photography

[Rogerb]

IFyou like a bit of camera cliking like laura and me the sun newspaper is doing a comp at the moment anything that comes into you garden i e bird fox mouse ect the email is features @ sun co . uk postal the sun 1 verginia st london e98 1xy

[Rogerb]

:grin: today laura both girls and me went to upton house neare poole dorset the peacocks there ar in full mating mode the tail fans and coulours are out of this world well worth a visit ps take the camera or camcorder you wont be diapointed:D :D

[kenny]

hi roger
thats a bit to far for me mate:) :)

ken

[laurab]

Not to worry Kenny, you will still get to see them ;)

[laurab]

Here is a shot of one of them.

[kenny]

hi laura
thats a really good photo you have taken there of such a beautiful bird

ken

[laurab]

Thank you Kenny.

[kenny]

hi laura
no problem well deserved praise indeed.but i must admit some of the photos on your photography website take some beating

ken

[laurab]

I know what you mean Kenny, I sometimes wonder if I should upload a shot of mine when I see the 1st class standard of others.

I have certainly learnt a lot from the site.

[Rogerb]

yesterday I joined a local group in our village called the friends of kinson common kenny will know where I mean its on the video it will be brill for photograph soon IM planing to build nest boxes and put them up also I clean up the crap that others leave behind Its approx 100 acres of wast land some natural bogs but mostly wooded there is loads of wildlife hopefully this time next year it will have doubled :D I think that the photographic potential will far outweigh the hard work put in by all :D

[kenny]

hi roger
yeah i know the bit you mean the fenced off peice ,look really nice when its finished

ken

[Rogerb]

yep you ar spot on mate I will do some more video so as you can see the difference that the handful of us can make . my only concern is that all the local yobbos and winnows use this as a sort of rat run between estates and offees whith ther cans of grog :sad: its a shame cos so much hard work has been done so far . could do with some input on bird boxes also bat boxes IE how high best locality ect any help would be most welcome:D roger b

[kenny]

hi roger
this might help mate


There are some important things to remember when making and siting bat boxes.

Only use untreated wood tanalised wood is not suitable. Do not use any wood preservatives or paints. Bats are sensitive to smells and some chemicals are harmful to bats.
Fixing your bat box with nails may damage the tree so ask the tree owner to attach the box with wire around the trunk or branch. Use a piece of hose or section of car tyre over the wire to prevent damage to the tree. Remember that trees grow, so any fixings should be checked every year.
Place your bat boxes as high up as you can so they are safe from cats. It is best to put them on trees but you can use the sides of buildings. Three boxes per tree are ideal, facing north, south-east and south-west. Boxes facing in different directions may be used at different times of the year and in varying conditions. Make sure there are no branches around the box bats like an uncluttered flightpath to and from the box.
It is useful to site boxes in places where bats are known to feed but have no nearby roosts. Good sites are near rivers, ponds, woodland glades and sheltered hedgerows. The sides of woodland rides are good places, as are trees that are a little isolated. These trees are easy to spot in urban areas such as parks, schools and hospital grounds.
Dont forget to contact your local bat group to let them know what you are doing. They will be able to offer help and advice.
Never disturb your bat boxes it is illegal to disturb bats and it is also cruel. The best way to see if the boxes are being used is to look for small, dry, crumbly droppings below the box or for the bats themselves leaving the boxes as night falls. If you find bats in the box, only a licensed bat warden is allowed to inspect it in the future.
Dont worry if you think your bat boxes are not being used immediately. Bats leave little trace and are rarely seen as they move about a lot so they may well be using the box. If you find treecreepers, blue, coal or great tits nesting in your bat box, check the size of your entrance slit it is probably too big.IMPORTANT: if you find a sick or ailing bat, you should not approach or handle the animal but seek advice from the Bat Conservation Trust.

