Trust looks to create Valentine's love nests (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Trust looks to create Valentine's love nests

8:00am Saturday 2nd February 2013 in News

BIRD lovers can invest in a love nest for the creatures at a woodland near Bewdley.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust is running a rent-a-nest scheme at Knowles Coppice in a bid to give a helping hand to woodland birds. It coincides with National Nest Box week, organised each year by the British Trust for Ornithology, from February 14- 21 .

Becky Bradshaw-King, co-ordinator of the scheme, explained: “Valentine’s Day falls in National Nest Box week so renting a nest in one of our woodlands makes a perfect present for a loved one.

“Spring is almost in the air and it won’t be long before birds are looking for a suitable place to cosy up together before raising a family this year.

“Our rent-a-nest scheme is a great way for a romantic Valentine to show they care about their partner – and about our wildlife.”

The trust will put up nest boxes in the woodland. They can be rented out annually to leaseholders, who will be given a certificate and an annual report about what used the box as well as an invitation to visit the nest.

Ms Bradshaw-King added: “Our scheme is really popular, especially the visit to the nest boxes to see what’s using it.

“The boxes are monitored by local wardens so we have information about what species are using the box and how many young they’ve raised during the year.

“The monitoring also gives us great information about the lifestyle of the birds, which can help us with the management on our nature reserves.”

She added great and blue tits were common in the boxes along with pied flycatchers, redstarts and nuthatches.

“The bird boxes increase the number of potential nesting sites and improve the chances of birds breeding successfully,”

she said. “Really, it’s a case of finding out who’ll rest in your nest.”

Anyone interested in the scheme should visit worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/shop or call 01905 754919.