Tim Challenger "timothy(dot)challenger(at)apk(dot)at" wrote in message
s.com...
On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:40:38 +0100, anne wrote:

I've just taken down a nesting box that has been attached to a tree for
two
years now. Over the two years I've seen quite a few blue-tits
investigating,
but couldn't work out if they were actually using it. Anyway, it looks
empty
and clean inside and I'm wondering if it's actually any good. The
entrance
hole is 1 inch diameter and has obviously been pecked as if to make it
bigger and the inside space is tiny - only 2.5 inches from front to
back.
The height is average box height. Is this box useless and should I buy a
new
one? Blue-tits seem to be the ones most interested in a box.

No that's definitely too small for most birds, even wrens like around 4"
square floorspace.
A hole of around one inch in diameter is good for blue tits as it's too
small to let the great tits in.
more info here :

http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/whaty...ake_a_nestbox.
asp


Thanks, yes I thought it must be too small - no room to even swing a worm.
The problem now is that I went in a couple of places this afternoon and all
boxes on offer were tiny, the largest having an approx 3x4" floor space.
This box was a Gardman box and is supposed to be endorsed by the BTO and the
BSA!!? Just been reading up on it and it seems 5-6" is best.



--
Tim.

If the human brain were simple enough that we could understand it, we
would
be so simple that we couldn't.