Dying Chinese Windmill Palm Tree...?

I have 2 Chinese Windmills right next to each other. One is doing great, the other...
not so much. They are both about 5 feet of trunk, planted at the same time (1 year ago August), and in the same conditions (they are about 5 feet apart). The one that is dying (at least I think it is), has no new growth coming out of the middle of it. As the old growth dies off, we are cutting it back, but nothing new is growing. OK, here's where it gets strange. Every week or so, we look in the top to see if any new growth is coming forth. We never see any new growth, but what we DO find are dead geckos! Only one at a time, but we've found about 4 or 5 of them. I'm not sure if a bird is putting them there, or if they keep crawling up there, and then die? Is the tree killing the geckos, or are the geckos killing the tree? Or does the tree have an unrelated disease? Has anyone else heard of this?

Thanks!

 

My guess would be food storage by jays, most likely Western Scrub Jay in San Diego.

 

So how can I keep them out?

And does that have anything to do with the tree dying?

 

They're using the tree because of the shape it has due to whatever is bothering it. Figure out how to make it better and the birds will stop stuffing goodies into it.

Of course, if they were trying to bring you stocking stuffers they will stop soon anyway as the holiday season is over.

 

What is the root ball condition for the Palm?
.

If it is completely bone dry you may have your answer...

 

It's on the same watering system as the other. The only difference between the two is that one (the one that is dying) is at the top of a slope, planted on totally flat ground. The other one is 1/2 way down the slope, but doing quite well. We actually give the other one extra water by hose about 2X a week. It doesn't seem to make a difference. I'm thinking that if it were diseased, it would affect them both, being that they are so close together. So maybe it's just the tree? Or something in the soil?

Other than knowing that we water the two the same, how can I tell what the condition of the root ball is?

 

A most daunting task is to investigate the root ball of any large plant. The massive ball of spaghetti like roots of a palm , detest being disturbed... If it has dried out completely, the tree is lost, on the other hand over watering could rot the base... So many variables and influences that affect a plant, it is difficult to factor in what the cause is, without monitoring it.

 

Palms can be transplanted in very large sizes.