ChapelWood Apex Luxury Nesting Box

Bird conservation has never been more important. Climate change, expanding urban areas and transport infrastructures pose a major threat to wildlife. With declining woodland areas, there are fewer nesting places for many bird species. By putting up a nest box you will provide shelter and privacy.
ChapelWood take their role in helping wildlife survive very seriously, by working with leading ornithologists the range of nesting boxes is designed to protect birds while lasting outside for many years.

Homeless birds will think you are the bees knees when they set eyes on the ChapelWood Apex Luxury Nesting Box. With a beautiful Welsh Slate Roof it is constructed from FSC approved timber to a sturdy design, it will protect birds and last outside for many years.
A vertical batten is incorporated into the design of the back of the box so that it can easily be fixed to a tree or wall. The batten is an important feature as it keeps the box away from the mounting surface and prevents water from running into the box.

The Apex Luxury Nesting Box has a 28mm diameter entrance hole, it is suitable for a wide number of garden bird species including Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Tree Sparrow, Great Tit and Crested Tit.
With all the refinements a bird could wish for, the ChapelWood Apex Luxury Nesting Box will be cherished by its occupier.

Specifications:

• Dimensions 20.5cm wide x 15cm deep x 27cm high (8 x 6 x 10½in).
• Solid pitched Welsh slate roof.
• FSC Pine Construction.
• 17mm Insulated Walls.
• Painted with non-toxic preserving paint.
• The base can be removed so it will be easy to clean out between tenancies.

Placing and looking after your Nesting Box:
Contrary to popular belief, there is no “best” time to put up bird nest boxes.
Birds will quickly become familiar with boxes erected during the latter part of the year and may well use them for winter roosts especially if they contain a little hay or wood shavings. Boxes erected by February stand the best chance of being used that season, but it is not unusual for tits to take over boxes in April if there is a shortage of natural sites.
Never fit a perch – the birds do not need it and it invites and assists predators. The most important thing is to site the box correctly in a position where the birds will be safe from potential predators.

Although you may want to see your new nest box used immediately, this is actually quite rare. Birds like to 'check them out' first to become accustomed to them and to ensure that they are suitable. Don't give up though as the sight of newly fledged chicks is well worth the wait.

Choosing a Site:
Choose a spot between 10ft and 15ft (3 to 5 metres) above ground level where there is easy flight access to the opening, and above all make sure that they cannot be reached by any marauding cats. Nest boxes can be fixed to walls, fences, trees or buildings. Never incorporate a nest box in a bird table as the nesting birds come into conflict with the feeding ones.
If you only have an exposed site to offer, face the box somewhere between north through east to southeast, avoiding prevailing winds and strong sunlight. When fixing, try to position the box at an angle so that rain is directed away from the entrance hole.
If siting in woodland, the dry side of the tree trunk offers the most protection. By their nature open nest boxes require more cover; siting them near to climbing plants where they can be partially obscured is ideal. Siting your nest box near vegetation also aids young birds taking their first flights as it gives them both physical support and good cover.

Nest Building:
Nest building takes time and energy from birds. The less effort that they have to put into collecting nest material, the quicker they can get settled into egg-laying and rearing a brood.
Here are some tips on things you can do to help birds nesting near you:

• Leave out natural fibres and pieces of plant materials for birds to collect. Place these in a hanging plant basket, hanging from a bird table or nearby bush to make it easier for the birds to collect nesting material quickly.
• House sparrows prefer to collect nest material from within a few metres of their nest. They use straw, grasses, fur, hair and other natural materials to make their nests, so provide some when you can.
• Starlings use fresh cut green leaves from spring pruning of shrubs. They may also use moss raked from your lawn, fur, hair and wool.
• House martins, song thrushes and blackbirds use mud in the construction of their nests. A small, wet, muddy patch in your garden, such as a muddy puddle or edge of a pond, may make it easier for them to build a nest, particularly if it has been dry and there is no other nearby sources.

Management:
It is advisable to clean out boxes in October to November. Wear rubber or similar gloves and remove any nesting material, feathers and any unhatched eggs. Remember that under the terms of the “wildlife and Countryside Act 1981”, if un-hatched eggs are found in the box, they can only legally be removed from October to January inclusive, they must be destroyed. It is illegal to keep them.
The box should be cleaned with boiling water to kill off any fleas or other parasites that may be present. Once the box is clean and dry, add a little hay or wood shavings to encourage the birds to use it for a winter roost and reserve it for the next breeding season.

During the breeding season it is very tempting to look in the box to see what is happening, but this should be avoided as your presence may well cause the birds to desert the nest. If you want to see chicks as they grow, consider a installing a Nest Box Camera.
If you do need to approach the box first tap lightly on the side of the box to allow the birds to leave the nest without being startled, but never approach box which may contain any young or the parents may well desert with disastrous results.
It is far better to watch the activities from a reasonable distance and to enjoy the pleasure of a successful brood brought off the nest.