Greetings,
I am a longtime visitor to birdforum, but only recently registered. I'm creating this thread in the hope that your collective expertise can help with a bird question I have at my home. Here goes (I'll try to be quick):
I live in a cedar-sided house in a mixed, open woodland of Northwestern Montana. There are several small lakes nearby, so the birding here is marvelous! Anyway, I've had a terrible time with Flickers damaging my siding. I mean terrible. (It's the same kind of thing that has been written about elsewhere.) It occurred to me recently that maybe I could find ways to increase the local Merlin population by encouraging them to nest close to the house (thus keeping my flickers away -- one way or another). I have heard that Merlins and nest boxes don't typically go together, but maybe some of you have experience with this. There are Kestrels nearby -- but not typically close to the house -- and I understand that they will gladly take to next boxes. I'm not sure if a Kestrel would actually set its gaze on a Flicker, but in any event, these are ideas born out of utter desperation. Does anyone have any thoughts?
Many thanks!
I am a longtime visitor to birdforum, but only recently registered. I'm creating this thread in the hope that your collective expertise can help with a bird question I have at my home. Here goes (I'll try to be quick):
I live in a cedar-sided house in a mixed, open woodland of Northwestern Montana. There are several small lakes nearby, so the birding here is marvelous! Anyway, I've had a terrible time with Flickers damaging my siding. I mean terrible. (It's the same kind of thing that has been written about elsewhere.) It occurred to me recently that maybe I could find ways to increase the local Merlin population by encouraging them to nest close to the house (thus keeping my flickers away -- one way or another). I have heard that Merlins and nest boxes don't typically go together, but maybe some of you have experience with this. There are Kestrels nearby -- but not typically close to the house -- and I understand that they will gladly take to next boxes. I'm not sure if a Kestrel would actually set its gaze on a Flicker, but in any event, these are ideas born out of utter desperation. Does anyone have any thoughts?
Many thanks!
