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21st Kestrel nest box   (also a home for Bats)

ABOVE: 21st Kestrel Falcon nest box: Located on the crest of a knoll in the center of a field, this box is located on a slight hilltop and required more time and consideration to construct and place (a total of about 3 full days was invested to build and mount the box). Additionally, due to the ground’s elevation, lightning rod was added to protect the box. (You can see the copper wire running along top center of the perch in the left photo frame.) The post is a 4x4 that was extended and reinforced with four 2x4s. The perch is made of aluminum and it is 13'-6" above the ground. The entrance is 10'-6" high. Brown aluminum flashing was wrapped around the post as a predator guard.

Bats can also use the box by clinging to the 1/8" plastic mesh that was attached to the inside walls. This mesh is available for purchase from OBC (Organization for Bat Conservation). Below the mesh, and under the entrance, is an interior perch or toehold for the Falcons.

The box is close to boxes 18-20. The post was placed on 11/29/02, and the nest box was placed on 12/3/2002. It is in the Poolesville area of Montgomery County, MD, on NIH's property. I am very grateful to NIH for allowing me to use their campus for this project.