Juvenile Downy Woodpecker at the nestbox
When we put up this nestbox last winter, we thought that either a House Sparrow or starling would take it. (which would be nice, first come first serve) Since we put it up several birds have considered it, chickadees, starlings, and now a woodpecker. He would bang on the birdhouse, widen the opening, then go and collect wood chips from the fence, then he would return and put them in the birdhouse. I read that some birds have their oldest brood to help make the nest and take care of the new babies. This is the second time that a Downy has been in our backyard and now we might have a nest! We aren’t going to go near the box until they (hopefully) have a nest since birds can abandon their unfinished nests but are very unlikely to abandon eggs or young.