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Post by 950nancy on Feb 10, 2019 21:25:59 GMT
We have had one come around every spring for several years. He doesn't peck at the trees. He pecks at the pipes on the houses. Not sure what is wrong with him.
According to US Fish and Wildlife: "Woodpeckers peck into trees in search of food or to create a nesting site. They also "drum," or peck in a rapid rhythmic succession to establish their territory and attract mates. Drumming usually occurs in the spring on metal or wood resonant surfaces" www.fws.gov/nevada/nv_species/urban_wildlife/woodpecker.htmThanks! I guess he was lonely. So good to know there wasn't something wrong with him. I am guessing he can't keep a lady pecker if he does this every spring. When it happens again this spring I'll look like a smarty pants for knowing. |
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lurkyloo
Full Member
Posts: 284
Dec 5, 2018 6:53:08 GMT
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Post by lurkyloo on Feb 10, 2019 21:33:57 GMT
I saw the picture and thought, good lordt, someone shot at you! 😂
We have one chopping away at a sugar maple, but it’s nothing like that. What kind of tree is that?
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Post by bc2ca on Feb 10, 2019 21:34:43 GMT
That's pretty amazing! We have acorn woodpeckers around here who peck little holes into trees, utility poles, fences, etc., for acorn storage. It is pretty wild the first time you see it.  |
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Post by Patter on Feb 10, 2019 21:39:56 GMT
I saw the picture and thought, good lordt, someone shot at you! 😂 We have one chopping away at a sugar maple, but it’s nothing like that. What kind of tree is that? Oh my word, that is hilarious! And the tree is a Poplar tree. I just went out and found two more holes. I don't know if he came back or if I missed them the first time since I was looking at the tree from a different angle. You should see the wood on the ground! And if anyone didn't look, these birds are 16"-19" long! Yep huge! |
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Post by refugeepea on Feb 10, 2019 21:41:23 GMT
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Post by 950nancy on Feb 10, 2019 22:03:16 GMT
I saw the picture and thought, good lordt, someone shot at you! 😂 We have one chopping away at a sugar maple, but it’s nothing like that. What kind of tree is that? Oh my word, that is hilarious! And the tree is a Poplar tree. I just went out and found two more holes. I don't know if he came back or if I missed them the first time since I was looking at the tree from a different angle. You should see the wood on the ground! And if anyone didn't look, these birds are 16"-19" long! Yep huge! Some construction guys came into our school years ago and drilled in our hallway walls for the internet. The drilled in the wrong place. So we had a series of small holes (maybe 2 inches) about 7 feet above the ground. I bought small fake birds and nests and put them in the holes for fun. I'd suggest something similar. Might freak out the pecker though. |
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Post by flanz on Feb 10, 2019 22:05:20 GMT
Wow! TFS! I've seen woodpeckers but none that can do that kind of damage! Your poor deck!
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tanya2
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1604
Posts: 4,414 
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Post by tanya2 on Feb 10, 2019 22:35:34 GMT
from the title of your post alone I was hoping it would be Beyonce the chicken...
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Post by librarylady on Feb 10, 2019 23:06:01 GMT
We have hairy woodpeckers. Last year we watched one carve out a hole for a nest, then bring his bride and raise 2 little ones.
We were very lucky to see them take the little ones out of the nest and send them on their way to adulthood. One parent flew along with each fledgling. We are hoping they will return, but I don't know if the bird will reuse the nest location or not.
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Sue
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,234
Location: SE of Portland, Oregon
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Post by Sue on Feb 10, 2019 23:14:45 GMT
We have a piliated woodpecker who visits us once or twice a season but doesn't hang around for long and doesn't bother the trees very much. Definitely not like yours... ouch! Other than that we have several varieties of woodpeckers around here... downy, hairy (hard to tell those two apart) sapsuckers etc.
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Feb 10, 2019 23:35:56 GMT
We have had one come around every spring for several years. He doesn't peck at the trees. He pecks at the pipes on the houses. Not sure what is wrong with him.
