This past holiday season, Natural Neighbors offered nest boxes for sale, and 42 people responded. We made a variety of boxes available, designed for species ranging from chickadees to wood ducks, as well as nesting platforms for phoebes and winter roost boxes where mixed-species flocks can huddle together during long, cold nights.
In total, these 42 participants purchased 44 nest boxes that will help bolster breeding bird populations across the Island. The boxes were sourced from Coveside Conservation Products, a trusted maker of some of the highest-quality nest boxes available. Their designs are durable, functional, easy to maintain, and thoughtfully built to support birds over the long term.
Alongside the boxes, we offered a range of add-ons, including predator guards, aluminum flashing, portal protectors, locally sourced wooden posts (from Cottles), and installation services. We had hoped to complete installations over what I optimistically imagined would be a mild winter, but as you know, Mother Nature had other plans! Over the past month, however, we’ve completed 18 installations, with just two remaining before we can call this season a wrap.
Robyn Graygor, Natural Neighbors Biodiversity Technician, digs deep to install a new bluebird box on Chapaquiddick.
Looking ahead, one of our main goals is to launch a “NestWatch” effort, where participants report on the success (or failure) of birds using their boxes. This will help us better understand outcomes across the community, and we’re excited to share those insights in the future.
We also plan to offer another nest box sale next winter. If you’d like to take part, simply sign up for a visit from the Natural Neighbors team by clicking HERE. We’ll meet with you to assess which bird species your property is best suited to support, share our knowledge and resources at no cost to you, and help you discover many other ways to foster biodiversity and bring life to your landscape.
