Subject: nest box usage
Date: Dec 09 12:25:00 1997
From: "Rob Conway" - robin_conway at hotmail.com


Hi Tweeters,

Russell Link wrote:

*I'm interested in communicating with people who can confirm nest box
*usage by the following birds in WA, OR, and southern B.C: hooded
*merganser, common merganser, common goldeneye, barrow's
*goldeneye, flicker, piliated woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy
*woodpecker.
-------
Russell,

I had hairy woodpeckers use a nestbox in my backyard in Bellevue, WA
(which backs up to/blends in with a city greenbelt) last spring. I only
saw 1 nestling. This nestling did hang around and use suet feeders for
about a month after leaving the box. The nestbox was hung about 12' up
on a live alder of about 10" diameter. I have seen none of the birds
since about August 15.

In a previous location in Bellevue I had flickers use a nestbox. They
successfully raised at least 3 and I think 4 chicks. The nestbox was
put up primarily as a defense mechanism on my part as the adults had
"chosen" my house (3 stories with a big south facing wall) as a
hammering/potential nesting site and I wanted to entice them away. The
box was placed about 15 feet up on a tall cedar snag (24" diameter) that
was largely hollow. Thank goodness this worked as having a flicker
start territorial hammering on chimney flashing at 6:00 am in late March
is no fun at all. I put flashing over the wood roof of the nestbox and
it made a great noise, satisfying the full needs of these entertaining
guys, fraying only nerves and not me eaves. I also have friends in
Shelton, WA who have had Flickers in their nest boxes.

I am working on attracting piliated's to a box. There is a breeding
pair in my current neighborhood. For two years running I have had both
adults and juveniles visiting cedar and fir stumps / deadwood in my
backyard,and twice come to my suet feeders. These birds frequent an
alder snag in which I plan to place a nestbox of sufficient dimensions
to attract them...or owls, or ???? I'll let you know if I have any
luck.

Rob Conway
Cougar Mtn - Bellevue, WA

robin_conway at hotmail.com

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