This tree dwarfed the house
Our gargantuan tulip poplar was damaged by lightning some years ago and the rot had finally become so extensive that we realized it was time to take it down. This huge tree had been our air conditioning and provided nesting spots for many birds and animals. I know the flickers and red-bellied woodpeckers had been looking again this year for good locations and even seen the red-belly begin excavating. I’d also noticed that our summer bats seem to come out of that tree in the evening so I felt we had to provide alternate housing for these three species, at least.
The flickers require a 2.5 to 3″ hole and the red-bellies, 2.5 so I have two nest boxes on order for those sized boxes. I was given a bat house a few weeks ago (how lucky is that??) so it only had to be painted and mounted. Here in New England the bat houses are painted black (water based non-toxic paint) as the bats prefer warm temperatures. The inside needs to be rough or grooved so they can grip and it needs to have a landing plate at the bottom. There are many good sources on the internet giving specifics and plans. It is best to mount it on the south side of a building so they get the morning sun to warm them. The house should be in a location that has few branches nearby to prevent predators from accessing the house. We mounted ours on the side of the barn and are hoping for residents. Here is a picture of the mounted bat house. If any of you have experience with them and see problems that might limit our success, please let me know.
With so much help, the project is sure to succeed
We have mounted it with high hopes
A Naturalist's Table 
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