Tree Creeper,

[J Darcy 5,871]

Those that know me well know i do tend to get a little obsessed with things. Well, the past four years i have devoted lots of hours to treecreepers and their study. Over 50% of their nests were being predated, mainly, i would hazard a guess, by squirrels. I tried various things, even wiring the old nest sites back together after they had been wrecked , but even though the following year the treecreepers laid in they were stil predated. I have always been pretty pro-active i things i care about and so i had a good thing and decided to experiment with artificial nest sites for the treecreepers. After a search i managed to beg, borrow or steal some metal sheeting off an engineer mate of mine and set about placing this on trees. My thoughts being that the squirrels couldnt get to the eggs through the metal. Well imagine my thrill when i found that two of these nest sites had been fully built by the tree creepers and laid in. I watched from afar with anticipation and longed for the time whenthe chicks hatched and mum and day would be feedng. It felt great to have made a difference. But tragically the other day i had my daily walk past one of the sites to find some twat had prised it from the tree. There wedged behind was the nest with five beautiful eggs nestled in a lovely nest. I have photographed it for there is not too many people that hav had the privaledge of seeing just what a treecreepers nest looks like. Obviously she has deserted.

I nailed the sheeting back on but the next day it had again been ripped off. So now i have decided to move the sheeting to somwehere in cover and away from human eye and i have also bought some spray paint to camouflage it better.

Its a real b*****d, but at least i know they will be accepted by the treecreepers and i have bigger plans to expands these artificial nest sites further. I hope to report on the other one that is being used at present too. She is sat on eggs now.

As far as i know this is the first time that this has been tried....JD

[Hannah4181 260]

Obsessed?? Really?? . . . like how an Autistic child does over certain objects or places?

[WILF 44,335]

I think its amazing how, with the simple use of spray paint and your almost red indian like camouflage abilities, you have managed to make that tin sheet almost invisible to the naked eye......I had to spend almost 45 minutes looking at that picture before I could spot it.

Your a legend Darcy!.....will you be my special friend?

[MuttleMcTuttle 21]

How sad the nest was abandoned Maybe whoever ripped the sheeting off didn't realise why it was there? Twats, whatever...

Fings crossed for the other nest sites.

[J Darcy 5,871]

I think its amazing how, with the simple use of spray paint and your almost red indian like camouflage abilities, you have managed to make that tin sheet almost invisible to the naked eye......I had to spend almost 45 minutes looking at that picture before I could spot it.

Your a legend Darcy!.....will you be my special friend?

 

 

In the pic it hadnt been spray painted.

But i have invested heavily in various shades. By next year i reckon i wil have cracked it......

 

p.s, get that barbel rod dusted down

[WILF 44,335]

 

 

p.s, get that barbel rod dusted down

 

On the "to do" list you dirty fink!

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

Good work John. Keep us updated. There are no squirells around my way, but I think the pine martens probably have their fill of creeper eggs.

[DUCKWING 302]

WELL JD ,

 

I HAVE FOUND MANY TREE CREEPER NEST SITES OVER THE LAST FEW YRS ...... AND YOU ARE 100 % CORRECT ITS THE BLOODY SQUIRRELS AND FROM MY EXPERIENCES THE WOODPECKERS ....... AS WELL

AS YOU HAVE PROBABLY FOUND MOST TREECREEPERS NEST SITES ARE JUST UNDER THE BARK WHERE ITS PEELING ETC ........

EASY FOR A PREDATOR ..........

A GUY I BELIVE YOU MET FROM NORTHUMBERLAND , A TERRIERMAN FROM CUMBRIA AND I HAVE OVER THE LAST 10 YRS HAVE BEEN STEADILY PUTTING BOXES OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS UP FOR THE BIRDS , WE MAKE THEM FROM PLYWOOD AND WRAP THEM IN TIN WHICH IS GLUED ON TO THE BOX .. THIS IS TO STOP BOTH THE SQUIGS AND PECKERS ....... THE CUMBRIAN MAN NOTICED THAT WHEN THE PECKERS MOVED INTO THE AREA HIS BOXES WERE GETTING HIT ......... AND HAS FOOTAGE OF THEM KILLING AND EATING YOUNG BLUETITS FROM AN UN TINNED BOX .......... WEVE TINNED EVER SINCE

AT THE PRESENT TIME MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE OVER 350 VARIOUS TYPES UP IN THIS AREA WELL OUT OF REACH OF KIDS AND IDIOTS ........ WHICH WE CHECK ON FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN EXCERCISING THE MUTTS ........ AND ARE ADDING TO EACH SEASON , .....

