Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:169058


"Malcolm Ogilvie" wrote in message
...
:
: In article , Malcolm Ogilvie
: writes
:
: In article , K
: writes
:
: : In article , K
: : writes
: :
: : "Malcolm Ogilvie" wrote in message
: : ...
: : :
: : There's a dead tree in the road almost opposite my house and a Great
Spot
: : has been making a hole. It was there for about 6 days and then
: disappeared,
: : so we thought it had abandoned it but it was seen again one day last
: week.
: : It seems a topsy turvy time for nest building.
: :
: : Ah, but it isn't, or only indirectly. Woodpeckers roost in holes in
the
: : wintertime and need to excavate some extra ones when there aren't
enough
: : natural or existing nest holes to go round. Some autumn-bored holes
may
: : be used as nest holes the following summer but many will only be used
in
: : winter.
:
: I'm in SW London where we have 3500 or so ring necked parakeets and it
is
: thought that they take over to the nesting holes of other birds, so
perhaps
: this could be another reason for it happening. We are now regularly
getting
: up to 6 RNPs on our bird feeders.
:
: They certainly are competing for nesting holes and, unlike the
: woodpeckers, can't make their own.
:
: Quick follow up to my own post as it got away from me before I had
: finished!
:
: They can and do enlarge existing holes, but don't seem to excavate their
: own from scratch.
:
: --
: Malcolm Ogilvie

I gather they have been taking over owl nests and are becoming a problem in
that respect.

K