Owl box number 13 put up today

Put this Little owl box up at  Dave's Farm, Dave owns a bit of land at Bonsal near Matlock. Hopefully going to get back here in the new year to put up a couple of Tawny owl nest boxes.

Owl box number 12 put up last Saturday, 2 more ready to go

Little owl box put up at Little Hayfield
Erected December 2013
Facing North West
Height  8ft

Nestbox design    Little Owl

Owl box number 11

Little owl box put up in Andy,s back garden over looking orchard Selston Nottinghamshire.
Erected 2013.
Facing West
Height 8ft

Nestbox design- Little Owl nest box

2 willing helpers

Kev O D & my son Ben, both having the time of their lives helping out & being eaten alive by midges.
Cheers guys I couldn't do it without you :)

Sad news & Good news

Sad news :
 Looks like the Mandarin has abandoned the nest, there has been no sign of her for the last couple of weeks.

Good News:
Kev O D's wife spotted a tawny owl looking out of Nest box number 3 at Grindleford, Derbyshire

Mandarin sat on eggs

Mandarin update

Mrs Mandarin is making it all nice and cosy with more down feathers.
Cheers Kev for keeping me updated and sending the photo's

12 eggs so far

Kev  went out tonight and took a few pics with the camera installed in Owl Box number 1.
The Mandarin duck has now layed 12 eggs, apparently she lays an egg a day till all her eggs have been layed ( between 9 & 12) then she sits on them. The photo shows how she has now started to cover the eggs over with down.

Looks like The Ducks have won the box for this year

Mr & Mrs Madarin  have decided to nest in Owl box number 1. Well done Kev spotting this one :)

About me

Hello & welcome to my blog. Jim from Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Since 2010 I've built and put up 16 owl nest boxes around Derbyshire.
Just like to say a big thanks to all the land owners for giving me permission to put the boxes up & to Kev .O.D for doing all the tree climbing :)

Owl Box number 10 is up :)

Tom, mate from work lives in a converted farm building, his neighbour says Barn owls nested in the building before it was converted. So with all the talk about owl boxes Tom knocked one together over a weekend and put it up. Nice one Thomas  very professional :)

Breaking news!

A duck was spotted flying out of owl box number 1 today, I will try and get a photo for correct identification.

Box number 9 is up

Box number 9 has finally gone up in Howards back garden at Brampton, Chesterfield
(Kev O'D posing up the tree)

building a box from scratch

Most of the materials for the boxes I build are begged for and borrowed.

Owl box number 1

Tawny owl box put up in woods in Grindleford, Derbyshire.
Erected 2010.
Facing south east
Height 5m

Nestbox design- Letter box type recommended by RSPB

Action in nest box
2011 -  Mandarin nested in the box. 2 dead chicks found in bottom of the box
2012 -  Tawny owl, had  1 owlet
2013 - Fitted camera with SD recorder (Bought from Maplins) hopefully get some action this year
2013 - Mandarin














Remains of baby duck & shell
found in bottom of box winter 2011

Owlet 2012

 

Owlet 2012



Female Mandarin 2013

Owl box number 2

Tawny owl nest box put up in woods at Little Hayfield
Erected 2010.
Facing north
Height 5m

Nest box design- Letter box type - recommended by RSPB

Activity in box
2010 - Tawny owl, had 1 owlet - Jackdaws nested in same tree within 1 metre of the box, mobbing the owl every time it left the nest.

2011 - Jackdaws







Owlet 2010

Owl box number 3

Barn Owl box put up in Kev O.D's wood Grindleford, Debyshire
Erected 2011.
Facing north
Height 4m

Nest box design recommended by The Barn Owl Trust

2012   No activity in box
2013 Tawny Owl (Male roosting)

Tawny Owl 2013

Tawny Owl 2013

Owl box number 4

Barn owl box put up in Ivan's back garden at Cromford, Derbyshire.
Erected 2011.
Facing south east
Height 4m

Nest box design recommended by The Barn Owl Trust.

Box activity

2012 = Squirrel
2013 = Squirrel

Owl box number 5

Barn owl box put up in woods at Grindleford, Derbyshire.
Erected 2012.
Facing north
Height 4m

Nest box design recommended by The Barn Owl Trust.

No activity













Owl box number 6

Tawny owl nest box put up in Dave's back garden at Brimington, Chesterfield.
Erected 2013.
Facing north
Height 5m

Nest box design - Dutch letter box

Owl box number 7

Tawny owl box put up in my mother in law's back garden at Tibshelf, Derbyshire.
Erected 2013.
Facing west
Height 5m


Nest box design - Dutch letter box








Owl box number 8

Tawny owl box put up in wood's at Grindleford, Derbyshire
Erected 2013.
Facing north
Height 5m

Nest box design - Dutch letter box type

Kevin O.D putting the box up

Owl box number 9

Tawny owl nest box put up in Howard's back garden Brampton, Chesterfield

Erected 2013
Height 5m
Facing NE
Design - Upright letter box style recommended by RSPB

Owl box number 10

Barn owl box put on the side of Tom's converted farm building on the outskirts of Chesterfield.
Erected 2013
Facing north east
Height 4m

Nest box design - A frame Barn owl box recommended by Suffolk Wildlife Trust












Owl box Number 11

Little owl box put up in Andy,s back garden over looking orchard Selston Nottinghamshire.
Erected  September 2013.
Facing West
Height 8ft

Nestbox design- Little Owl nest box

Owl box number 12

Little owl box put up in Jan's back garden over looking a horses field in Little Hayfield,Derbyshire
Erected  December 2013.
Facing North East
Height 8ft

Nestbox design- Little Owl nest box

Owl box number 13

Little owl box put up at Dave's Farm over looking fields at Bonsall near Matlock, Derbyshire
Erected  December 2013.
Facing North
Height 8ft

Nestbox design- Little Owl nest box

Owl box number 14

Little owl box put up at Grindleford over looking arable and pasture fields
Erected  January 2014.
Facing West
Height 8ft

Nestbox design- Little Owl nest box