ken

[kenny]

hi roger
Nest boxes in gardens are often occupied by blue tits or great tits

Try to get your nest boxes in position as early as possible, preferably at the beginning of January. Our blue tits started making exploratory visits in mid February. Each year on St. Valentine's Day - 14th February - the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) launches its National Nest Box Week, with the aim of encouraging people to put up nest boxes to help breeding birds and other wildlife.
The plan layout for a typical nest box is shown below. Many decorative bird boxes are totally unsuitable for parent birds and their families. Bird boxes designed as an integral part of a bird table are unlikely to be occupied. It would be like living above a fast food take-away! Choose a quiet and undisturbed part of your garden for the completed box.
To print this plan in Windows XP (when using Internet Explorer as your browser), simply hover your mouse over the drawing below and click on the printer icon that 'floats' over the plan. For previous versions of Windows, right click on the image and choose 'Print Picture...'
http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/images/bird_box_cam/birdbox_y.gifThe bird box dimensions shown here are very similar to those recommended by the RSPB. These nest boxes are suitable for small birds such as blue tit / great tit.
My bird boxes were made using 12mm exterior ply wood. The roof dimensions allow for an overhang at the sides and front to let water drain away and to keep the interior dry.
Make sure that the entrance hole is at least 12.5 cm from the floor of the box to keep the young chicks safe from predators. A hole diameter of 25 mm will allow blue tits, coal tits and marsh tits to enter the box. Use 28 mm for great tits and 32 mm for house sparrows, tree sparrows and nuthatches.
I used brass screws to fasten everything together and also screwed on the roof to allow access to the nest box camera (http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/wildlife_gardening/bluetitcam.htm) and to enable the nest to be removed at the end of the season, in either October or November.
Water based preservatives may be used on the outside of the box only. Keep any preservative away from the entrance hole, as birds often tap this regularly with their beak before deciding whether to occupy.
Drill a couple of small holes in the base to keep the nest dry.

Hang the box at least two metres off the ground, preferably between north and east to avoid strong sunlight. If fixing the nestbox to a tree it's preferable to use thick wire on the hangers rather than fixing with nails. If you find the birds pecking at the entrance hole, it does not mean that the hole is too small. Click here for an explanation (http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/wildlife_gardening/birdboxes_faqs.htm#pecking). Do not inspect the nest box when in use, as the parents may desert the eggs or chicks. The completed nest box, minus roof but with its hanging supports, can be seen here (http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/wildlife_gardening/birdbox_complete.htm). Young bird chicks need live food. Mealworms (http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/wildlife_gardening/mealworm_feeder.htm) can be a true life saver if the spring is cold and wet.


ken

[kenny]

Useful information
People often ask the question: "Do nestboxes in gardens really serve any useful purpose other than giving pleasure to us humans?" The answer to that question is definitely yes! Gardens are a most important habitat. The total area of all gardens in Britain exceeds that of all nature reserves, and as modern lifestyles destroy trees, hedges and old buildings, natural nesting sites are in decline. So nestboxes placed in gardens can make a real difference to the success or failure of a breeding species in a given area, especially when accompanied by the regular supply of suitable food and water.

Design
There is no standard, accurate design for a nestbox. Birds do not insist on their nest sites being mathematically precise! What they do require is a nest site which is secure and weatherproof, and as safe as possible from predators. Different bird species favour different types and locations of nesting sites, and so boxes must be constructed accordingly to meet these different needs. Two basic designs however will accomodate most common garden birds; either a partly open-fronted box, or a box with a circular hole at the front (of varying diameter for different species).
Dimensions need not be precise; make the box to suit the materials available rather than buying materials to match any given dimensions.

Materials
Undoubtedly wood is the best material to use; new or old wood, rough or planed, softwood or hardwood - it is really not important. Use what is readily available. A thicknes of about 0.75 inches is ideal.
Manufactured board (plywood and chipboard) are not suitable for outdoor use (except for resin-bonded marine quality ply, which can be expensive), although they are perfectly acceptable for a nestbox placed under cover, for example a Barn Owl box placed in an old building.
After construction, the outside only of the box should be treated with a water-based wood preservative product such as 'Cuprinol' or 'Sadolin', etc., (NOT creosote) to prolong its life and help repel water. If using planed timber, clear polyurethane may be used instead. All boxes should be treated annually in this way and allowed to dry thoroughly before being erected. A piece of roofing felt fixed to the roof will also prolong the life of the box and render it more waterproof.

