Here is a simple hack that can be used to help provide safe, dry nesting sites for birds this spring - and make use of old hats at the same time.
If you have a sheltered area that birds can easily access - such as under the eaves of your house, shed or garage - this #dailylandcare initiative is for you.
The idea is to add a "nest hat" in these spaces.
You will need and old hat and a method to hold the hat to the surface of the selected site as you glue it on.
This could be adhesive tape, staples, tacks or a hook, depending on what the surface is made from and how heavy the hat is.
To get started, lay the hat flat on its brim and cut a hole about the size of a 50 cent coin in the top front part of the crown.
This means when the hat is placed against the house, shed or garage, the hole is at the top of the hat and facing outwards.
Choose a place where your hat will be stuck.
It is best if it is out of direct sunlight and rain, away from bedrooms - as listening to a nest of hungry chicks will quickly drive you nuts - away from a place that cats, rats or possums can reach (as they eat eggs and chicks) and somewhere you can safely access with a ladder.
Then get your hat with the hole in it and put a bead of adhesive around the underside of the brim closest to the crown.
This is what will hold it to the surface where it will go.
With my hats, I use a brick hook to hang them while the glue dries and then tack them in place while the glue dries.
That's it.
Then it is a case of which bird species will come to inhabit the hat nest.
Native birds like a nest that is high, dry and enclosed. Sparrows and starlings will come too.
If you want a bigger bird to come to the nest, chose a bigger, stronger hat and cut the top quarter of the crown off - leaving an open-top "cup".
That is the nest preference for species such as the grey shrike thrush, blackbirds and red wattle birds.
I'd love to see your hat projects, so photograph them and send to our Instagram platform at: @basalttobay #LandcareHatTrick