What unusual objects have you used, or seen used, to make nesting sites?

Probably not unusual Fran but robin likes to nest on the gh shelf and bluetits manage to get in and out of a block pillar that has a bit out of it at the top under the slab, very safe with the hedge behind

that's interesting, Pam. so maybe if i put up brick concrete pillars, which I am thinking about, I could leave "nest spaces" here and there?

I remember Karenfrance had robins nesting in her gardening hat.

Found the picture - here's the link Fran

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/240293-shh-keep-this-under-your-hat/member/karenfrance

we have blue tits in the wall by the back door. When the porch was built the top row of mortar wasn't done. then we realise tits were in there. Every year for the last 8 yrs the site has been used.

thanks, Scottish! that's a great pic. I'd read about people jamming old kettles in hedges for robins, but a hat is new to me!

that's very good, Seaburn, ifyou don't mind, that is! and if nothing less desirable takes up residence. Hmm, those builders need to have a word spoken to the, that was bad workmanship, It may have turned out ok, but it might not have.

Birds are unpredictable though - they pick their own sites and will often turn down one you have kindly provided for a different on they have found for themselves. We had robins in a plant pot on a shelf in the porch once but they usually nest in a dense hedge. And once something nested in a gooseberry bush and lined the nest with cuttings of wool left over from a rug Grandma was making - very pretty! We've had tits in a tit box though - this is probably the most reliable though not at all unusual! They don't seem to like our new on though, I think we put it a bit too high - they are fussy about that.We once had wrens build in a hollow in an old brick wall.

tried to sack the builder but as it was my OH, that was a bit of a problem. ;o)

Still no sign of any other critters in the wall.

Just as well really SBG, you'd probably have missed him quite soon...

Same as SBG, A hole in the house wall, when hub redirected a pipe from the bathroom he didnt fill in the space around the pipe ant the bluetits moved in, ideal really, it would be lovely and warm :) Holes filled in now, with newspaper lol.

we need to be able to appreciate a bird's point of view about nest placeement, and all the effort in the world won't make any difference it they don't agree.

That must have been a colourful nest, Stera - wool misaic! Never thought about nestbox height before, will hae to check on thich prefers what!

oooh, wrens ...!!!

lol Seaburn Girl, that would be a bit tricky ... but no doubt you can find many ways for him to expiate his offence

is newspaper padding weatherproof, Young Daisy? couldn't they just pick out enough to nest back in again?

Oh, I do so want to do something - though the birds have got a small forest the other side of the brook, and plenty of shrub and tree cover at the bottom of the gardens, so I'm really being a bit selfish.

A tit box seems to be the easiest to get used. Put it up a long time before the nesting season so the new smell wears off and they have time to get used to it. About 10 feet up as far as I remember and facing away from both prevailing winds and direct sunshine. Get the tits into the garden with peanuts through the autumn, preferably near somewhere where they can quickly hide if need be. Our feeders are a couple of yards from a large conifer where they all hide waiting until the coast's clear. Probably too late to put up nesting boxes for this year though. You might be lucky with a robin box in the hedge - tempt robins with dried mealworms. Lots of information on box sizes etc on the RSPB site.

thanks a lot, Stera. I should do nothing in a hurry; there's enough fo rme to be getting on with already. and i need to know more about what birds are local before I start laying out mansions for them.

sigh, i seem to have diverted away from the question I first asked, but it's been very interesting and instructive!

Fran .. I wish you'd put this on as a blog, so I could give it a 'like' :o)

didn't think of that, TT! would I be able to transfer all, Q and A's??

i wish one could "like" a Question, it'd make findind other people's interesting Q's a lot easier - as it is I have to ave to url for the page and hope I can sort it out from the zillions of other links!

lol can I do a blog and point it at this Q? put the link in there for here??

Some questions I would not only wish to put a 'like' but also add to favourites !

yes, adding to faves would be much easier than collecting urls

are there GoYpedia entries for questions?

can you send your robin to tweet a plea in the right direction???

I do put some Questions on my GoYpedia categories.
I've nominated this Question for GoYpedia Birds.

aw, fanks!!!