Give Your Courting Birds a Home for Valentine’s Day

Encourage all species of birds into your garden this spring. Join the Ring of Gullion team for a nest box building workshop on Saturday 8 February from 3pm-4.30pm as part of National Nest Box Week.

The annual National Nest Box Week takes place between 14-21 February. The idea behind the week is to get us all to put up nest boxes in our local areas, not only to protect the wildlife we already have, but to encourage even more birds to brood in our backyards. It’s also the time we remind ourselves to give courting birds a warm, secure home for raising the next generation.

Anyone attending the workshop in the Pastoral Centre, Jonesborough, will get a chance to make their very own nest box to bring home. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Charlie Casey said, “National Nest Box Week is an important way in which everyone can play a part in protecting our birds.  It is of the upmost importance to create safe spaces for our wildlife. This can be as easy as placing a nest box in your own garden or local park. What we want is to protect these birds from predators and provide them somewhere to roost. Come along and join us at our free event in Jonesborough.”

Chairperson, Cllr Casey continued. “Natural nest sites for birds such as holes in trees or old buildings are disappearing fast as gardens are ‘tidied’ and old houses are repaired. Taking part in National Nest Box Week gives you the chance to contribute to bird conservation, whilst also giving you the pleasure of observing any breeding birds that you attract to your very own hand-built nest box.”

To book a place on this free event, visit www.ringofgullion.org and search ‘nest box’.

For all our events search ‘Ring of Gullion’ on facebook or visit our website on www.ringofgullion.org to keep up to date on what’s happening.