I didn't think you were suggesting I harm the bird.
And of course I would never do anything to harm the woodpecker or any other bird. I don't care if it is illegal or not, I wouldn't do it anyway.
Okay, I know why I thought that. We have one of these that comes every year in the fall and pounds a dead tree we need to take down. These are really lovely birds, their colors are so pretty.
I looked him up,and must have simply assumed the ones nesting in the house were the same sort. They aren't, they are clearly smaller.
From my memory of when one of them perched just outside the window and eyeballed me, this might be the type I have. The only other time I really see them, is when I go out to look at the hole and several fly away in a blur.
I will try and get a better look and report back. I like my little woodpeckers and I'm really glad my husband isn't getting radical about the damage to the house.
"cybercat"
Want to have some fun?
Find a three-sided aquarium (good place to look is near apartment house dumpsters).
Line the three (remaining) sides with reflective film. Fashion a wooden lid. You now have a bird-feeder. Mount this new bird feeder in your breakfast room window. Open top and put bird seed on the bottom. Replace top.
Little birdies will now come into your house to have their breakfast while you enjoy their company over yours. Their reflections don't bother them a bit.
I don't know what kind of seeds woodpeckers are partial to, but that shouldn't be hard to discover.
"HeyBub" wrote
What a cool idea!
I cannot comment on the species. In the South the woodpecker bores into the pine tree about 30 feet or so. The sap (turpentine) repels a predator.
During a hurricane; pine trees are snapped off at the thirty foot level (hundreds) ... killing the habitat. The nest is at the weak point in the tree. This happened in the plight of the woodpecker in the Carolinas.....
-- Oren
"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."
If they could selectively breed variations of that woodpecker species that would nest at different heights, the next hurricane would knock down the trees in precut lengths. Now where did I put those patent applications...?
RThis does sound like fun, but to have any hope of attracting woodpeckers, you'll have to try suet, not seeds. Woodpeckers are meat eaters (that's why they peck on siding in pursuit of insects).
Jo Ann
HeyBub wrote:
I really like woodpeckers, too. In fact, since your husband isn't getting riled about the siding, you might want to try to talk him out of removing the dead tree, if it's not a hazard. Woodpeckers love dead trees and having one will help attract them (as you've seen with your hammering Flicker).
Don't know where you live, but if it's approaching cold weather, it's possible the woodpeckers are using their hole in your home for a roost to help stay warm. That's often the case when you find several together. They tend to be somewhat solitary otherwise.
Jo Ann
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