With National Nest Box Week only a few days away I thought I would blog about the busy preparations the team at Minsmere have been undertaking to get ready for this event. We are running a “make your own nest box” event over half term and are hoping to make 300 nest boxes. With this impressive target in place the team of staff and volunteers have been busy preparing the kits for visitors to build their own nest boxes. Watching the huge efforts that have been made in the workshop, manually cutting and drilling holes in each of the seven pieces of wood that make up a kit has really embodied the RSPB’s moto of “giving nature a home.”
I have been involved in some of the preparations myself and I have really enjoyed making the kits. Whilst drilling holes in the wood my mind wandered to thinking about the gardens which the box would be put in and what species of bird may choose to make this place their chosen nest site. I also got to thinking about the sheer joy that would be felt when the box was discovered to be inhabited! We have recently put a new box up in our garden and it has already attracted attention from a blue tit. Watching the entrance to the nest box has become quite distracting and in order for me to continue with our busy day to day life I do believe a web cam in the nest box will have to be a necessary purchase!
If you want to come and help us celebrate National Nest Box Week and make a nest box for your garden then please join us at the Discovery Centre 15 - 19 February 10 am – 3 pm.
It would be lovely to hear some of your nest box success stories via social media (@RSPBMinsmere on Twitter or RSPBSuffolk Facebook page) or at your next visit to Minsmere!
Nest box kits all ready to go! Photo by Amy Lever
Jack, one of our volunteers busy cutting wood. Photo by Amy Lever.
Me drilling some holes! Photo by Amy Lever