When I got to the house I checked the agave stalk that I had placed on the carport. Lo and behold, it had a woodpecker hole in it.
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| On north side with shade on the south and west. Ideal nest site. |
However, of the three new holes in the new agave stalks, none had any depth to them. A Ladder-backed usually digs its nest 7-14 inches deep. So what is going on? My theory is that they already have their nest for this year, so may be starting one for next year to signal to other LBWOs that that spot is taken. They don't usually use the same hole again, so multiple holes make sense. But why not finish it? My theory is that by making the hole now, before rainy season, the hole will fill with water, causing the soft stuff inside to decay. The decay will attract insects and larva. So, once the spot is reserved, no need to remove the pith or center. And by leaving it, it'll provide many a tasty meal. Kind of like a sapsucker makes "wells" in live trees that bleed sap into them, which the sapsucker gets many good meals from.
But now I'm wondering how I know there's no depth. They're all above my head. Tomorrow I'm going to get a ladder and check closer.
I did some watering today, after I finished with the parking area. The gnats were horrible! That's good for the birds, of course. Most of the wildflowers have gone to seed, or are drying up, but the penstemons and Cedar Sage still look fresh.
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| Havard Penstemon (Penstemon havardii) |
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| Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana) |
I love red tubular flowers! And lots of Rainbow Cactus (Echinocereus dayacanthus) blooming.
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