A woodpecker has hammered through the wood siding on the east side of our
house--in the back--wayyy up where we need a longer ladder than we have to
reach the hole. He was made a perfect round "birdhouse" hole. It took him a
lonnngg time, like a few seasons. (He shows up usually when I am not at home
....so I forgot about him for a long time, and what was a few bare wood spots
became a good-sized hole.) This house once had termites, so I am not unhappy
about having a woodpecker around, but not altogether happy about the hole in
the house either.

My questions:

1. What is between the siding and the drywall? Is there insulation there,
usually? (This house was build around 1960, in a suburb.) Any chance he
might come right through he drywall?

2. What are the downsides of letting him nest there? (Moisture getting in
the walls, I imagine .. there is a good sized eave/overhand, but rain is not
always completely vertical, so I see how it might be a problem). I do like
animals and am not anal about coexisting with them, but I want to be a
responsible homeowner, too. We will eventually want to unload this place on
somebody.

3. It is time to get a big ladder, as we really need to clean the gutters
ourselves, and remove some ivy that has grown up fairly high. This house is
a typical split level, and the hole is in the wall of the master bedroom.
What kind of ladder should we get, how long, for all purpose stuff like
gutter cleaning and examining woodpecker holes and such?

4. If you had a woodpecker family nesting in your house, what would you do?
What are my alternatives? We had bats living in the top of the attic for a
while, having flown in through a kind of vent up there, and we called bat
guy who put up screening while they were out so they moved on. That was kind
of different because their droppings came down on the patio. The woodpecker
nest is on a side of the house where nobody ever goes. Which come to think
of it is probably why the woodpeckers like it there.

Thanks for any suggestions.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst, either.
If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the elements, so no
real leaks should occur.
I love woodpeckers. They are so neat, cute, and odd. More like a privilege
to have him.
You can always fix the hole later, when he leaves.
--
------
Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY

Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!

entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
all d'numbuhs

"cybercat" wrote in message
.. .
A woodpecker has hammered through the wood siding on the east side of our
house--in the back--wayyy up where we need a longer ladder than we have to
reach the hole. He was made a perfect round "birdhouse" hole. It took him a
lonnngg time, like a few seasons. (He shows up usually when I am not at
home ...so I forgot about him for a long time, and what was a few bare wood
spots became a good-sized hole.) This house once had termites, so I am not
unhappy about having a woodpecker around, but not altogether happy about
the hole in the house either.

My questions:

1. What is between the siding and the drywall? Is there insulation there,
usually? (This house was build around 1960, in a suburb.) Any chance he
might come right through he drywall?

2. What are the downsides of letting him nest there? (Moisture getting in
the walls, I imagine .. there is a good sized eave/overhand, but rain is
not always completely vertical, so I see how it might be a problem). I do
like animals and am not anal about coexisting with them, but I want to be
a responsible homeowner, too. We will eventually want to unload this place
on somebody.

3. It is time to get a big ladder, as we really need to clean the gutters
ourselves, and remove some ivy that has grown up fairly high. This house
is a typical split level, and the hole is in the wall of the master
bedroom. What kind of ladder should we get, how long, for all purpose
stuff like gutter cleaning and examining woodpecker holes and such?

4. If you had a woodpecker family nesting in your house, what would you
do? What are my alternatives? We had bats living in the top of the attic
for a while, having flown in through a kind of vent up there, and we
called bat guy who put up screening while they were out so they moved on.
That was kind of different because their droppings came down on the patio.
The woodpecker nest is on a side of the house where nobody ever goes.
Which come to think of it is probably why the woodpeckers like it there.

Thanks for any suggestions.


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Maybe the reason he made a hole in the first place is termites or other
insects.

Proctologically Violated©® wrote:
I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst,
either. If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the
elements, so no real leaks should occur.
I love woodpeckers. They are so neat, cute, and odd. More like a
privilege to have him.
You can always fix the hole later, when he leaves.