MY YOUNGEST LIKES TO KEEP A RECORD OF WHICH ARE GETTING USED AND BY WHAT ....... SOMETHING SHES DONE IN THE SAME BOOK SINCE SHE WAS 5 YRS OLD ..........

OUR TREECREEPER BOXES WE LIKE TO HAVE UNDER BRANCHES ON A SLIGHT INCLINE ......

 

AT ONE TIME I WAS MAKING THE BOXES SIMPLY OUT OF OLD PAINT TINS , BURNT OUT TO GET RID OF THE PAINT .. A HOLE DRILLED IN AND FIXED BY A SIMPLE SCREW AND WASHER THROUGH THE ENTRANCE HOLE , WITH THESE BECAUSE OF THEIR METAL CONSTRUCTION SITE PLACEMENT WAS EVERYTHING ..... DEEP WOODS THEY WERE FINE ......... A COAT OF RUST HAD THEM INVISABLE ....... OUR TIN COATED AFFAIRS ARE SPRAY PAINTED . USUALLY MATT BROWN OR GREEN

 

WHEN THE KIDS WERE AT THEIR JUNIOR SCHOOL I MADE IN FLAT PACK FORM OVER 125 BOXES ... ONE WEEK I WENT INTO EACH CLASS AND EACH CHILD MADE A BOX TO TAKE HOME WITH PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS ON THE BEST SITEING , AND THEIR WAS 18 BOXES PUT UP AROUND THE SCHOOL GROUNDS ...... ALL ARE STILL THERE .......AND GETTING USED

 

ALL THE BEST

 

 

DUCKWING

[J Darcy 5,871]

WELL JD ,

 

I HAVE FOUND MANY TREE CREEPER NEST SITES OVER THE LAST FEW YRS ...... AND YOU ARE 100 % CORRECT ITS THE BLOODY SQUIRRELS AND FROM MY EXPERIENCES THE WOODPECKERS ....... AS WELL

AS YOU HAVE PROBABLY FOUND MOST TREECREEPERS NEST SITES ARE JUST UNDER THE BARK WHERE ITS PEELING ETC ........

EASY FOR A PREDATOR ..........

A GUY I BELIVE YOU MET FROM NORTHUMBERLAND , A TERRIERMAN FROM CUMBRIA AND I HAVE OVER THE LAST 10 YRS HAVE BEEN STEADILY PUTTING BOXES OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS UP FOR THE BIRDS , WE MAKE THEM FROM PLYWOOD AND WRAP THEM IN TIN WHICH IS GLUED ON TO THE BOX .. THIS IS TO STOP BOTH THE SQUIGS AND PECKERS ....... THE CUMBRIAN MAN NOTICED THAT WHEN THE PECKERS MOVED INTO THE AREA HIS BOXES WERE GETTING HIT ......... AND HAS FOOTAGE OF THEM KILLING AND EATING YOUNG BLUETITS FROM AN UN TINNED BOX .......... WEVE TINNED EVER SINCE

AT THE PRESENT TIME MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE OVER 350 VARIOUS TYPES UP IN THIS AREA WELL OUT OF REACH OF KIDS AND IDIOTS ........ WHICH WE CHECK ON FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN EXCERCISING THE MUTTS ........ AND ARE ADDING TO EACH SEASON , .....

MY YOUNGEST LIKES TO KEEP A RECORD OF WHICH ARE GETTING USED AND BY WHAT ....... SOMETHING SHES DONE IN THE SAME BOOK SINCE SHE WAS 5 YRS OLD ..........

OUR TREECREEPER BOXES WE LIKE TO HAVE UNDER BRANCHES ON A SLIGHT INCLINE ......

