I have had a nesting box that has been used by blue tits for the lat 8 or so years. I clean it out every year and look forward to the return of them. yesterday I noticed that the hole had been enlarged on a verical direction and was about 40 mm high. Today it has been made into a large vertical slot. The total hole is now approx 60mm or more. Has anyone an idea as to what may have made this hole. It looks as though I will not be having any blue tits nesting this year. BOOHOO!
woodpecker!!!
No I dea sorry...
however ermmm buy/make another box ........ < blue tits... problem solved..
Welcome Schlampy!
Could well be a woodpecker... how about fitting a nest box hole plate on this one or the replacement box?http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&q=nest+box+hole+plate&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=O4hxS8qyNJDw0gTajOyuCw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CB0QrQQwAg
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
Welcome to the forum Schlampy!
There could be a number of reasons behind the hole been bigger a woodpecker, squirrel or even a member of the tit family could be likely culprits.
I'm involved with at least 5 next box schemes which totals hundreds of nest boxes that I check each year, the main culprit for damaging them is the Grey Squirrel!
Fitting a nest box hole plate as MarJus recommends saves time and money, you can easily make your own if you have a sheet of thin metal. Tin or Aluminium works best!
Regards Buzzard
Nature Is Amazing - Let Us Keep It That Way
We have to fit hole plates on all our nest boxes as the squirrels damage them every year.
I don't! LOL
Hi Schlampy and welcome to the forum!
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Hi Schlampy,
Welcome on board the forum, and good luck with your blue tits.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Sorry Schlampy, I didn't say Hello !
Hi Schlampy, and welcome.
Putting metal around the hole should stop who's doing it, as it was said in early post.
May mean a new box if it's to big an hole now, or just replace the front part.
Hey farmer, farmer, put away the D.D.T now. Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees, please!
It is in fact a Great spotted woodpecker.I caught him on my peanut feeder then it flew to te said nest box (on which I had put on a new front with a metal plate). It looked, and you could almost see it saying oh! no what has happened. It then flew over to another of my nesting boxes and promptly started to beat the hole in that one.
many thanks for all the replys
Regards
Schlampy
Hi Schlampy , glad you have discovered the culprit! Looks as if you'll be needing to fit more metal plates to your other nestboxes now though!
Millie & Fly the Border Collies