Downy woodpecker H.U.D.

There is at least one pair of resident downy woodpeckers in and around the yard. I even found their nest two years back in a dead tree across Thornton creek. They moved out shortly after I found it and I thought it was because they didn’t like anyone knowing where they were. The tree blew down a week later so I guess they just knew that tree’s number was up.

I really wanted them nesting nearby again and I wanted some more generic bird boxes to I bought some cedar bird houses on Ebay. The holes are too big for most of the birds I want but just right for downy woodpeckers if I can get them to accept the design. Woodpeckers like deep(er) nestboxes.

Out front is a really great but really dead tree. It’s got southern exposure and is quite tall.

Meanwhile, a visitor watches the progress

He took a duck in the face at 250 knots.

So, the trick is to make the birds feel more at home. A good way to do this is to stuff the bird box with wood chips. That way they feel more like they’re excavating a natural nest and other birds are less likely to snatch up the real estate.

Since trees fall down here left, right, and center it was a 10 pace trek to find some hatchet fodder. Once the house was loosely stuffed to the hole-level it went up the ladder, about 17" high.

And if you haven’t seen these woodpeckers before, here is one below; the resident female. They are the smallest woodpeckers in North America (maybe in the world, I’m not sure) and I really hope the new box entices the pair, or even a new pair, to settle down and raise a brood (3-6 eggs). (Google for downy woodpeckers.)