Why do we need nest boxes? More…
Are nest boxes an adequate replacement for tree hollows? More…
Over the past decades many groups and individuals have installed nest boxes within the Red Hill Reserve. Some are designed to attract native birds while others are built for Possums, bats and Sugar Gliders.
There are in 2014 53 nest boxes (15 boxes were damaged or disappeared between 2012 and 2014) in four general groups. They are located near:
- Kent Street, Deakin (15 boxes)
- Tamar Street, Red Hill (21 boxes)
- Forrest (7 boxes)
- Strickland Crescent, Deakin (9 boxes)
- Register of nest boxes, (updated to show 2014 survey) showing volunteer responsibilities and survey results
Adopt-a-Box
Volunteers are urgently needed to monitor and survey these boxes. Please email info@redhillregenerators.org.au or go to the Feedback page if you wish to adopt some boxes.
If you do adopt a (or a few) boxes, you will be responsible for:
- Checking your adopted boxes 3 – 4 times annually, over spring – autumn, with a spy camera, and record what is using the box (We own a spy camera which can be loaned to participants)
- Remove Myna nesting materials and myna eggs from nest boxes. Myna material can be removed while the box is still attached to the tree
- Remove any abandoned bee or wasp nests and repair any damaged boxes. Repairing boxes and removing abandoned bee hives will require taking boxes down from tree and re-installing them.
Dos and don’ts
- Removing boxes is at least a two person job and will need a short ladder. The person up the ladder should wear a bike or climbing helmet; the second person is there to hold the ladder securely.
- Ladders should not be climbed to a height of more than 4m. If boxes are higher than this (plus the working height of the person on the ladder, then they should not be worked on.
- Never approach a box with an active bee or wasp nest. Observe the box for a few minutes before approaching it to see whether bees or wasps are flying in and out. Bees and wasps can be dormant in winter so extreme care is required until you are sure that there is no nest in the box. If you find a wasp nest please call the European Wasp Hotline on ph 6162 1914.
Nest boxes, Common mynas and Noisy MinersHow about building a bird nesting box? Nest boxes used successfully by crimson rosellas, can be taken over by introduced Common Myna birds (Indian Mynas). COG (Canberra Ornithologists Group) have some great information on how to build a bird nesting box that is not used by Common Myna birds:‘Native noisy miners cause more damage than introduced Indian myna, research finds‘, by Eric Tlozek from 14 Dec 2014Some suburbs are being progressively taken over by the native Noisy Miner. Although they are not trying to take over nest boxes, they will mostly drive out the few small woodland birds that hang on in suburban gardens. In fact, they’ve can drive out any bird that isn’t large, aggressive, or in it’s own gang, so magpies, red wattle birds, galahs, cockatoos and currawongs are OK but most other species will be driven away.How do you tell an introduced Common Myna from a native (but seemingly pest) Noisy Miner? They are both noisy, of a similar size, and both have yellow beaks, yellow eye patches and yellow legs.Common Mynas are chocolate brown birds (with some black and a small amount of white).Noisy Miners are greyish birds (with darker heads and wings).___________________________________ Bat boxesThe Australasian Bat Society has information on how to build a microbat box and where to place one, here___________________________________