Where to Sight Your Teapot

 

 

So you have purchased your Teapot Bird Box / Feeder and now your home your thinking about where to site it.

Feeder

If you intend to use it as a feeder, ensure that it is located high enough up to avoid predators such as cats easily jumping up at it.  Birds generally like a clear flight path to it, but also like some cover such as bushes or creeper covered structure nearby so that should a predator such as a sparrow hawk arrives, they can quickly get to cover.

Nest Box

Please Note do not sight your teapot near to any bird feeders if you want to use it as a nest box, as other birds coming close to feed will put them off nesting.

Robins, Wrens and Fly Catchers

 

 

The first thing to consider is what type of bird are you hoping to attract.  Robins, Wrens and Fly Catchers are birds that like to nest in an open fronted type of nest box such as your teapot.  They tend to nest low down below 4ft, Zelda and I have seen both robins and wrens nesting as low as 6 inches off the ground! 

Choose a quiet location where they are less likely to be disturbed, ideally facing north east but sheltered from the weather.  The important thing is that they have plenty of cover as they rely on cover and their camouflage to avoid detection by predators, and as well as cover they should have a clear flight path to and from the nest site.

If you have a hedge you could knock a short post into the ground tight into the hedge, then mount the teapot nest box onto the post.  Trim the hedge so that there is a clear opening to the teapot, but foliage comes out around it.  This is not only desirable to the birds but looks attractive as the teapot appears to be framed by the hedge.

Alternatively locate your teapot low down on a fence or wall that has cover on it such as ivy, wisteria, clematis etc so that they have cover.

Should you not have anywhere suitable you can create it.  Choose your location and drive a short post into the ground and mount your teapot on it.  Then plant shrubs beside it that will grow quickly providing the required cover, such as Buddleia, lavatera and you can also grow ramblers through the bushes to thicken up the cover (clematis is good for this) and plant decorative tall grasses in front, but not blocking the entrance.  This will create the desired habitat for Robins, Wrens and Fly Catchers to nest in, as well as looking attractive.  The downside is that it will probably take a year to mature and be suitable.

Finches & Sparrow’s

Should you wish to attract Finches and sparrow’s you will need to locate the teapot with cover as above but higher up generally above 5 ft and facing North East.  Places to avoid are near the top of fences, and on walls just below a flat roof, the reason for this is that the birds fear a predator such as a cat can come along the top of the fence to gain access to the nest, or over the flat roof to it.  Below a flat roof is ok as long as the teapot is far enough below the roof to make it difficult for the cat to reach the nest.

 

Blue, Coal & Marsh Tits

If you have purchased a Teapot Nest Box which has a wooden front with a 25mm hole it is specifically a nest box designed for Blue, Coal and Marsh tits. It should be noted that Great Tits favour a larger hole of 28mm.  The box should be sighted above 6ft with a North East aspect, with a clear flight path to the nest site.

Please remember with regard to all of the above.

These are guidelines and being higher, lower or with other variations to locating your teapot nest box does not mean you will not get them nesting there, we are just suggesting the optimum option to give you the best chance of success.  (I have never seen a bird with a tape measure or compass but have seen them nesting where they shouldn’t be).