When to start searching for bird nests?
Although the nesting activity is greatest in May, June and July, you should keep your eyes open throughout the year as some birds have extended nesting periods. In southern parts of Canada for example, species like Great Horned Owls start nesting in February, while many other species start to nest in March or April. On the other hand, birds that have two or even three broods per season can still be found at their nest feeding young as late as September, if not a bit later. The best thing we can tell you is to see the season through! 

Where to look?
Robins will often nest in urban areas, including your own backyard, an urban park, or a schoolyard. Neighbourhoods that have many trees and plenty of lawns are almost guaranteed to have nesting Robins. Heavily built up areas like city centers are less likely to have Robins, but they will have other nesting birds, including House Sparrows, Rock Doves and European Starlings. Suburban areas will often have Tree Swallows or Purple Martins nesting in boxes, or birds nesting in trees or hedges, including Common Grackles, Mourning Doves, Song Sparrows and many others. Rural areas and forested landscape (including large forested urban parks) will generally have the highest diversity of nesting species. In open areas, Bluebirds will often use nest boxes placed on a fence post, and they may be a good species to monitor.

Therefore, if you want to find a particular species, you must be looking in the right place! A field guide may have some information about the habitat where each species may be found, but there are also a good number of books you can use. This includes Breeding Bird Atlases, which are available for most regions of Canada. The Internet can also be a valuable resource and we provide you with a selection of relevant links.

How to find a nest?
You may have birds nesting in your garden without knowing it! Often, it is by watching an animal's behaviour that we can learn about its occupation. Many species of birds build a nest in order to lay their eggs. For this, females and sometimes males will make dozens of trips every day to the same spot, bringing nest material. For example, it has been observed that a female Robin can make up to 180 trips a day to build her nest! So next time you see a bird flying with a twig in its beak, why not try to keep an eye on it? Maybe it will reveal to you its secret nesting location! 

Another good time to find a nest is when young are being fed by parents. Again, females and sometimes males will make dozens of trips daily to feed the brood, and you may be able to locate a nest by following an adult that carries a mouthful of juicy worms!

Tips to check a nest contents
As nests can often be a few metres above ground, special equipment may be needed to check the contents. 

• Stepladder
  You may use a stepladder if the nest is not too high up (about 1.5m) and if you evaluate the area safe to do so. Be very careful as Project NestWatch does not accept responsibility for any accident that occurs while nest recording. 
  
  
• Mirror and golf ball retriever pole
  This extendable pole was originally designed to retrieve golf balls from ponds and creeks and should be available in many golf shops. Combined, these two items will allow you to check nest contents 5m up in a tree without ever leaving the ground. Tape the mirror into the ball basket and then bend the basket to a 75-degree angle. To check nest contents simply extend the pole above the nest and then look in the mirror. Please make sure you are familiar with handling the pole before you check the nest to minimize the risk of hitting the nest or throwing the eggs out of it.
  
  
• Bicycle mirror (with mounts) and wooden pole
  Similar to the previous device, a bicycle mirror with mounts can be fastened onto a wooden pole. Bring the wooden pole above the nest and look into the mirror to check the nest contents.
  

As for nest boxes, they should be designed so that one of the panels can be opened to check nest contents. Please ensure that you give a few gentle taps on the box before you open the panel or look through the opening, so the adult can exit the box. This reduces the risk that the bird will damage the eggs or crush the young upon leaving.

How often should you visit a nest?
You should preferably make more than one visit to each nest, spaced at about 3-5 days intervals. Visits throughout the entire nesting attempt are very useful because each period provides different types of information, and because we can calculate the complete clutch size and incubation and fledging periods. With a minimum of two visits made within a reasonable period of time (e.g., a week apart), it is still possible to calculate a daily survival rate for the nest or contents (for example: the nest survived 5 days; two out of three nestlings in another nest survived 7 days, etc.). A single visit to a nest provides less information, but can be used to assess habitat and nest site selection preferences, if that information is recorded, or learn about the distribution or the nesting chronology of a species. 

Most passerines (singing birds) will lay one egg each day until the clutch is complete, and egg laying often occurs in the morning. During that period, nests will be hard to find because birds often don't start incubating until all their eggs have been laid, and there is not a lot of activity around the nest. If you see birds building a nest, observe them from a distance until the nest is finished and then make quick visits to see if they have started laying. Eggs that are lost (e.g., to predation) once incubation has started will not be replaced, but birds may attempt to lay a new clutch if their first one completely fails.

Please make sure that you report all nests, even if they did not succeed (i.e. no young made it to the stage of fledging). Information on failed nests is just as important as information on successful ones!