I tend to agree, but I would check with the local bird people (you may
find one at your city parts or university or bird food store etc. Identify
the specific type of woodpecker and determine their nesting habits. I would
want to maybe provide a better, more acceptable, spot for them - it.

Avoiding nesting time or a critical survival time for them, you may be
able to cover the hole by mounting a nesting box over it.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in
message ...
I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst,
either. If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the
elements, so no real leaks should occur.


Psssst.....just between you and I, nobody says "proly" any more. It's not
cute. It's not creative. It's not cool. It's nothing.

First thing I would do is determine whether the woodpecker is indeed
nesting. Some woodpeckers make a pretty good-size hole in search of
food (and will work on it repeatedly if it's been a productive spot),
and some make holes to cache things (e.g., acorn woodpecker).

Woodpeckers nest seasonally, to raise young, not for general housing.
If you determine it really is nesting, find out the nesting cycle and
when the final brood of young have fledged, cover the hole.

Jo Ann

cybercat wrote:
A woodpecker has hammered through the wood siding on the east side of our
house--in the back--wayyy up where we need a longer ladder than we have to
reach the hole. He was made a perfect round "birdhouse" hole. It took him a
lonnngg time, like a few seasons. (He shows up usually when I am not at home
...so I forgot about him for a long time, and what was a few bare wood spots
became a good-sized hole.) This house once had termites, so I am not unhappy
about having a woodpecker around, but not altogether happy about the hole in
the house either.

My questions:

1. What is between the siding and the drywall? Is there insulation there,
usually? (This house was build around 1960, in a suburb.) Any chance he
might come right through he drywall?

2. What are the downsides of letting him nest there? (Moisture getting in
the walls, I imagine .. there is a good sized eave/overhand, but rain is not
always completely vertical, so I see how it might be a problem). I do like
animals and am not anal about coexisting with them, but I want to be a
responsible homeowner, too. We will eventually want to unload this place on
somebody.

3. It is time to get a big ladder, as we really need to clean the gutters
ourselves, and remove some ivy that has grown up fairly high. This house is
a typical split level, and the hole is in the wall of the master bedroom.
What kind of ladder should we get, how long, for all purpose stuff like
gutter cleaning and examining woodpecker holes and such?

4. If you had a woodpecker family nesting in your house, what would you do?
What are my alternatives? We had bats living in the top of the attic for a
while, having flown in through a kind of vent up there, and we called bat
guy who put up screening while they were out so they moved on. That was kind
of different because their droppings came down on the patio. The woodpecker
nest is on a side of the house where nobody ever goes. Which come to think
of it is probably why the woodpeckers like it there.

Thanks for any suggestions.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"cybercat" wrote in message
.. .
A woodpecker has hammered through the wood siding on the east side of our
house--in the back--wayyy up where we need a longer ladder than we have to
reach the hole. He was made a perfect round "birdhouse" hole. It took him a
lonnngg time, like a few seasons. (He shows up usually when I am not at
home ...so I forgot about him for a long time, and what was a few bare wood
spots became a good-sized hole.) This house once had termites, so I am not
unhappy about having a woodpecker around, but not altogether happy about
the hole in the house either.


Modest correction: It's not: "He has made a perfect round..." It's SHE has
made a perfect round..."

Humans are one of the few species that build the nest....

I'd talk to your local bird experts and I'd try to find a way to both ease
my concerns AND accommodate the bird. She's just trying to get by, same as
the rest of us.

cybercat wrote:
A woodpecker has hammered through the wood siding on the east side of our
house--in the back--wayyy up where we need a longer ladder than we have to
reach the hole. He was made a perfect round "birdhouse" hole. It took him a
lonnngg time, like a few seasons. (He shows up usually when I am not at home
...so I forgot about him for a long time, and what was a few bare wood spots
became a good-sized hole.) This house once had termites, so I am not unhappy
about having a woodpecker around, but not altogether happy about the hole in
the house either.

If it's only one hole, it's a nest. If they're poking holes all over
the house, you have a hidden food source.

At some point the woodpeckers (there's no such thing as one), will
start advertising for mates. This usually consists of drumming. If
you want to hear a god awful racket, check out an advertising
woodpecker drumming on an aluminum downspout. This is a common problem
and it gets on peoples' nerves very quickly. If you think woodpecker
drumming is cute, I guarantee that your neighbor won't like _your_ cute
woodpecker's antics.

There are several ways to get rid of woodpeckers that are not harmful
to the pecker. Some people use a plastic owl or other bird of prey to
scare away the woodpecker. There are also noise activated plastic
spiders, big ones, that climb up and down a wire in response to the
noise. This is very effective in stopping the drumming - at least
until the pecker finds another location nearby.

Start with the owl.

R

Psssst...just between you and me, "just between you and I" is
grammatically incorrect.

Jo Ann

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in
message ...
I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst,
either. If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the
elements, so no real leaks should occur.


Psssst.....just between you and I, nobody says "proly" any more. It's not
cute. It's not creative. It's not cool. It's nothing.

You're right.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Psssst...just between you and me, "just between you and I" is
grammatically incorrect.

Jo Ann

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote
in
message ...
I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst,
either. If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the
elements, so no real leaks should occur.


Psssst.....just between you and I, nobody says "proly" any more. It's not
cute. It's not creative. It's not cool. It's nothing.

"RicodJour" wrote in message
oups.com...



If it's only one hole, it's a nest. If they're poking holes all over
the house, you have a hidden food source.

Yes, it is just one perfect hole, a nicely done bird-sized entrance.


There are several ways to get rid of woodpeckers that are not harmful
to the pecker. Some people use a plastic owl or other bird of prey to
scare away the woodpecker. There are also noise activated plastic
spiders, big ones, that climb up and down a wire in response to the
noise. This is very effective in stopping the drumming - at least
until the pecker finds another location nearby.


Helpful information, thank you.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
. ..
Proctologically Violated©® wrote:
I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst,
either. If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the
elements, so no real leaks should occur.
I love woodpeckers. They are so neat, cute, and odd. More like a
privilege to have him.
You can always fix the hole later, when he leaves.


I tend to agree, but I would check with the local bird people (you may
find one at your city parts or university or bird food store etc.
Identify the specific type of woodpecker and determine their nesting
habits. I would want to maybe provide a better, more acceptable, spot for
them - it.

Avoiding nesting time or a critical survival time for them, you may be
able to cover the hole by mounting a nesting box over it.

--

Good advice, all. I really like the idea of a bird house over the hole!
I think the first step is a ladder so I can look in there and see if it has
nesting materials in it, or if we have termites up that high. (I think the
latter is unlikely. Especially since, yesterday, I heard, instead of the
drumming, a whole bunch of cute little peeps like the birds "talking"
to one another. I imagined the woodpecker bringing the family to
inspect the house. Or mate, or something. There was more than one
bird in that hole, judging from the peeps. It was very cute. (These are
small woodpeckers, with just a bit of red on their heads, Flickers,
I think is the name. They come to the nearby bedroom window
and seem to be eyeballing me from time to time!)

Thanks to all, you too, Joann!



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
Maybe the reason he made a hole in the first place is termites or other
insects.


I thought I mentioned that--when we bought this house eight years ago, the
inspector said there was evidence of past termite damage, and that the
owners had a contract with a termite service. I thought I renewed it, but
apparently not.

That said, this looks like a house.

I guess I will find out as soon as I get a ladder long enough to take a
look.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"proly" proly saves a ****load of typing.
Ackshooly far more efficient than contractions, such as "you're"...
Oh, it's usenet, bruhs, usenet....
--
------
Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY

Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!

entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
all d'numbuhs

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
news
You're right.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Psssst...just between you and me, "just between you and I" is
grammatically incorrect.

Jo Ann

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote
in
message ...
I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst,
either. If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the
elements, so no real leaks should occur.


Psssst.....just between you and I, nobody says "proly" any more. It's not
cute. It's not creative. It's not cool. It's nothing.

RicodJour wrote:
cybercat wrote:
A woodpecker has hammered through the wood siding on the east side of our
house--in the back--wayyy up where we need a longer ladder than we have to
reach the hole. He was made a perfect round "birdhouse" hole. It took him a
lonnngg time, like a few seasons. (He shows up usually when I am not at home
...so I forgot about him for a long time, and what was a few bare wood spots
became a good-sized hole.) This house once had termites, so I am not unhappy
about having a woodpecker around, but not altogether happy about the hole in
the house either.

If it's only one hole, it's a nest. If they're poking holes all over
the house, you have a hidden food source.

At some point the woodpeckers (there's no such thing as one), will
start advertising for mates. This usually consists of drumming. If
you want to hear a god awful racket, check out an advertising
woodpecker drumming on an aluminum downspout. This is a common problem
and it gets on peoples' nerves very quickly. If you think woodpecker
drumming is cute, I guarantee that your neighbor won't like _your_ cute
woodpecker's antics.

There are several ways to get rid of woodpeckers that are not harmful
to the pecker. Some people use a plastic owl or other bird of prey to
scare away the woodpecker. There are also noise activated plastic
spiders, big ones, that climb up and down a wire in response to the
noise. This is very effective in stopping the drumming - at least
until the pecker finds another location nearby.

Start with the owl.

R

It's pretty important that no one know you "got rid" of the woodpecker.

You might end up in jail.

Your typing is atrocious. "Proly" achieves nothing.

"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in
message ...
"proly" proly saves a ****load of typing.
Ackshooly far more efficient than contractions, such as "you're"...
Oh, it's usenet, bruhs, usenet....
--
------
Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY

Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!

entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
all d'numbuhs

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
news
You're right.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Psssst...just between you and me, "just between you and I" is
grammatically incorrect.

Jo Ann

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote in
message ...
I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst,
either. If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the
elements, so no real leaks should occur.


Psssst.....just between you and I, nobody says "proly" any more. It's
not
cute. It's not creative. It's not cool. It's nothing.

Actually, Flickers are on the large-ish side when it comes to
woodpeckers. Here's a picture of a Flicker excavation (handily shows a
Flicker, as well):
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/bird...est_Cavi..html

The perspective isn't great in that picture, but Flickers can approach
the size of small crows.

If your woodpecker is small, you might want to consider Downy:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAbou...oodpecker.html

According to the info I have, Flickers do not reuse nest cavities, so
if yours is a Flicker, it probably won't return after completing this
cycle, if it's nesting.

Jo Ann

cybercat wrote:
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
. ..
Proctologically Violated©® wrote:
I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst,
either. If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the
elements, so no real leaks should occur.
I love woodpeckers. They are so neat, cute, and odd. More like a
privilege to have him.
You can always fix the hole later, when he leaves.


I tend to agree, but I would check with the local bird people (you may
find one at your city parts or university or bird food store etc.
Identify the specific type of woodpecker and determine their nesting
habits. I would want to maybe provide a better, more acceptable, spot for
them - it.

Avoiding nesting time or a critical survival time for them, you may be
able to cover the hole by mounting a nesting box over it.

--

Good advice, all. I really like the idea of a bird house over the hole!
I think the first step is a ladder so I can look in there and see if it has
nesting materials in it, or if we have termites up that high. (I think the
latter is unlikely. Especially since, yesterday, I heard, instead of the
drumming, a whole bunch of cute little peeps like the birds "talking"
to one another. I imagined the woodpecker bringing the family to
inspect the house. Or mate, or something. There was more than one
bird in that hole, judging from the peeps. It was very cute. (These are
small woodpeckers, with just a bit of red on their heads, Flickers,
I think is the name. They come to the nearby bedroom window
and seem to be eyeballing me from time to time!)

Thanks to all, you too, Joann!



