A Woodpecker’s House.
There is an army of interesting birds called creepers, sapsuckers, and woodpeckers, which no one has, apparently, thought of providing with homes, yet it is not difficult to suit the woodpeckers with houses.
A substitute for their favorite rotten tree or stump may be made of a sound piece of timber. The log may be squared or rounded, as in nature (Fig. 43). Saw off the bottom so that the log may set upright, then trim off the top end wedge-shaped, to shed the rain or to receive a roof, which will still further protect it from the weather.
Next saw a deep cut as shown by the dotted line, a, b. With a large-sized auger bore a number of holes in the face of the log; these holes must be bored deep enough to leave a slight indentation in the main part of the log after the piece, a, b, c, d, has been removed.
After the holes are bored begin at c, d and saw to a, b (Fig. 43), and lift off the piece a, b, c, d (Fig. 45).
With chisel and gouge cut out the nest holes. Make them about eight inches deep, as shown in Fig. 44. Fig. 47 gives a cross-section of the hole, showing it to be of the same form as those made by the birds themselves, in George Washington’s head, or the old stump in the woods.
The Perforated Door
may now be replaced and spiked to the log, and the roof (Fig. 46) nailed on the top, which will complete the woodpecker’s home.
A better plan than spiking the door in place is to hang it on hinges, as shown in Fig. 46.