Shannon Town Men's Shed

It might be a bit damp and windy out but there was plenty of activity in the shed this morning.. From burning the outside of bird boxes to give them a more natural look.. To using recycled materials to improve a table... To make a bug hotel for the wall of the Wolfe Tones GAA Bruno helping Brian with a mesh for the front of the bug hotel Mike has made a small table stronger and more useful using recycled materials Brian adding a natural look to the bird boxes by lightly burning them!

Tony will be putting the finishing touches to his five bird boxes in the Mens Shed this morning. He built them in Mayo and during a Heritage Week event saw an example of a very similar one deployed in Breaffy House. Last week, others in the Mens Shed have told him they have completed a variety (nine) of bird boxes themselves. After making 25mm and 27 mm holes for different birds and a choice of fixings.  The boxes were then delivered to Anne at Westpark Campus. Well done fellas!

Micheal has successfully made several owl nesting boxes. While our Mens Shed is busy making bird boxes at present, later (probably late August 2023), Michael has agreed to make two for Flan O'Neill our local timber/builders merchant. Tony is also keen to make one for the long eared owl he has spotted in his garden in Mayo :)   To this end Michael shared these plans for one with Tony.  

While Tony did a lovely job deconstructing the bird boxes he had to hand in Mayo and making plan drawing getting his hands of 9 mm pine proved an issue. He called in to Flann O'Neills to find 9 mm pine hoping some cheap pallet remnants would do when Flann offered to donate some off cuts for the project.    His colleague Ben also kindly posed for a photo. Thanks fellas.     As re-use and engaging with the community is a core value of the Mens Shed Tony was very happy to accept. Tony then went on to the Mens Shed and chatted with Brian and Mike who are actively making five of the bird boxes. They showed Tony three that had previously been made. Tony said his would probably look most like the rightmost one. (The left one is painted which may deter birds and uses ply which may not be that weather proof and centre one might be a bit small for offspring and parents :))   Brian also shed his own design plans which Tony will try to base his boxes on. So Tony is back in ...

Anne from Westpark Campus has requested 10 bird boxes by mid- August. Today, in Mayo, Tony took the dimensions and photos of two identical bird boxes he suggests we use a s a template. NOTE: The size of the round hole at the front of the box depends on the species of bird you wish to attract. How big does the hole need to be? The entrance hole size depends on the species you hope to attract:  25 mm for blue, coal and marsh tits 28 mm for great tits, tree sparrows and pied flycatchers 32 mm for house sparrows and nuthatches 45 mm for starlings. (Above size info from https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/nestboxes/nestboxes-for-small-birds/making-and-placing-a-bird-box/) Below are these photos (see also photo album at https://photos.app.goo.gl/jVGjVinDq49jhrjEA) And here's a video :) Good additional info at: https://birdwatchireland.ie/app/uploads/2019/09/Nestboxes-factsheet.pdf