GS Woodpecker wrecking our owl box!

[werdnal]

We put up an owl box last January (Christmas pressie from me to hubby). Sadly no owls have shown an interest yet, although we have a pair of Tawnys nearby who have been doing a lot of territorial calling recently, so we live in hope.

However, we have had a couple of Greater Spotteds visiting our bird feeders regularly over the last few weeks, and one is now drumming on the outside of our owl box. He loves it as its hollow so makes a lovely loud noise. Noticed today he has begun to damage the outside of the box, so we hope he doesn't put any prospective tenants off. Don't think the GSW's are likely to nest in it themselves.

Hubby just looked up the dimensions for a Woodpecker box and hoping to knock one up in the morning. We have a field in front of the house and plenty of large trees to put it in. Anyone had any success with Woodies nesting in boxes? Suggestion is to put a rotten log inside to give them something to dig out.

Only hope we can deter him from wrecking the owl box completely as it wasn't cheap!

[Jason Green]

Evening Werdnal,

I wonder if you could nail/screw some perspex panels over the sides of the nesting box? When the Woodpeckers realise it isn't wood - though we know it is underneath - they may give up trying to hollow it out seeing as though they must think it's a tree trunk. The sensation of impact would be different, and hopefully they'd then leave it to the Owls!

Interesting idea RE Woodpecker nesting boxes. I've just read a site saying that it could be good to fill the finished product with woodchips, so they have to excavate it the way they would in the wild. Stands to reason in my opinion!

Good luck

Take care,

Jason

[werdnal]

I was appalled to find on a couple of the so called "wildlife" sites we went on to find woodpecker box dimensions, suggest filling it with expended polystyrene to allow the woodies to hollow it out. That stuff is evil - how anyone could suggest putting it out in a natural environment is beyond me.

[Dogghound]

The woodpecker is infact trying to attract a mate, the box is perfect for its sound to echo around. This is common in late winter and early spring when a mate is aquired this behaviour will stop. They usually do this on trees etc. It should not put off the owls, keep an eye out as most start nesting around late feb-early march.

[snowdrop]

A site I visit (streaming cams) has a pair of owls seriously thinking about this years future bundles of fluff. They are spending a lot of time in the nest box, so if the season really has started, the woodies may deter any owls interested in your box, I don't know, what do you think?

[werdnal]

Thanks for replies.

Hubby made woody nest box and before he put it up this morning, he thought he'd get the ladder out and check the "damage" to the owl box. Climbed up and was surprised to see sticks inside the entrance. Investigated a bit further and could see a load of moss at the end of the box. Then he realised it was moving. Was thinking perhaps a mouse, when a whiskered nose appeared from inside the moss - bl**dy big mouse, he thought, then came face to face with a rather miffed squirrel! Both squirrel and hubby made swift exits in opposite directions!

He said the nest is well established, so obviously our little furry friend has set-up home, probably during the recent snowy weather, and settled himself in. Can't imagine how noisy it must be with the woody regularly drumming on the outside, but luckily the damage to the box is minimal.

We have now put up the woody box on a tree opposite the owl box one. Not sure whether they will use it, but a couple years ago, the local electricity company put up woody decoys on a new power pole they put in, and when we looked at the old one on the ground, it was neatly hollowed out. This was only about quarter of a mile away from us, so could be possible!

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

The woodpecker is infact trying to attract a mate, the box is perfect for its sound to echo around. This is common in late winter and early spring when a mate is aquired this behaviour will stop. They usually do this on trees etc. It should not put off the owls, keep an eye out as most start nesting around late feb-early march.

I've currently got two woodies in the wood across the road from me, both have got superbly resonant trees very close to each other, and they are trying to out do each other ... great duet. I hope the females are as impressed as I am ...

I think I might also have a lesser woodpecker drumming nearby, but I haven't seen it yet. It certainly has a different technique from the other two. I've only seen a lesser pecker twice, and I was amazed how small they are. Both were on the edges of a winter roving tit party, and about the same size as a great tit.

[werdnal]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

I've currently got two woodies in the wood across the road from me, both have got superbly resonant trees very close to each other, and they are trying to out do each other ... great duet. I hope the females are as impressed as I am ...

Are you sure they are both males, as I always thought both sexes drum, so the duet you are hearing could be a pair.