To view our nest box map for 2023, click here! 

To celebrate National Nest Box week, we will be running nest box building sessions for families and adults at Bradfield Woods, Foxburrow Farm, Redgrave & Lopham Fen, Ipswich green spaces, Carlton Marshes and Lackford Lakes over February half term from Saturday 19th to Friday 25th February 2022, from 10am – 2pm. 

You can either make a box with us (£10 per box) or take one home and make it up. When you’re ready to put your new nest box up, make sure that you tell us by plotting your location on our Nest Box Week Map so we can all see where our 1,000 new homes for birds are. 

The majority of the nest box kits have been made by Ipswich Wildlife Group using wood from Bridge Wood in Ipswich. The wood has been sourced thanks to habitat management opening up the woodland floor to improve biodiversity.  

Prisoners from HMP Warren Hill made 200 nest box kits for visitors at Carlton Marshes nature reserve to build and put up in the gardens. The prison used off cuts of recycled wood to produce the kits and will be working with us in the future to help make a Wilder Suffolk for us all to enjoy. 

Join us and build a nest box with us at your nearest Suffolk Wildlife Trust Centre or Ipswich green space. Click below to find all of our ‘Build a nest box’ events across the county. 

Build a nest box events

Site your new nest box in a sheltered position, facing north-east to south-east, to avoid prevailing wet winds and the heat of the midday sun. 

The nest box should be about 2 metres off the ground and away from overhanging branches to stop cats reaching the nest. 

Don’t forget to tell us where your nest box is on our map: 

Submit your nest box location

Video photo credits. Many thanks to: Amy Lewis, Mark Hamblin, Andy Johnson, Jon Hawkins, Bob Coyle, Zsuzanna Bird, Susan Stone, Lucy Shepherd.

Find out more about nest box building, siting and maintenance here:

Bird and bat boxes 

Make your garden a better home for wildlife – find out more about wildlife gardening here:

Wildlife gardening

We’d love to see your photos of your new nest boxes once they have found a new home. It won’t be long before you have prospecting birds investigating their new ‘des res’. Please share your photos with us on social media: