54 NESTING BOXES, ETC. 



and in a tea-cup ! — so that really nothing seems to be 

 despised by birds, if only they can ensure security 

 for their nest and young. 



Many of our bird lovers seem to consider that 

 success in attracting birds to nesting-boxes depends 

 to a great extent on the aspect in which the boxes 

 are placed, and probably a south or south-east aspect 

 is the best, as the birds then get more sun ; on the 

 other hand, I have frequently found Flycatchers 

 building against walls having a westerly and even 

 northerly aspect, and Tits and Redstarts nesting in 

 holes directly facing the north ; so that it seems 

 really to be of little moment in what direction a 

 nesting-box or hole faces, if the bird finds the spot 

 sufficiently quiet to carry on its nesting and family 

 duties and sufficiently sheltered from rain. 



In any case it seems desirable to perforate the 

 bottom of nesting boxes and ledges with holes to 

 allow of the escape of rain which may blow in, and 

 even in the case of a hole in a tree it is well to have 

 a small drain hole under the nest, in case of excess of 

 moisture. Only last summer I lost a brood of Spotted 

 Flycatchers through the rain during a westerly gale 

 flooding the nesting bracket whereon the parent 

 birds had built their nest, and so drowning the 

 young which had only been hatched a few days. 



