# preparing nest box for winter



## Tan-all-over

What do you think, we had a blue tit roosting in our bird box over last winter (got a camera in the box) and then made a nest and brought up a family in the spring. Now coming into the winter again I thought about cleaning the box out and looked on the internet as to how to prepare the box to winter roosting again. Now, they say to put boiling water inside and outside and when dry put some hay inside for the bird to help keep warm. I wonder if a bird looking in will think the box is taken with the hay already there.
I know, Im worrying to much but if anybody has any thoughts on this I would like to hear from them. Last year when this little femail was in the box and fluffed her feathers up she looked so cold I wonderd if she would servive the nights. This year I would like to make the box warmer.


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## Grizzly

I asked the same question once and was told not to put anything in the nest box. Leave it clean and empty. It was suggested that I hang a net bag ( sort of thing you get oranges etc in) full of cosy odds and ends close to the nest and let them choose if they want. I have to say, they chose their own from the garden and they were not impressed with my choice. It was also suggested that you leave bits of twig and flower heads and so on- suitable for making nests- rather than being too tidy when you clear up the garden before winter.

G


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## DTPCHEMICALS

We have five nest boxes fixed to our fence. every year for the past 20 years that they have been there at least two of them have been used by the blue tits.
After the fledglings have flown I clean out the boxes so that they can start fresh the following year.
A sight of enjoyment 

dave p


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## Grizzly

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> A sight of enjoyment
> 
> dave p


Exactly ! You feel almost as if they were yours. Ours give us a huge amount of pleasure watching them

We have a couple of resident robins ( at opposite ends of the garden) and they are both very friendly and fly down to watch what we are doing when we are in the garden. One year one of them brought his new mate with him to meet me. Aahhhh....

G


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## dovtrams

Clean them out and leave them empty; part of the birds mating is building a home together. Wonderful enjoyment watching from start to fledgling, better than TV most nights.

Dave


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## SpeedyDux

I have 2 nice posh nest boxes on my fence, but no takers. :? 

The local Blue Tits do take the sheepswool nesting material I bought from the RSPB. They also bring their fledglings to my feeders, especially the fatballs, so that is very pleasing. 


SD


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## motormouth

You are lucky to have Blue Tits in your nest box over winter. They normally flock with other "tits" for safety in numbers. 
That said, just clean out the box with hot water and don't put anything inside. We always leave stuff outside the boxes such as fluff, moss etc, but they very rarely touch it and in spring they always seem to bring their own materials.

I agree, they are one of the most enjoyable birds to watch and when the young fledge, it is just magical.


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## howellsroad

Thanks for the reminder. Have just cleaned out our camera box. If you have not got one we can certainly recommend these. Had ours for three years now. Lovely colour pictures. Excellent Christmas presents for the children, now long flown our nest!
http://www.handykam.com/


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## Tan-all-over

We got our camera box from Eldi store....£39.99 last year ( some garden centres where asking around £150 !!!! ours is colour with sound and very clear pictures and as I said we had a blue tit roosting all winter but looking at her all alone in this "room" (a bit like big brother, not that I watch that) she looked so cold with her feathers fluffed up. We only knew it was a she when in the spring she built the nest and the first egg appered. We could tell the difference from her to the male because she had a speckled marking on her head. She did all the nest building on her own and the male only really appeard when the fist egg hatched and between them they looked after the young. Yes, so nice to watch the goings on and how you learn their ways. Thank you all for the replies.


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## Tan-all-over

Just had to bring this post up again as we have another blue tit roosting in our camera nest box. I had cleaned the box out and checked the other day to see if there where any takers and there she was.
Feel the need to 'check she is home' each night !!! God I thought we where free of that when the last of our fledgelings left the nest. :lol:


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## Pammy

We never clean ours out. No-one cleans them out in the wild. I think they prefer to do it themselves. Still come back every year and bring up their young.

Pammy


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## Tan-all-over

Thanks Pammy, know what you mean but as I say we have a camera in the box and there was a dead baby bird and four eggs left when they had all left the nest. Nine eggs at the start four developed. So I doubt them using it like that. Already got another roosting now.


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