Here is a picture of the culprit!
Does anyone recognize this bird in love who is trying to impress a mate by machine gunning my chimney?
On 3/27/2012 6:37 PM, Martin C. wrote: ...
Not a lot of it, but I'm pretty sure flicker.
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I agree. All I could get with my camera was the head poking out. I actually have a video of a female (I think) sitting on one end of the roof and the male (I think) pecking away at my chimney to impress her.
The problem is that I need to first figure out how to edit the video down to something manageable and then how to post it for you guys to see the love-struck birds in action.
I agree, red-shafted flicker.
I agree, it's a flicker which is a type of woodpecker. I've had this happen when I lived in a apartment in west TN. The chimney was metal so it resounded loudly! It's happened a couple of times in the spring at my house in SC. The chimney is also brick but covered with wood. I can sure hear them hammering when they're trying to attract potential mates.
Jill
I had one baffle me for several days in the pre-cable era before I finally figured it out, banging against the TV antenna pole on the roof at the same time every day early in morning. I think it's some kind of mating call.
Here is a better picture of the 'flicker' on my chimney today:
Nope, certainly not going for insects. Definitely going for the LOUDEST possible noise he can make to entice a lady friend into his territory and chase away interlopers. :)
Tammie Northwestern Ontario, Canada
Hi Tammy,
He has a lady friend who sits on the other end of the roof. In the distance, I can hear another similar machine-gun sound on someone else's chimney. When he hears that, he goes crazy!
Yeah We have the same thing at our cabin Woodpecker shows up few minutes after sunrise and starts hammering at the metal pole holding the TV/Radio/Cellular antenna on the roof. Works at it for 10 minutes and moves on to calm his (mist probable) headache and earache.
Every year in spring I have a woodpecker start banging away on the metal roof on an old concrete silo on my farm. Talk about noisy..... I bet it can be heard a mile away. I was told the males do that as a mating call. I sure cant see any other reason. There's no insects in metal. He's not here yet this year, but he will be....
I threatened to cut off his pecker if he keeps it up, but a woodpecker without a pecker would only be wood. :)
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