  And don't forget to let us know how you get on.  (I'm just going to be lazy and buy a few roosing pockets.) :)

Thanks for all of the encouragement

I think I'll give it a go; though my woodworking skills leave much to be desired, haha

If all else fails I'll just buy a premade one >_<

Hello

Great idea, birds will use nestiung boxes and roosting pockets for shelter as well as evergreen climbers like ivy. If you can grow some of that it will provide the species that might not venture into boxes with a safe place to stay.

The tits will all use boxes for roosting, wrens will as well, sometimes several in the same box. Robins, blackbirds and finches generally roost in dense shrubs, hedges, climbers or trees.

Good luck with your project, let us know how you get and welcome to the forum!

Many smaller birds - particularly wrens, tits and finches, will roost together in a confined space.  Dozens of wrens have been recorded sharing one nest box in the winter to keep warm!  The more little bodies, the easier it is for them all to keep warm so it is beneficial for them to gather together so you probably wouldn't need all the rooms, a couple of nestboxes would probably do the job as chances are they will share a roosting space.  The exceptions are robins who are the only ones who really remain strictly territorial, but they would prefer a roosting pouch placed under dense cover such as a hedge.  I personally would go for a couple of traditional nestboxes (use different hole sizes to cater for you different guests) for the shed - they are more enclosed than the roosting pouches providing extra safety from predators whereas a cat could potentially pull out a roosting pouch, it also creates a potential nest site in the spring.  If you have a thick hedge or climber add a couple of roosting pouches there for robins and dunnocks.  :-)

For a wooden shed an alternative is to make a simple wooden box that is fastened to the inside of the shed, with an entrance hole drilled in the wood of the outside wall.

I have a great tit sheltering in my nest box and have just bought a nice little terrocota wool dispenser from aldi today, its lovely.

www.thruthespyglass.blogspot.com

Just a little update:

In the end I decided to buy a couple of roosting pouches and put them into two evergreen shrubs on either side of the garden.

There was a lot of activity during winter with bluetits and greattits frequenting the shrubs; whether they were using the pouches or not I don't know.

I had hopes early in spring that a wren was actually using one as a base nest as it was gathering lots of moss and taking it into the shrub, but because that particular shrub was next to the only paved path in the garden, it must have been unhappy with my dad's back and forth-ing past it (even though I did tell him, but being the only path and the only week of sunshine this year he wanted to get as much done as possible)

Our shed has now been shortened and made into a small storage shed close to the house so I don't think I'd be able to incorporate it now. But at least the pouches in the shrubs have seen a bit of action and hopefully they've helped. :)