Valentine’s Day marks the start of the British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) National Nest Box Week. Garden birds are pairing off and beginning to look for nesting sites so it really is the perfect time to add a nest box to your garden.

Our gardens, parks and woodlands are becoming neater and tidier and this deprives birds of natural holes to find a home. To make matters worse, there are fewer handy nooks and crannies in modern buildings. The populations of many bird species are declining as a result of this housing shortage. The good news is that you can do your bit to help and your own garden is the best place to start.

We have a lovely selection of nest boxes in our garden centre with different sized entrance holes to attract different garden birds. The secret for success with any box is positioning.

Make sure that you site your box out of the prevailing wind and strong sunlight. It should be about 1 to 3m above the ground, ideally on a tree trunk, but a wall or shed is fine too. Look for somewhere that is hard for cats or squirrels to reach and be sure to position it away from bird tables and feeders, as they are busy areas.

For more information on National Nest Box Week click here (link takes you to an external website – we do not manage this website or accuracy thereof).