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Another Spring is here along with yet another attempt to rent the bird house on the old Manitoba Maple tree. Many years ago, I built two oversized boxes in the hope that Eastern Screech owls would nest in them. No dice! Each winter the owls do use them for roosting and as a larder but they are not satisfied with the location for raising a family. Too public, perhaps? 

Anyway, White-Breasted Nuthatches always show a keen interest in one box in particular. Unfortunately, every year they are out-competed by squirrels and/or European Starlings. This Spring I decided to lend the nuthatches a hand by customizing the box just for them. I made a new front with a smaller box to fit inside the larger box. All of the books and websites I consulted said that the entrance hole should be 1 1/4 inches wide for White-Breasted Nuthatches. So I drilled to this measurement and attached a squirrel proof metal guard, which was also 1 1/4 inches wide.

Custom built for my White-Breasted Nuthatch friends.

Up the fourteen foot ladder and installation completed.

The metal guard means "Squirrels Need Not Apply".

The small opening means "Starlings Need Not Apply".

The faux-bark is a bit cheesy, but the interior is brand new! Do have a look!

Days went by and I only saw one nuthatch, after much struggle, enter the refurbished box. Shortly after, it struggled equally hard to exit. I took a video of another nuthatch trying and failing to enter. Obviously, my resident 'McNutties' are too large for that diameter.

The following video clearly shows that the recommended entrance size is just too small!

So, up the ladder again, and down with the box for alteration. I enlarged the hole a little and added a 1 1/2 inch center metal guard. I also removed the perch. Bingo! The McNutties love it! I expect they will be moving their furniture (bits of bark) in soon.

Enlarged the entrance to 1 3/8 inch diameter. The guard's center is 1 1/2 inch wide.

A prospective tenant checks the alteration.

Hm-m-m, it does seems roomier!

A flash of chestnut coloured nickers shows he's fitting in.

After a few minutes of inspecting the interior, he emerges.

"I love it! Of course, the missus will have the final say."

Going Nutty

Last summer, I left one of my screech owl boxes unaltered. A pair of starlings moved in and raised a family. This year, a pair of white-breasted nuthatches have put an early claim on the box. Because they have kept me company over winter and because they are just so darned cute, I've given them my tenancy blessing. I think of them as the 'McNutty' couple.

Starlings have now returned from the south and want to re-nest in that box. I intervened. On went my home made starling excluder.

Sorry Mr. Starling, but I'm leasing to other tenants this year.

The female of the 'McNutty' pair is happy with the addition.

Starlings can no longer enter the box and the nuthatches are happy. Business as usual, right? Wrong!

Soon, a gray squirrel made her intentions known by chewing out a larger opening. Arh-h! Back to the drawing board!

A gray squirrel decided to enlarge the entrance and move in.

I shooed her away and installed a new excluder, this time covered in wire mesh. To prevent injury to the McNutty couple, I applied a thick coating of hot glue over the sharp points of the entrance cut-out.

The addition of wire mesh appears to be keeping out the squirrels.

I thought it looked neat and it felt smooth and comfortable to my fingers. But despite good intentions, the McNutty pair were not happy. They still entered the box but pecked compulsively at the rim of glue, trying to remove it.

Mr. McNutty tried in vain to remove the rim of glue.

Back to the drawing board! With a brushing of rubbing alcohol, the glue rim came off cleanly. In it's place I nailed down a small circle of wood.

A new wooden porch protects against sharp wires.

Within minutes, Mrs. McNutty inspects and approves the upgrade.

The McNutty House

Many years ago, I constructed two nest boxes suitable for Screech-owls. Except for this past winter, the owls have been using the boxes but only for winter daytime roosting and for storing food items, never for brooding.

Instead, starlings and squirrels have used these oversized bird houses for nesting. Lately, a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches have decided that one of the boxes suits them well enough to move in. From the window over my kitchen sink, I watch them bringing bark shreds and other nesting material into the box. The male, especially in the early morning, declares his home ownership by an upside-down, wind-up toy sort of territorial dance, all the while sweeping his bill in wide arcs. They are a very cute couple. I call them the McNuttys.

For staying home and keeping me company throughout the winter, I reward them with suet cakes. Handouts of black oil seeds and peanuts are regular menu items. They are loyal customers.

White-breasted nuthatches have moved into this box, intended for screech owls.

The female will lay from three to ten eggs. One brood per year.

The bird on the roof is delivering a beakful of bark shreds.

It seems like a rather large house for such a small bird.

He is about to take off for the lunch counter.

The lunch counter. He uses take-out and will likely bring some home to Mrs. McNutty.

Get Well Soon

Yesterday I noticed a male white-breasted nuthatch acting strangely. It was fluffed and clinging by only one foot to the perch of a roost box for hours. A healthy wild bird should not be so inactive during the day. Finally, it flew to another box. As the wind was gusty with snow squalls, it seemed to be seeking a wind break. Meanwhile, a female of it's species lingered nearby. Was she a relative or perhaps his mate? Later in the afternoon the injured bird flew to a feeder and ate some peanut pieces and black oil seeds. It's right leg was not bearing any weight and it teetered about. So, at least it could fly and forage. A downy woodpecker landed on the same feeder platform and the little nuthatch gamely stretched a wing in threat. Not a candidate for a human's rescue but still a bit worrisome when nature demands that only the fit will survive. Today this bird is much more active and I hope it's injured leg or foot will heal quickly. 

 

An injured male white-breasted nuthatch.

A female stays close by.

Unable to put weight on it's right side, but still taking meals.

Hope you recover soon, little one.

Not everyone has your best interests at heart!