According to US Fish and Wildlife: "Woodpeckers peck into trees in search of food or to create a nesting site. They also "drum," or peck in a rapid rhythmic succession to establish their territory and attract mates. Drumming usually occurs in the spring on metal or wood resonant surfaces" www.fws.gov/nevada/nv_species/urban_wildlife/woodpecker.htmThank you! I learned something today! |
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Feb 11, 2019 0:09:31 GMT
He has been busy!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 19, 2024 22:46:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2019 0:10:49 GMT
Wow! That’s amazing. You wouldn’t need an axe to chop wood with him around 
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Post by mikklynn on Feb 11, 2019 2:31:08 GMT
Wow, that is AWFUL. We have small woodpeckers that drill small holes in a horizontal line on our Linden tree. I'm glad they don't do that!
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janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,631
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Post by janeliz on Feb 11, 2019 3:06:45 GMT
Wow! We get a lot of woodpeckers in our yard, but I’ve never seen anything like that. Fascinating.
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Post by jenb72 on Feb 11, 2019 13:25:01 GMT
We have one that comes to visit us every year that has a love affair with our chimney cap. DH and I have to go out a few times a year to shoo it away to go find a tree (we have plenty).
Jen
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scrappert
Prolific Pea
RefuPea #2956
Posts: 7,739
Location: Milwaukee, WI area
Jul 11, 2014 21:20:09 GMT
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Post by scrappert on Feb 11, 2019 13:37:48 GMT
Oh my goodness! It's cool, but not cool.
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Post by Really Red on Feb 11, 2019 17:13:41 GMT
I saw these for the first time last year at my uncle's house in WV. They are enormous. These are not birds that fool around!!
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Feb 11, 2019 17:20:40 GMT
And if anyone didn't look, these birds are 16"-19" long! Yep huge! wow! this was going to be my question, so thanks for answering it! I think seeing one of those for the first time would kind of freak me out! and THEN I would think how cool it is... we only have Gila woodpeckers here, which are about the size of a flicker. He tries to get nectar from our hummingbird feeders, which ends up causing a huge mess because it spills on the ground. |
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Post by workingclassdog on Feb 11, 2019 17:38:57 GMT
How long did it take to do that??? WHOA....
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Montannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,486
Location: Big Sky Country
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Post by Montannie on Feb 11, 2019 17:45:35 GMT
Oh my! I gasped at the holes! And then I gasped at how big these birds are!
Our woodpeckers are robin-sized.
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Post by busy on Feb 11, 2019 17:49:54 GMT
If they like what they find, they'll keep going. And FYI, the roughly rectangular holes are diagnostic of Pileateds. No other woodpecker does that.  Acorn woodpeckers also have very identifiable pecking patterns and it's easy to see how they got their name   |
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Post by coloradocropper on Feb 11, 2019 18:24:29 GMT
We have a Cottonwood in our backyard that looks like a woodpecker condo. Now the tree is dying and I'm in trouble with DH because I wouldn't let him chicken wire over the holes because I heard baby birds in the one of the holes.
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Post by Patter on Feb 11, 2019 19:56:01 GMT
Yes, busy, the Pileateds tend to create the oblong holes especially for nesting. It can take up to 6 weeks to build the nest, and they generally just let the wood chips be the "bedding" in the nest. They really are fascinating! Oh gosh, I hope they build a nest in one of our trees. That would be AWESOME! |
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Sue
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,234
Location: SE of Portland, Oregon
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Post by Sue on Feb 12, 2019 7:10:43 GMT
Inspiration for the first drill. Attachments:
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snyder
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,920
Location: Colorado
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Post by snyder on Feb 12, 2019 7:35:56 GMT
We have had one come around every spring for several years. He doesn't peck at the trees. He pecks at the pipes on the houses. Not sure what is wrong with him.
According to US Fish and Wildlife: "Woodpeckers peck into trees in search of food or to create a nesting site. They also "drum," or peck in a rapid rhythmic succession to establish their territory and attract mates. Drumming usually occurs in the spring on metal or wood resonant surfaces" www.fws.gov/nevada/nv_species/urban_wildlife/woodpecker.htmWe have them peck out gutters and it drives me batty. They have also made holes in the siding that we had to have repaired. I was told that they are indeed looking for food and one should hang out feeders filled with suet. |
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Post by Patter on Feb 12, 2019 10:57:42 GMT
Sue, that's funny! And snyder, that's what I am thinking--maybe hang out more suet feeders to avoid them bothering the trees. Hmmmm?
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