Bird house

A hole in a tree can make an ideal home for a small bird. I fancied trying a way of making a hole in a tree without making a hole in a tree, if you see what I mean.

I used a chunky log, about 15-20cm across and about 25cm long. I was hoping to find something like this down the local park but it was easier to flick through the yellow pages and call a tree surgeon. The first one I spoke to said, 'Yeah, pop over and rummage through the log pile in our yard.'

Once I got my log home, I sawed a 2cm-thick disc off each end then cut the middle bit in half lengthways. Into each half I cut a deep v-shape.

Obviously this is a fair bit of sawing, so if you're a child it's a good idea to let an adult know what you're planning to do.

Once I'd cut all my bits I was quite relieved. I could easily imagine that once I'd put it back together a bird could be very pleased with it.

I drilled and chiseled a hole in the middle of one of the discs – about 2.5cm across is a good size for small birds.

I put my log back together with screws but nails or glue would be fine too. It's important to make sure that it's not going to fall apart on anything that does decide to live in there.

As for where to locate it, I'm going to securely wire mine to a tree in our backyard. Out of the way of cats is good and having the entrance out of the weather can only make it more appealing.

I'm very pleased with the way it's turned out. And although it's a bit more work than some of the other stuff on my DIY pages, it costs nothing and has real potential to make a good looking, totally natural, solid home.

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