 

AT ONE TIME I WAS MAKING THE BOXES SIMPLY OUT OF OLD PAINT TINS , BURNT OUT TO GET RID OF THE PAINT .. A HOLE DRILLED IN AND FIXED BY A SIMPLE SCREW AND WASHER THROUGH THE ENTRANCE HOLE , WITH THESE BECAUSE OF THEIR METAL CONSTRUCTION SITE PLACEMENT WAS EVERYTHING ..... DEEP WOODS THEY WERE FINE ......... A COAT OF RUST HAD THEM INVISABLE ....... OUR TIN COATED AFFAIRS ARE SPRAY PAINTED . USUALLY MATT BROWN OR GREEN

 

WHEN THE KIDS WERE AT THEIR JUNIOR SCHOOL I MADE IN FLAT PACK FORM OVER 125 BOXES ... ONE WEEK I WENT INTO EACH CLASS AND EACH CHILD MADE A BOX TO TAKE HOME WITH PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS ON THE BEST SITEING , AND THEIR WAS 18 BOXES PUT UP AROUND THE SCHOOL GROUNDS ...... ALL ARE STILL THERE .......AND GETTING USED

 

ALL THE BEST

 

 

DUCKWING

 

 

That was interestig duckwing, butmaybe i am not doing the boxes correctly but i have found the "treecreeper" boxes both bought and homemade were never used. Whereas these metal sheet i have has 20% success rate immediatly. A funny situation.

The first creepers nest was in a most unusual place. Around the old scrap yard there was a ten foot high breeze block wall and the creepers had nested in a crack in that wall. We stumbled upon it by pure luck really, and i was not the sort of place you would ever expect anything bar a bluetit to nest.

I will have a better understanding by next year i should tink for then the sheeting will have been on the trees long enough to make an informed opinion of their success, but the initial results appear encouraging...... JD

["Earth!" 503]

good do johno.regarding the shhets being pulled off the tree,would it not be the land owner or is it some do gooder thinking kids had done it? rather than maybe camo it,why not put a warning sign on it advising them that this is a nest being protected.maybe silly but why not telephone the RSPB,they may have some labels,either way they will be encouraged over this idea

[terrier410 53]

good do johno.regarding the shhets being pulled off the tree,would it not be the land owner or is it some do gooder thinking kids had done it? rather than maybe camo it,why not put a warning sign on it advising them that this is a nest being protected.maybe silly but why not telephone the RSPB,they may have some labels,either way they will be encouraged over this idea

good thinking.

[Catcher 1 639]

Those that know me well know i do tend to get a little obsessed with things. Well, the past four years i have devoted lots of hours to treecreepers and their study. Over 50% of their nests were being predated, mainly, i would hazard a guess, by squirrels. I tried various things, even wiring the old nest sites back together after they had been wrecked , but even though the following year the treecreepers laid in they were stil predated. I have always been pretty pro-active i things i care about and so i had a good thing and decided to experiment with artificial nest sites for the treecreepers. After a search i managed to beg, borrow or steal some metal sheeting off an engineer mate of mine and set about placing this on trees. My thoughts being that the squirrels couldnt get to the eggs through the metal. Well imagine my thrill when i found that two of these nest sites had been fully built by the tree creepers and laid in. I watched from afar with anticipation and longed for the time whenthe chicks hatched and mum and day would be feedng. It felt great to have made a difference. But tragically the other day i had my daily walk past one of the sites to find some twat had prised it from the tree. There wedged behind was the nest with five beautiful eggs nestled in a lovely nest. I have photographed it for there is not too many people that hav had the privaledge of seeing just what a treecreepers nest looks like. Obviously she has deserted.

I nailed the sheeting back on but the next day it had again been ripped off. So now i have decided to move the sheeting to somwehere in cover and away from human eye and i have also bought some spray paint to camouflage it better.

Its a real b*****d, but at least i know they will be accepted by the treecreepers and i have bigger plans to expands these artificial nest sites further. I hope to report on the other one that is being used at present too. She is sat on eggs now.

As far as i know this is the first time that this has been tried....JD

 

 

Was out this morning JD They have had that one i was watching too

["Earth!" 503]

discusting!

[DUCKWING 302]

WELL JD ,

 

I HAVE FOUND MANY TREE CREEPER NEST SITES OVER THE LAST FEW YRS ...... AND YOU ARE 100 % CORRECT ITS THE BLOODY SQUIRRELS AND FROM MY EXPERIENCES THE WOODPECKERS ....... AS WELL

AS YOU HAVE PROBABLY FOUND MOST TREECREEPERS NEST SITES ARE JUST UNDER THE BARK WHERE ITS PEELING ETC ........

EASY FOR A PREDATOR ..........

