Help the birds to settle?

[Paul72]

Hello,

It has been at least two or three years since the swallows that used to nest inside one of my buildings (under a ceiling on beams) gave up returning to the nests, in my opinion because of the cats that They regularly bar the only access path (a small "window") or even do acrobatics to try to nab the chicks (they must have succeeded at least once ...). Every year they visit the site, but there they go to nest elsewhere. So, I would like to offer them the possibility of sheltering themselves from nasty furry beasts by providing places out of reach (3 or 4m high for example) or making their nests. Or even make artificial nests (maybe both to increase the possibilities)

What do you think about this: https://www.18h39.fr/articles/diy-const ... elles.html

can the same principle be applied to other garden and country birds?


Second point, if I redo the roof of the building, will a rigid roofing (giving an airtightness) encourage the arrival of bats or owls, knowing that there will always remain a skylight like deadly at 8m high?

[Janic]

just leave them the nuclear power plants as they are, they will have enough to nestle for millennia!

[Paul72]

just leave them the nuclear power plants as they are, they will have enough to nestle for millennia!

too far from home

[sicetaitsimple]

It's been at least two or three years since the swallows who used to nest inside one of my buildings (under a ceiling on beams) gave up coming back to the nests, in my opinion because of the cats that They regularly bar the only access path (a small "window") ......

I know the same situation (swallows plus cats) but that does not pose any particular problem if the swallows have a sufficiently large access means (although they aim very well even at full speed) and not accessible to cats!

In my case it is a barn, leaving a "large" opening open during the season when the swallows are present is not a problem. This may not be your case.

There will always be a baby bird who will fall from the nest and be eaten, but that's life ...

[Janic]

too far from home

no bowl for your birds!

have given up returning to the nests, in my opinion because of the cats who regularly block their only path (a small "window") ......

If there are too many cats only. Swifts melt nests in my basement and when it is cold I do not leave them with a skylight to pass and one day I observed a cat waiting for them in front of this skylight, but the two parents started to dive on the cat and it was he who abandoned the field. but it's been a while since there is more and the swifts leaving for warmer countries assembled on the electric wires in front, it's over, nothing. And long live the cides of all kinds killing the insects with which these birds feed. Because many people have noticed that there are almost no more crushed insects on the windshields and that's not the CO2 that is involved and electric vehicles will not bring them back!

[GuyGadebois]

At a friend's house producing organic goat cheese:
2000: 54 nests inhabited under the sponge cake of his farm.
2020: 2 inhabited nests.

[Paul72]

At a friend's house producing organic goat cheese:
2000: 54 nests inhabited under the sponge cake of his farm.
2020: 2 inhabited nests.

it is not yet so extreme here again that ... last year it was the first time that I saw the numbers drop. and yet there is no shortage of flies! I'm afraid every year that he won't come back at all.
That is why I would like to make sure to help them nest as safe as possible. A few years ago I observed up to 7-8 nestlings in a nest, the year after only three and since ... always the same three who return but if they do not make small it is badly crossed for the future. Unless they went to the neighbors.
another idea: make a "marquise" above an opening, almost 4m high. they could hide below, sheltered from the wind and cats, with direct access to the hunting grounds.

The other birds are doing rather better, stable or increasing (especially finches !!) and even small new ones (troglodyte and goldfinch)

[Janic]

in general, swifts return to the previous nest. Except that in their outward and return journey, there is breakage and not all of them succeed, but their decrease is still a sign that there is something wrong and even favoring their nesting if there is no one for this reproduction, it will be rapped anyway!
Note: swallows are not just fly eaters, nor are we made to eat only potatoes.

[Ahmed]

You are sure that they are swifts and not swallows, Janic?

[Paul72]

in general, swifts return to the previous nest. Except that in their outward and return journey, there is breakage and not all of them succeed, but their decrease is still a sign that there is something wrong and even favoring their nesting if there is no one for this reproduction, it will be rapped anyway!
Note: swallows are not just fly eaters, nor are we made to eat only potatoes.

it is just to point out that a priori, there is no shortage of food in the area and is probably not the limiting factor (there are also a lot of pipistrelle signs that there are insects in quantity)