Thanks Clive. Became aware of the need for a protective metal sleeve / collar only after the nesting boxes were in position and the squirrels began their destructive act. This was only a pilot study done more out of enthusiasm than actual need. Already have the following nesting on my property : - Black-naped Blue Monarchs. - Tickell's Blue Flycatcher. - White-spotted Fantail. - Jungle Babblers. - Puff-throated Babblers - a nest discovered by Dr. Vaibhav. - Orange-headed Thrushes. - Coucals. - Oriental Magpie-robins. - Oriental White-eye. - Red-vented Bulbuls. - Common Iora. - Small Minivets. - Ashy Prinia. - Vigor's Sunbird. - Purple-rumped Sunbird. - White-breasted Waterhen. - Red Spurfowl. Also in the immediate neighbourhood - - Racket-tailed Drongos. - Coppersmith Barbets. - Spotted Owlets. - Common Kingfisher. - Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher. - Thick-billed Flowerpecker. - Common Woodshrike. .... and they have all been a joy to behold !!! With regards, Neil Soares. --- On Tue, 3/27/12, Clive Mann <[email protected]> wrote: From: Clive Mann <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [seriousbirders] My experiment with Nesting Boxes To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 3:01 PM Hi Neil, Sorry to hear that you have had such bad luck with nest boxes. If you try again one thing you can do is to put a circular metal plate with hole same size as intended hole over the hole to prevent squirrels or other birds enlarging it. Where you are there may still be plenty of natural nest sites which will attract less human attention than nest boxes. In UK so many old trees and branches are cut down because of some stupid health and safety regulation that artificial nests are often the only place for certain species to nest. Clive On 27 March 2012 09:28, Dr. Vaibhav <[email protected]> wrote: Dear Neil. Any link you have for design of nest box?Great effort though, I am also very saddened by causal approach by local people who have no respect for wildlife, small children will have catapult & will kill anything which moves. Even a Flower pecker. Lets hope common people will develop some empathy towards birds & animals. Vaibhav On Tue, Mar 27, 2012 at 1:15 PM, Neil Soares <[email protected]> wrote: Hi, In 2007 I undertook this pilot study on my forested property at Shahapur, 100 kms north of Bombay. https://picasaweb.google.com/113756149687515321536?feat=email Ten nesting boxes were constructed in August 2007 and were put up in-situ in December 2007 [Please see Nesting Boxes 1 in the link]. In photograph 2 – - the top left was meant for Mynas - the top middle was for Woodpeckers - the top right for Barn Owls - the boxes in the lower row were for cavity nesters / hole-nesting birds. The study has carried on to the present day. My observations: [Please see Nesting Boxes 2 in the link]. - Most of the openings of the nesting-boxes were enlarged either by squirrels or other rodents [ photograph 1] - Perches on the nesting boxes had to be removed in some to discourage squirrel activity [photograph 1]. - Marauding tribals trashed many of the boxes [photograph 2] either out of curiosity or to get at the squirrel drey’s inside [photograph 5]. - Trashed nesting boxes were at times repaired and reused [photograph 3] - Only one nesting box was used for the purpose for which they were meant – a pair of Oriental Magpie-robins managed 2 broods in one year [2009] and that too in a trashed box [photograph 4]. - Many other animals used the boxes [photographs 5 -14]. At present only one nesting-box remains. As the experiment was a relative failure, I have terminated it. With regards, Neil Soares. P.S. – My thanks to Jayesh Timbadia for creating this link and also for assisting me in this study -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "seriousbirders" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/seriousbirders?hl=en. -- Dr. Vaibhav Deshmukh. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "seriousbirders" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/seriousbirders?hl=en. -- Dr C F Mann -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "seriousbirders" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/seriousbirders?hl=en.
