<div dir="ltr"><div>I have found that downys peck the hole guards on my chickadee houses in the fall. I take the guards off and they move in for roosting in winter. In Spring, they vacate again and I put the guards back on.</div><div>Sue on Melody Lake</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 20, 2016 at 5:43 PM, Jim Fitzpatrick via Mnbird <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mnbird@lists.mnbird.net" target="_blank">mnbird@lists.mnbird.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div>My theory on Woodpeckers is this. Young of the year birds are quickly becoming self sufficient but do not know all oif the tricks the adults use to tell which wood to peck on, At this time of year insects are getting scarce and tough to find. Youngsters are pecking on everything they can find to see if there are insects inside. This includes siding and bird houses and eaves and chimneys and telephone poles and everything to find something to eat. If they find something under your siding, Oh boy, look out because they will not quit doing it no matter what you do.<br><br></div>Jim Fitzpatrick<br></div>Emeritus Executive Director<br></div>Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center<br><br></div><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 20, 2016 at 4:26 PM, DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mnbird@lists.mnbird.net" target="_blank">mnbird@lists.mnbird.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt;color:#000000">I have one that just made a new hole on a chickadee house just below the metal guard that protected the 1 1/8 in hole. I don't know why they do it, they just do. They have wrecked dozens of bird houses over the years. I am going to replace this one next spring with one of those houses made from composites. That will be the end of that (I hope). As for now, the male downy is happily going into the house every twilight for a good night's sleep. It's kind of like the old Outhouse joke, it has more status because it's a two-holer.<div><br></div><div>Don Grusing</div><div>Minnetonka<br><br><hr id="m_-6950136767506879103m_-211603411873489771zwchr"><div style="color:#000;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><b>From: </b>"Betsy Kerr via Mnbird" <<a href="mailto:mnbird@lists.mnbird.net" target="_blank">mnbird@lists.mnbird.net</a>><br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:mnbird@lists.mnbird.net" target="_blank">mnbird@lists.mnbird.net</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Thursday, October 20, 2016 1:32:23 PM<br><b>Subject: </b>[Mnbird] woodpeckers pecking question<br><br><div dir="ltr"><div>Woodpeckers are currently pecking large holes in my sister's cedar-sided home in Pennsylvania, as they do every Spring and Fall. At the same time, a male Downy WP has been continually pecking every morning on the face of one of our Bluebird houses (including on the metal hole guard). A female--I presume, his partner--has regularly roosted in the past in this box, as well as in the other one in our yard. My question is, why do they peck on a birdhouse like this in the Fall? </div><br clear="all"><div><div class="m_-6950136767506879103m_-211603411873489771gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Betsy Kerr</div><div>Golden Valley<br></div></div></div></div>
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