Rachel found a nest box on the ground on Hilly Fields a few days ago which had presumably fallen from a tree. There are many nest boxes in the park, most of them having been made by school children who were encouraged to carve their names on the front. This one as you can see was made by’Curtis’.
It is difficult during the breeding season to know how many of the boxes are being used unless you have a lot of time on your hands or a lot of cameras like Springwatch. It was pleasing therefore when we opened the lid to find a nest inside and pieces of discarded egg shell. It looks very cosy and you can imagine how well-protected small birds must feel when they set up home inside. The shells look like those of the Blue Tit or Great Tit. The hole in the front has been widened by the parent birds to improve ease of access.
So well done, Curtis – wherever you are now. You made a home for the birds, they took up your offer and used it to bring their chicks into the world. It’s a simple little thing but it makes a difference and it brings us that bit closer to the natural world. And don’t worry – we’ll make sure it goes back up again for next spring.
PS. If anyone would like to put a bird box in their garden, here’s some common sense advice on where to site it from the ‘one and only’ Bill Oddie.