hi

i've put a nesting box on the side of my garden shed, too late to attract a resident for the winter. i decided to put a hook in the bottom of it to hang fat balls from for now. would this discourage nesting birds because of all the other bird attraction or disturbance it brings?

I'm also going to grow ivy up the shed, is it better to have a nesting box hidden to distract magpies etc?
thanks

It's best to have a nesting box hidden not only to protect from unwanted attention from magpies etc. but also to protect from wind and weather. If the box is too open then water and wind will get in providing a risk to chicks.

As for the fat balls, they will discourage birds to nest if there is a lot of other birds constantly visiting the area. If a bird does nest there then it is likely to be stressed. Ideally I would not put food in the same location as a potential home even at winter time, it is sometimes difficult to determine when winter ends and spring starts for some animals who will be looking for a new home.