All About Noel Guards Mesh Metal Birdhouse Protectors

[@batch_1]

Great advice as I am about to put up my first Bluebird house. Well done!

[@mamaj6028]

Love this idea. Thanks. ❤

[@HOMERDisk0123]

I didn't like the net look, so I extended the hole with a hollow log this year. It worked pretty good, since I do not have much problems with snakes and squirrels. My only concern was racoons, opossums, and birds of prey. I will experiment with the net for the 2024 year.

[@kooale]

Super helpful, thanks!

[@carvinieri5217]

this is a very good answer to cats, martens and magpies

[@NSF8112]

How did u make those??? 😮

[@erikaerika7788]

Good info,,,my bluebirds are working on their 2nd nest of this season❤❤❤

[@nesthollow5159]

Oh congratulations! Mine are only just now incubating set 1.

[@HandFeedWildBirds]

Nice job on this video! New sub here. I’d love to see more folks incorporating these onto their nest boxes. I hand feed my birds and once I get to know them so closely it’s really hard when I lose one. 🪶🪶🐦🐦

[@nesthollow5159]

I truly am grateful for your support! That must be an incredible experience to become so close to your resident birds. And I know exactly what you mean about the heartbreak of loss. Just last weekend I went through this with some nearby Red-tailed hawks having a bad run in with lightning - to spare you anymore grief, that is all I'll say at this point. But it is so very hard. I hope you don't experience loss too much. You also bring up an important reminder about protecting birds, not only is it our responsibility, but taking these steps can minimize any guilt or "should have/could haves" when nature gets brutal. Thank you so much for your insight.

[@nesthollow5159]

Ps. Cool channel. I just subscribed too More birds in my feed is a good thing.

[@meredith3588]

I wish a manufacturer would design all these pieces that fit together easily and functionally. I am getting older and finding it more difficult to care for my birdhouses and wondering if it would be best to take them down for the health of the birds. If I could find one that had all the protective guards and opened easily for cleaning and mounting the pole was my main task I would be very grateful.

[@nesthollow5159]

I hear you. I don't know some people do it for so long. I suppose that's where mentoring becomes so important... got to pass the torch. But in personal property, that gets tougher. You would think some builder would just have an all-in-one adaptable nest box. If I had the resources, I'd be on it 😀

[@peterbedford2610]

I have a squirrel problem. Any good ptotectors?

[@nesthollow5159]

Sorry for such a late response. I didn't see this. A stovepipe baffle that's at least 8" diameter and 24" tall (60 inches even better) is one of the best ways to protect against climbing predators. I talk more about predator protection in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6immZV4gL5pfZosi=nhBNYze2mrMPKw7g

[@guylamarche1633]

You are a sweetheart .

[@theburdnerd]

how would you do this and also have a wren guard? I have house wrens and ALOT of crows/hawks

[@nesthollow5159]

This is a great question. Maybe it's even worth me doing a follow up video that just kind of addresses this exclusively, so I might add that to my list :). I kind of mention the wren guard issue as a con or disadvantage for the Noel Guard at about the 7:14 mark. I make my wren guards from cardboard, so you can customize it, but as you'll see me mention, it really obstructs entry when the wren guard is over the Noel Guard. There's a few ways to go with this: 1. Choose one or the other. A lot of trail monitors use Noel Guards. And they will pair them with baffles for the added protection. But they also have their nest boxes in very wide open areas, far far from a treeline. So house wrens are not as tempted to use the box. At this point, it's about deciding which threat is the bigger threat. BIG THING - if you're putting out seed that's attracting predatory birds, whether it's peanut attracting crows, or your feeder stations attracting hawks, then stop putting out seed during the nesting season. That may reduce avian predator interest. Bigger hawks are less of a threat. But then, I could easily see a Red Shouldered Hawk or Red Tailed Hawk going after a newly fledged bluebird - nothing a Noel Guard can do about that though. But I don't see them going after the box itself. A cooper hawk or a kestrel may reach into the box. Crows, scrub jays and blue jays can pose a lot of threat though. So I'd say, if you're feeding seed, not doing so during the nesting season may reduce that threat significantly to where you can be safe with just a wren guard on the box. 2. The second option would be to experiment. After the first egg is laid, make yourself a custom cardboard wren guard that will stretch out far enough to encompass the Noel Guard too. Then, you just have to sit, wait and see if your bluebirds take to it. If they don't, take that wren guard off immediately, and go back to option 1,

[@theburdnerd]

@@nesthollow5159 great thank you sounds like a wren guard would be best for my situation

[@lavernehammond1780]

Where do I get one?

[@nesthollow5159]

Thanks for that question. I'll have to update the description with a link. But here is a link for one on Amazon. amzn.to/3Q3fAs4