On Sat, 28 Aug 1999, spitler wrote:

> They also harass the Steller's Jays, but the flicker/kestrel interaction
> is much more common.

I have to think that maybe, just maybe, the two have run afoul of one
another come nesting time when the kestrels are investigating good
cavities and peering in and finding a flicker. Maybe the kestels have
even tried to drive away the flicker before it was done excavating.
I know that such an encounter would occur much earlier in spring but
maybe that's where the adversarial relationship begins and then
picks up again after the busy child-rearing season comes to a close.

Just guessing.

Kelly McAllister