Christmas come early

Yesterday a small party of Foxglove personnel (Tony, Ian, Whin and Rona) made the long trip down to Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve in Norfolk to pick up 28 nest boxes, or so we thought. 

After a short stop on route we arrived at Sculthorpe Moor to be greeted by 34 boxes, all beautifully crafted using marine ply by the reserve volunteer team, and all completely free of charge. We now had the nerve-racking task of fitting 22 barn owl, 6 kestrel and 6 little owl boxes into the back of the van.

In the end we had nothing to worry about, as we were able to stack the boxes into the van realtively easily. It's definately worth noting that we may be able to fit up to 45 boxes into the back of the van in the future, but for now 34 is more than enough to be getting on with.

After making sure that the boxes were stacked securely we said our farewells and thanked the staff and volunteers of Sculthorpe Moor again for such a wonderful early Christmas present. We made excellent progress on the route home and talked of the urgent need for replacements where existing boxes had become damaged and were at risk of failing.

What's really great about these nest boxes, other than their craftmanship, is that they have been constructed using marine ply; a material that gives them a lifespan of between 12 and 15 years!

After a much appreciated stop for a bite to eat (thanks again Sophie) all 34 nest boxes arrived at the Garrison safe and sound.

Considering the longevity of these nest boxes and the fact that construction, supply and delivery cost nothing what-so-ever; Christmas really has come early for us here at Foxglove. Merry Christmas to all of the volunteers and staff at Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve.