Blog

What can you do this fall to build better habitat for your nest box inhabitants? Plant native! Native plants are a boon for wildlife, especially birds; they’re a great source of food and shelter, and they provide ample nesting material during the breeding season. Our guest Mhairi McFarlane dives into several different activities you can do right now to help create ideal nesting space for your birds come springtime.

Trail cameras are a fun and low-impact way to monitor bird nests and discover fascinating behaviors without disturbing the birds. With the right setup and a few safety considerations, you can collect great data while minimizing time in the field. It’s a great tool for NestWatchers who want a more intimate view of the nesting cycle.

Have you ever experienced mysterious, almost perfectly circular holes appearing in your nest boxes? If so, you might have other winged creatures trying to lay eggs in your nest box—carpenter bees! These pollinators have a habit of boring into wood to lay their eggs, which can damage nest boxes. We explore carpenter bee identification and habits, plus share some tips to prevent and repair the damage.

Building safe and healthy communities for both birds and people has never been more necessary, but it doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when we join forces to identify a need, pool resources to accomplish a goal, and communicate the successes—and challenges—with the broader community. Read our thoughts on how to scale up your NestWatching to the community level.

The familiar Barn Swallow is an agile, active flier that nests in close association with humans. However, their numbers have been declining recently due to several factors. In this blog post, swallow conservationist Mara Silver shares some insights on how she helped resurrect a colony in a disused barn site.

With the help of NestWatcher David Alva, we went on a learning journey about the centuries-old Japanese technique of shou sugi ban to find out if it would be suitable for a birdhouse. This wood-charring method creates a weathered look that adds durability and beauty without the need for chemical treatments.

Humans use scarecrows to scare away birds, but do birds also use scare tactics to repel predators from their nests? Our latest research suggests that they do, and NestWatchers may have even witnessed it in action. Read on to find out how birds try to frighten away ghouls from the nest.

Hummingbird “nest boxes” are relatively new products that have a lot of bird lovers asking, “Should I buy one?” But the short answer is “no.” Hummingbirds do not use nest boxes, and there are better ways to attract these flying gems.

This month we shine a spotlight on the often-overlooked Nuttall’s Woodpecker. Much about their breeding habits remains a mystery, creating a great opportunity for citizen scientists to contribute valuable insights. Discover what we still don’t know about Nuttall’s Woodpecker and how you can get involved in uncovering these mysteries.