In a world where few things can be counted on I have found one simple yet intriguing ritual that occurs each day at sunset.

It does not matter what the day is like either. It may have rained or snowed or sweltered with heat in summer. In fact, this January cold only makes my faith stronger that it will occur because when the temperature drops and the shadows grow long, I know the moment is soon at hand.

I must look to the west and let the troubles of the day fall behind me in the shadows. Because if I am late, I can miss it. But if I watch the sun without distraction, I can always catch it. I look out over the neighborhood through the towering oaks, far beyond the silhouettes of chimneys and into the distant tree-line and wait. Then, the sun sinks, trembles like a mirage, fluctuates in vapors and breaks apart into pieces of golden light that slowly slip beneath the horizon. At that very instant a single downy woodpecker appears.

It flies in from the north, from out of the woods beside my house and lands on a nest box directly in front of me. Without fear or hesitation, the little woodpecker enters the box and quickly reappears, beak first, out of the hole. He will stay like that, watching me with trust, until the sky turns to an ominous purple dusk and the first star shows.

It is then time to sleep. His head retracts into the box and his day is done. A lucky little bird he is to have found such a safe place to spend the night. The old nest box has almost everything that a woodpecker might want for a roosting site except better insulation. While there is not much I can do now to fix that aside from replacing pieces, I can endeavor to make a few boxes specifically for roosting.

So what makes a good roost box? I believe there are four attributes to a warm roost.

Unlike a nesting box that needs to be well ventilated and sheltered at the bottom, a roosting box must retain heat by eliminating drafts. Since heat rises, a top entrance is never ideal and any openings, including a minimal number of ventilation holes, always should be situated at the bottom of the box. Use wood as nonporous and thick as possible.

Roosting boxes can be made for specific species by using entrance hole specs accordingly, but the overall size of the box ought to be larger. Inside the box, install multiple dowel perches. The more birds it can accommodate the better.

Birds survive the cold in several ways. One very effective strategy is huddling, which collectively generates heat build-up in the box. My downy woodpecker prefers to roost alone as many species do. I filled his box with saw dust and moss to improve its insulation. Roosting boxes can be purchased, too. The good ones have the attributes mentioned above.

So, as we approach the uncertainty of this new year, consider helping birds survive the winter with a warm roost and provide yourself a special moment of peace that you can count on at the end of the day. It is these finer moments that make birding a unique experience.

Robert Tougias is a Colchester-based birding author. He is available for presentations. You can email him your birding questions at rtougias@snet.net.