Could a new box be in order with a partial roof .......I will donate for sure
This box has a partial roof but the winds have been northeasterly alot this spring which means it blows right into the nestbox. When you look at RCF's photos you are looking from the north - so the brick wall is on the west side of the box, the wooden wall at the end is on the south side and the open sides are north and east. The design is specific for the building. The box is on the east side of the buildind so that we can access it from the roof - the north, south and west side of the building has not lower roof, not access, no nothing so the east side is the only side we could choose. The wooden wall on the south and the partial roof on the south end of the box were chosen to help protect the chicks from the sun and provide some protection from the rain. Because of the size of the box, two sides needed to be "open" to give the birds and chicks access/egress - and looking north is the river, looking east is their favourite tower. The box is installed on the side of the wall so there are size limitations. And that is why there is a partial roof (watch as the adults enter/leave the box) and to provide up to 4 chicks with wingercizing room and the ability to hop up on the roof as they get more independent - the roof is the Brandon chicks' equivalent of the long narrow ledge beside the Radisson nestbox. In addition to the lumber that makes up the box, there is about 30 lbs of gravel in the box and the supports need to be able to support the box, gravel, birds in the summer and snow in the winter. And we can't make the box out of lighter materials as it needs to be able to stand up to bad weather and last year-round to exposure for a few years without coming apart and injuring the birds when the nest in it or injuring someone working on the building.
So lots of considerations, but we have some ideas ...
