On May 21, 1:28 pm, "Geoff" wrote:
I wonder if the bluetits visit a peanut dispenser? If they do, I expect
the
nest box smells of peanuts. I suppose there's a possibility that the
woodpecker can smell peanuts in the box and is trying to get to them.

Perfumed spray might deter it!!!

Geoff

I couldn't smell any peanut to be on the safe side, I sprayed Chanel
No. 5 on the roof.

Judith

Probably not a good move. That is alien to the parent birds as well as
the
woodpecker. It takes birds a while to get used to new things, so leave
the
basket on and leave the best well alone but I'd wipe off the perfume
first.


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)



Most birds - truly, almost all - do not have a well-developed sense of
smell, so spraying things or having "eau de peanut" leftover from other
birds isn't going to make a difference.

The person who told Judith that "it's nature" is absolutely correct. It
isn't always pretty, but there is a reason animals and birds do what they
do. Tits would overpopulate and suffer if other animals and birds did not
naturally keep their populations in check. The exception is cats/dogs.
They are now domesticated and are NOT natural predators, so allowing them to
prey on birds and small mammals is not nature.

I agree - leave the situation alone. Spraying perfume probably does more
harm to the birds you're trying to protect than it does the birds you're
trying to chase.

Judy B