A GUY I BELIVE YOU MET FROM NORTHUMBERLAND , A TERRIERMAN FROM CUMBRIA AND I HAVE OVER THE LAST 10 YRS HAVE BEEN STEADILY PUTTING BOXES OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS UP FOR THE BIRDS , WE MAKE THEM FROM PLYWOOD AND WRAP THEM IN TIN WHICH IS GLUED ON TO THE BOX .. THIS IS TO STOP BOTH THE SQUIGS AND PECKERS ....... THE CUMBRIAN MAN NOTICED THAT WHEN THE PECKERS MOVED INTO THE AREA HIS BOXES WERE GETTING HIT ......... AND HAS FOOTAGE OF THEM KILLING AND EATING YOUNG BLUETITS FROM AN UN TINNED BOX .......... WEVE TINNED EVER SINCE

AT THE PRESENT TIME MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE OVER 350 VARIOUS TYPES UP IN THIS AREA WELL OUT OF REACH OF KIDS AND IDIOTS ........ WHICH WE CHECK ON FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN EXCERCISING THE MUTTS ........ AND ARE ADDING TO EACH SEASON , .....

MY YOUNGEST LIKES TO KEEP A RECORD OF WHICH ARE GETTING USED AND BY WHAT ....... SOMETHING SHES DONE IN THE SAME BOOK SINCE SHE WAS 5 YRS OLD ..........

OUR TREECREEPER BOXES WE LIKE TO HAVE UNDER BRANCHES ON A SLIGHT INCLINE ......

 

AT ONE TIME I WAS MAKING THE BOXES SIMPLY OUT OF OLD PAINT TINS , BURNT OUT TO GET RID OF THE PAINT .. A HOLE DRILLED IN AND FIXED BY A SIMPLE SCREW AND WASHER THROUGH THE ENTRANCE HOLE , WITH THESE BECAUSE OF THEIR METAL CONSTRUCTION SITE PLACEMENT WAS EVERYTHING ..... DEEP WOODS THEY WERE FINE ......... A COAT OF RUST HAD THEM INVISABLE ....... OUR TIN COATED AFFAIRS ARE SPRAY PAINTED . USUALLY MATT BROWN OR GREEN

 

WHEN THE KIDS WERE AT THEIR JUNIOR SCHOOL I MADE IN FLAT PACK FORM OVER 125 BOXES ... ONE WEEK I WENT INTO EACH CLASS AND EACH CHILD MADE A BOX TO TAKE HOME WITH PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS ON THE BEST SITEING , AND THEIR WAS 18 BOXES PUT UP AROUND THE SCHOOL GROUNDS ...... ALL ARE STILL THERE .......AND GETTING USED

 

ALL THE BEST

 

 

DUCKWING

 

 

That was interestig duckwing, butmaybe i am not doing the boxes correctly but i have found the "treecreeper" boxes both bought and homemade were never used. Whereas these metal sheet i have has 20% success rate immediatly. A funny situation.

The first creepers nest was in a most unusual place. Around the old scrap yard there was a ten foot high breeze block wall and the creepers had nested in a crack in that wall. We stumbled upon it by pure luck really, and i was not the sort of place you would ever expect anything bar a bluetit to nest.

I will have a better understanding by next year i should tink for then the sheeting will have been on the trees long enough to make an informed opinion of their success, but the initial results appear encouraging...... JD

 

 

JD ,

 

YER RIGHT . WITH THE CREEPER BOXES ..........

I MESSED ABOUT WITH A DOZEN MAKING DIFFERING SORTS , I FOUND THE LIKE THEM QUITE TIGHT , AND FOR SOME REASON UNDER BRACHES OF LARGER TREES , SOME EVEN ON THE UNDERNEATH OF SAID BRANCHES ..........

PERSONALLY I THINK YOUR SUCESS IS DUE MORE TO SITE PLACEMENT THAN THE SHEETING ..... THEY ARE OVER OLD NEST SITES ........ WHICH AS YOU KNOW ARE ALWAYS THE BEST SPOTS ........

THIS MORNING I HAD A LOOK IN A BOX PUT UP FOR A NEIGHBOUR IN HIS IVY GOING UP THE GARAGE ......... AN OPEN FRONTED BOX , AND BUILT UP BY A ROBIN ........ , DEFINATELY OF OF MY FAVOURITES

GOOD LUCK WITH THE SHEETING ............ I THINK YOU MAY NEED BETTER FIXINGS TO KEEP THE LOONS OUT !

I THINK WASHERS AND SCREWS ARE THE ORDER OF THE DAY !

 

 

 

ALL THE BEST

 

 

DUCKWING

[Catcher 1 639]

JD Do you think small wire mesh would work