2023-09-03 16:32:24
By: Kai Franzke Jr.
Gerry has one on the tit – Gerhard Föhr (56) from Biberach an der Riss (Ba.-Wü.) is the nest box pope! The trained machinist has 600 different nesting boxes for birds and bats. “Gerry” even made it into the Guinness Book of Records!
The passionate bird conservationist exhibits his collection in his own museum. The oldest box: over 100 years.
And now that the migration season of the migratory birds begins, the pope box pope has a lot of work again. According to NABU, more than 100 million migratory birds leave their breeding grounds in Germany in autumn to fly to warmer regions. Nests and nest boxes are left behind – and can now be prepared for the birds’ return next spring.
A spokesman for NABU: “In order to prevent pathogens and parasites, nesting boxes can be cleaned in late summer to early autumn, preferably in September. For this purpose, old nests should be removed and the boxes swept clean.”
In his museum, Gerry shows his nesting boxes
Photo: Stefan M. Prager
Tips from the nest box pope
▶︎ Remove old nests in nest boxes – it attracts vermin and the birds avoid such nest boxes. Likewise, birds prefer empty nest boxes and build new ones every time.
▶︎ Do not spray with insect spray. Too toxic for birds and bats that avoid such nest boxes.
▶︎ Be careful with wasps and hornets that have moved in, they can attack and sting in the dark.
▶︎ Leave dormouse and garden dormouse alone.
▶︎ Don’t disturb bats either – they react sensitively and leave the nesting box if there is a major disturbance.
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▶︎ Repair nesting boxes – so that it stays dry inside for the next breeding season and overnight stay.
▶︎ Painting with non-toxic paint. The paint on the nest boxes increases their lifespan.
▶︎ Relocate nesting boxes if necessary. Since the breeding season is over, nest boxes may now be moved from inappropriate or inappropriate locations.
▶︎ Hang up new nesting boxes to increase the settlement density of birds and bats and to protect species.
Two types of migratory birds
Gerry explains the two different types of migratory birds, the long-distance and short-distance migrants: “Two billion long-distance migrants migrate from Europe to Africa every year. These are white stork, cuckoo, swift and nightingale. Because these species have such a long journey, they are only with us from April to August. They almost always leave at the same time.”
According to Föhr, short-distance migrants include: “crane, lapwing, skylark, starling and black redstart. They fly to Western Europe or the Mediterranean in autumn and come back in February. But that depends on the weather. When it gets cold early in the fall, they tend to get loose.”
However, if you want to see the migrating birds, you have to get up early: ducks, geese, seagulls and terns start the day early. During the day the train slows down, only to rev up the engines in the evening when, among other things, the songbirds set off again.
#autumn #Bird #expert #warns #garden #life #knowledge