Siting of nestboxes
For nestboxes with open fronts and small entrance holes:

Height
Whether fixed to a tree or a wall, the height above ground is not critical to most species of bird, so long as the box is clear of inquisitive humans and prowling cats.
Aspect
If there is no natural shelter, it is best to mount a box facing somewhere between south-east and north, to avoid strong direct sunlight and the heaviest rain. The box should be tilted slightly forwards so that the roof may deflect the rain from the entrance.
Predators
It may be possible to deter predators by fixing the nestbox in a thorny bush or by placing chicken-wire around the entrance, but always ensure a direct flight-path to the entrance. If squirrels or woodpeckers are a serious threat, fix a metal plate around the entrance, so that it can not be enlarged.
Fixing
Some authorities recommend nails to attach the box directly to a tree trunk or branch; others prefer the use of rope or wire right around the box and trunk (remembering to protect the trunk from wire cutting in by the use of a piece of rubber or the like). Both Vethods are satisfactory, but obviously annual maintenance is easier if the box is wired and can thus be taken down easily for cleaning.
Number
The number of nestboxes which can be placed in a garden depends on the species you wish to attract. Many species are fiercely territorial, such as Blue Tits, and will not tolerate another pair close by. About 2 to 3 pairs per acre is the normal density for Blue Tits. Other species such as Tree Sparrow, which are colonial nesters, will happily nest side by side.

Do not place any nestbox close to a bird-table or feeding area, as the regular comings and goings of many other birds are likely to prevent breeding in the box.
Annual cleaning of nestboxes
After the end of each breeding season, all nestboxes should be taken down and the old nesting materials removed, and the box should be scolded with boiling water to kill any parasites. Do not use insecticides or flea-powders - boiling water is adequate. Annual cleaning is best carried out in October or November.

Under the terms of the "Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981", if unhatched eggs are found in the box, they can only legally be removed from October to January inclusive, and they must be destroyed! It is illegal to keep them.
Winter
Leave the bird box up in winter as it will be useful as a roosting site for birds in bad weather.

[kenny]

hi roger
sorry mate thats the best i can do as i cannot get down there personally.if you want any more info just give me specifics and i will see if i can find it for you mate

ken

[kenny]

hi roger
there are some more bird box designs mate

http://www.feathered-friends.co.uk/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=384&stc=1&d=1http://www.feathered-friends.co.uk/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=385&stc=1&d=1147085328147085328http://www.feathered-friends.co.uk/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=386&stc=1&d=1147085888



ken

[Rogerb]

cheers kenny just what I wanted :D will get laura to print them of for me thanks mate :D :D

[kenny]

hi roger
let me know if you want anything else at least i will feel i am doing something this end ,even if i cant get down there mate

ken8)

[Rogerb]

thanks kenny what you sent me was spot on :-D just got to convert c m to inchs now :oops:

[laurab]

I'm on holiday at the moment as it is half term.

I took Elsa out for a walk and we came across a Treecreeper feeding its young. Well we couldn't see the little ones' as they were deep inside a rotten tree trunk, but I did manage to capture one of the adults, take a look here http://www.ephotozine.com/gallery/showlargepic.cfm?photoid=649573

[Strawblady2000]

Hi Laura,

I cannot get over how BRILLIANT your photos ALWAYS are!!! You've certainly got a rare and wonderful talent as well as an eye for beauty and nature.

We difinately need to replace our digital camera. We have a wonderful Nikon 35 mm camera, but nowadays, the convenience of having your picture on the spot has well-spoiled us!!! The Nikon takes wonderful pics, but teh digital cam we have just doesnt quite do it anymore, lol. It works okay..but I'd like something more able to photo wildlife, etc. as opposed to stationary objects, LOL!

Anyhow...I always love your photos. You are certainly a terrific photographer!

Have a wonderful holiday. Enjoy and relax. Hope the weather has perked up a bit for you!

[laurab]

Hi Nikki, you are very kind but it is not the sharpest of photo's. Even so, I am pleased with it.

There is a Woodpeckers nest just down the road form us, but the adults will not go anywhere near their nest if they know someone is watching. I stood for ages yesterday trying to catch a shot of them; I had to move in the end as the babies constantly call for their food and I felt I was keeping them from their dinner. :razz:

[kenny]

hi laura
excellent photo that is .

ken:wink: