Date:         Fri, 1 Mar 2002 19:36:36 -0500
Reply-To:     Carol Lambert or Jeff Sewell <lambertsewell@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Carol Lambert or Jeff Sewell <lambertsewell@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Nest site competitions
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

This subject has been often on my mind lately. While cleaning out wood duck
boxes at the Wetlands Center this week, we found 2 squirrels nesting and 1
raccoon sleeping...no big deal. If you leave the door open a few days, the
squirrels will leave; and the raccoon's welcome to it.

Here's the bigger deal. We have a tall, mostly dead willow near our deck
where a red-bellied
woodpecker has recently taken up residence in a nice-looking hole. Early
yesterday morning I saw the woodpecker in the hole, head out and calling.
The
bird seemed real happy, as were we in anticipation of watching it nest there
through coming weeks. Later in the morning Jeff heard the woodpecker calling
pitifully nearby, and as he watched, a starling stuck its head out of the
hole.
There were a few other starlings nearby. We witnessed this same saga a few
years ago in a neighbor's tree, as both species chased each other in and out
of the hole over several days. It was resolved during a stormy night when
the tree disappeared behind the house, hopefully with the starling
well-ensconced.  Although I see woodpeckers and starlings vie for habitat
all the time at the Wetlands Center...I don't live at the Wetlands Center.
This morning two starlings flew out of the hole. Hopefully, the red-bellied
is still hanging around and will again take up residence should the
starlings not return.

Carol Lambert
Tucker (DeKalb Co.), GA
lambertsewell@mindspring.com