Make a Bird Nest Building Buffet

Things have been extraordinarily stressful at Carrots Cottage this last week and a bit, but one of the most soothing things I've found is watching birds in the garden.

I stand at the kitchen window sipping coffee, thumbing through a very old copy of The Hamlyn Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe. It's old, priced at £1.75, but we got it in a charity shop.

There's not as many feathered visitors as I'd like but we've had dunnocks, great tits, chaffinches and bullfinches as well as the usual robin, blue tits (currently building a nest in the box as they do every year), blackbirds, sparrows and the ever present pigeons who, I know, are just waiting for me to sow some peas.

Nest building is going on aplenty. Every time I see a bird in the garden they either have something in their mouths or are eating at a feeder.

So I thought I'd help them. We collected some moss, clipped the hairy dog and cut up some wool. I wondered how to make this tip top material available for the birds.

The garden's currently in disarray thanks to a major patio building project so I wouldn't have any where to place yoghurt pots or dishes of wool. Plus, they'd blow away. Oh, I know there are doubtless countless posts and tutorials on making such a thing but y'know, I couldn't be bothered to look. Sometimes you just want to get on and do it your way.

So I fudged my own idea.

If you fancy having a go here's what you need:

• a small piece of wood
• a drill
• hook for hanging it up
• nesting materials
• pieces of wood or nails for the birds to perch on

We (well, Hubby, I was deemed too accident prone) drilled holes all the way through the wood then the seven-year-old stuffed them. Our holes could have been bigger I reckon but they're full of material.

I've hung it up near the most popular feeders but have yet to see a bird visiting their buffet. "It's not like it's been posted on Facebook love, the birds aren't telling each other there's a load of dog hair for nests at number xx," commented Hubby.

Hmm, well I hope they're not going to be fussy. This is prime nest building material here.

:: Today on Birdoosh I'm talking about Monday mornings and routines ::

Comments

[Marian]

I have some of those coir hanging basket liners and the birds are really enjoying dismantling them in my garden for their nest building. Don't mind though.

[Margaret (@maogden)]

I could sit at the window watching the birds all day, I find it fascinating. We do have lots of material in our garden for nest building. Lots of shade so lots of moss too and there's plenty of dried plant stuff around.

We found an old magpie's nest recently when we had a conifer cut down. It was amazing. They had made the base out of those wire brick supports which builders use. They're made out of quite thick wire which needs pliers to bend and they seemed to be woven together quite intricately.

I had thought of making one of those nest building things. It's a good project to do with the grandchildren.

[Rachael]

Lol I have tried the same thing, stuffed some bits and pieces into a wide-meshed wire feeder, but I have yet to see a bird taking anything from it!

[Shed]

Wow! Great post and easy to follow instructions. Nice post.

[Sam@HappyHomebird]

I used to have a little cagey thing that we hung in the tree and you could put fluff and wool etc. in for the birdies - must go and hunt around ....in fact sending OH to look now.....FOUND IT! Oh thank you for reminding me! Now the dogs will both get brushed tomorrow ;)

Struggling tbh with attracting birds to the garden - have put out all sorts for them but few birds visit. Strange b/c the man around the corner says he has about 20 different vaieties visiting!?! Oh well must persevere.... sunflower hearts are on there now as that's what he recommended. I hung around with a birdspotter for a while and he taught me to id all the common birds by their song and call so I like boring people with that ;)

[Beep Pocock]

We have a lot of blackbirds in our garden, they have nest in our creepers. They warn each other when the cat is around. They actually terrorise our cat by bombing down on him when he sleeps in the garden.

[Crayon]

I'm sitting at my kitchen table right now looking out the window at the birds at the feeder and the bluebirds by their house. Add a latte and it's the perfect way to start my day!

[Tracie]

This is a great idea. I have never helped the birds out so it is probably time I do!

[mum of all trades]

This is such a great idea, I think my older boys would love to have a go at something like this.