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My camera equipped nestbox had 5 surviving blue tits which were close to fledging. Yesterday morning as I was about to leave the house for a dental appointment I saw a Great-spotted Woodpecker attacking the hole of the box. Hastily, I found an old wire mesh hanging basket which I positioned over the box. When I returned home I found the woodpecker had managed to get through the mesh and had enlarged the hole. There were still three surviving chicks at that stage. I found a second basket which I placed over the previous one. Surely I thought the woodpecker couldn't get through both.
The following morning I awoke to this scene.
The hole had been enlarged to what you can see and the nesting material dragged out but retained in the basket. Amazingly, one chick had survived still in the nesting material but outside the box.
I decided to leave it alone rather than trying to put it back in the box as the parents were still feeding it. Later, it left the nest and hid in the shrubbery with the parents still feeding it. I was pretty devastated but I'm hopeful that at least one chick has survived. Needless to say GSW's are not my favourite bird of the day (sorry Chris).
Lesson learnt is that I should have fitted a metal plate over the hole although whether this would have stopped the woodpecker attacking an unprotected part of the box is debatable. One of the problems is that these boxes are made from cedarwood. Although these are weather resistant they are soft and no challenge to a woodpecker's sharp bill.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
how sad and how shocking that even the wire basket didn't stop him
So sad :-( At least you did all you could to protect them, must have been a very determined woodpecker!
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
If my woodies are anything to go by, they're desperate to find food for their young. Aren't there predator proof boxes made of concrete or something like with a fancy name? Chris (Woodpecker) mentioned them once, I believe. I think metal plates do help, or so I've read and heard. I am so sorry TeeJay:-( A nasty business.
Yeah, they're called Woodcrete nestboxes, pricy but apparently pretty good at putting off predators like woodpeckers.
Oh thats terrible TeeJay ...i've lost mine too the nest has been abandoned just leaving eggs and one parent the male i think looking really lost :-( ....its really upsetting as we tend to temporarily adopt them into our fold and make them our own
Regards Kimbo
Feeling More Positive :-)
Oh TJ, that really is a disaster. Those poor parents after all their hard work. I really hope the last little chick survives - you should call him Solo I think. I know how you must feel, too. When you can see them through the camera day in, day out, they do sort of become yours, and you want them to stay safe. I know the woodpecker will also have mouths to feed and you can't really blame him, but right now I bet you could shoot him. Oh well, lessons learnt I suppose, but in a very distessing way. I have always wished for woodpeckers in my garden. I'm not so sure now!
Cheers, Linda.
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I toyed with the idea of a camera nestbox but having seen just how many chicks die in the nest on things like Springwatch I'm afraid I woosed out thinking, I'd rather not know - pathetic, I know. I know it happens a lot but I'd simply rather not witness it. I comfort myself by thinking that I've saved a small fortune on camera nestboxes:-) A bit like when I see my wrinkled old mush I comfort myself by how much I've saved on cosmetics over the decades - spent it on bird food instead:-)
Thanks everyone for your sympathy. I was pretty upset at the time but nature is red in tooth and claw (and bill) and I've come to terms with it. The camera box has been up for two years but this was the first time anything had nested in it. Having followed the blue tit's activity from starting to build the nest way back at the end of Feb to finally laying 10 eggs and then seeing the babies go from red blobs to almost fledging I was feeling quite paternalistic.
Sorry, Kimbo, that your nest was abandoned. Sounds as though one of the birds met an untimely end and the remaining one gave up. I know what you mean, Kezsmum, it's almost better not to know what's happening.
I did know about the woodcrete boxes. They are expensive and you can't (as far as I know) put a camera inside . It's something I might use elsewhere in the garden now that the Woodie is such a regular visitor.
Sparrow, if you don't have GSW's at least you won't have to worry about your nestbox being attacked if something does eventually decide to nest in it.
Meanwhile I've got a repair job to do and see how I can reinforce it ready for next Spring.
Oh TJ that is so upsetting. Someone advised us to put the metal plates on the boxes and touch wood we have had no bother since.They may nest again though so a plate would surfice for now
Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. ~ Mark Twain
JudiM said:Oh TJ that is so upsetting. Someone advised us to put the metal plates on the boxes and touch wood we have had no bother since.
Thanks Judi. I should have done what you suggest. Silly of me because I knew the risks.
Here's the culprit but I don't hold any grudges. He was just doing what comes naturally. He's getting so bold that he's coming to the fat block hanging just outside the kitchen window. I guess he and his lady are feeding chicks somewhere near.