My Dad runs a work based learning project for people with learning difficulties. They basically make garden furniture (and other things), with the aim of giving people the skills they need to be able to work.
They also make a range of nest boxes, and by coincidence it's National Nestbox week in the UK. If you do have a garden then putting up a nestbox is a really great idea. If you do get birds in it watching them fly back and forth feeding chicks is great fun. Its also good for our wildlife. If you don't have a garden them maybe you could try putting up a bird feeder. You can get window mounted ones now and the birds don't seem to mind coming so close to the house if there's food involved!
If you feel like being ultra- creative then there are directions for making your own nest box here. It's really not that tricky, I'm actually really enjoying playing with power tools!
If you have a really big rural garden you could even try a tawny owl box!
Just click on the picture to see the measurements, these things are huge!Edited to add that a commentator has let me know that this tawny owl box design might not be the greatest. I don't know enough to really comment, it is however taken from the RSPB website. Feel free to make your own (educated) decision, we're all about personal choice here at chez hilltop. I'd say that with any bird box you need to make sure it is well constructed, can you imagine the guilt if it broke while having chicks in it! I have no doubt that whatever design is made at my Dad's project it is well constructed, after all it would have been made by my power tool wielding mother!
