The Bat box / Roosting site went up today; as with the other boxes I have made, I used exterior grade plywood. I lined the landing plate and inside crawl spaces with mesh to enable the bats to grip the otherwise too smooth surface. It has an asphalt roof to keep the weather out, and was only treated on the outside with wood preserver, as bats are sensitive to chemicals. I will be monitoring the roost over the coming weeks to see if we get any takers! Once bats move in, then they have a secure tenancy as its illegal to disturb bats without a license. This roost is situated on an Oak near the pond with an open access route at the from for them to enter and exit the roost. I saw bats at dusk flying over the pond last year in the summer so know they are about. - I'm working on the 'Built it and they will come' philosophy.
I made three woodpecker nest boxes yesterday and this is the last of the three going up. I deliberately covered up the entrance hole with a glued cardboard disk, so I could see if any birds found the box and pecked their way in. Two of the three boxes I put up have been opened in the last 24 hours! This morning I woke to the sound of a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming on a tree outside my bedroom window and today the Green woodpeckers have been very vocal and active in the surrounding trees and grassland, so I think the boxes will be put to good use fairly soon.
As I was putting up one of the boxes, I noticed the pair of Kestrels sitting at the front of the Barn Owl box, the male flew off but the female stayed long enough to allow me to take this picture from a long way away (hence the poor image). Will they use the Barny box to nest and ignore the brand new Kestrel box I put up just a couple of days ago? - I guess its a step up from the rock doves that nested here last year.
