The long term project first started in 2007, with 10 Blue Tit, 10 Great Tit & 40 Robin boxes being installed in Lower Fulingpits Wood. Around 18 boxes were successfull.
The aim of the continuing project is:
> To help out our “feathered friends”, whose homes are being lost to houses and development.
> To involve the local residents
> To monitor the situation of the birds in our local reserve
The local residents were involved in making the many Robin boxes, and putting up all the boxes. We must say a BIG thank you to all our volunteers for their help.
In November 2007 & January 2008 some of the Robin boxes were converted into “tit” boxes and moved around to different areas of the reserve.
In 2008 10 different areas of the reserve were surveyed and 43 nest boxes were used.
As of March 2022, there are now 56 bird boxes, that can be used by Blue Tit’s, Great Tit’s Coal Tit’s and Nuthatches. We also have a few Owl boxes and Robin boxes.
We have a team of volunteers who are helping with this years survey.
All the results collected will be used for research, updating the reserves records and also put live onto the Vinters Valley Nature Reserve website. Each of the boxes are labelled so they can be identified, when looking through the records.
The plan, for the 2023 season is to carry out weekly surveys, from April to the beginning of June, of each box to see which are being used, by which species and what is happening.