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Sure got a rise out of you.
Proly you should look into the reasons why this is so.
Group Therapy worked for me.
Did wonders for my sex life.
Turns out sex cures virtually all problems known to man, except for bein
broke.
And then, iffin yer goodlookin enuff, can proly cure DAT.
Sex don't help STDs, tho.
--
------
Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY

Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!

entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
all d'numbuhs

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
Your typing is atrocious. "Proly" achieves nothing.

"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote
in message ...
"proly" proly saves a ****load of typing.
Ackshooly far more efficient than contractions, such as "you're"...
Oh, it's usenet, bruhs, usenet....
--
------
Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY

Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!

entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to
reply--ie, all d'numbuhs

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
news
You're right.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Psssst...just between you and me, "just between you and I" is
grammatically incorrect.

Jo Ann

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote in
message ...
I would leave him.
Proly not the greatest thing for the house, but proly not the worst,
either. If he has made a nest, it's proly pretty protected from the
elements, so no real leaks should occur.


Psssst.....just between you and I, nobody says "proly" any more. It's
not
cute. It's not creative. It's not cool. It's nothing.

MRS. CLEAN wrote:
RicodJour wrote:
cybercat wrote:
A woodpecker has hammered through the wood siding on the east side of our
house--in the back--wayyy up where we need a longer ladder than we have to
reach the hole. He was made a perfect round "birdhouse" hole. It took him a
lonnngg time, like a few seasons. (He shows up usually when I am not at home
...so I forgot about him for a long time, and what was a few bare wood spots
became a good-sized hole.) This house once had termites, so I am not unhappy
about having a woodpecker around, but not altogether happy about the hole in
the house either.

If it's only one hole, it's a nest. If they're poking holes all over
the house, you have a hidden food source.

At some point the woodpeckers (there's no such thing as one), will
start advertising for mates. This usually consists of drumming. If
you want to hear a god awful racket, check out an advertising
woodpecker drumming on an aluminum downspout. This is a common problem
and it gets on peoples' nerves very quickly. If you think woodpecker
drumming is cute, I guarantee that your neighbor won't like _your_ cute
woodpecker's antics.

There are several ways to get rid of woodpeckers that are not harmful
to the pecker. Some people use a plastic owl or other bird of prey to
scare away the woodpecker. There are also noise activated plastic
spiders, big ones, that climb up and down a wire in response to the
noise. This is very effective in stopping the drumming - at least
until the pecker finds another location nearby.

Start with the owl.

R

It's pretty important that no one know you "got rid" of the woodpecker.

You might end up in jail.

I only suggested non-harmful ways, so I'm not sure why you're getting
your knickers in a twist. The suggestion of jail time suggests you
believe that all woodpeckers are protected.

The red-cockaded and ivory-billed are the only two woodpecker species
protected under the Endangered Species Act. Considering that the
ivory-billed was thought to be extinct until only a short time ago it's
probably safe to assume the pecker in question is not one. The
red-cockaded woodpecker excavates nests in living trees (only
woodpecker species to do so) and lives in social groups. It's not one
of those either.

If you were referring to the Migratory Bird Conservation Act or the
Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, there are indeed a wider variety of
woodpeckers that fall under their protection. As I am not suggesting
the OP hunt them, take eggs (if any), disturb the nest, or start a
black market trade in the single woodpecker they've seen, those laws
don't apply.

R

I have an idea Mrs. Clean was just yanking some chain.
Man, looks like some of these home repairs are really taking their toll on a
few people here.
--
------
Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY

Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!

entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
all d'numbuhs

"RicodJour" wrote in message
ups.com...
MRS. CLEAN wrote:
RicodJour wrote:
cybercat wrote:
A woodpecker has hammered through the wood siding on the east side of
our
house--in the back--wayyy up where we need a longer ladder than we
have to
reach the hole. He was made a perfect round "birdhouse" hole. It took
him a
lonnngg time, like a few seasons. (He shows up usually when I am not
at home
...so I forgot about him for a long time, and what was a few bare
wood spots
became a good-sized hole.) This house once had termites, so I am not
unhappy
about having a woodpecker around, but not altogether happy about the
hole in
the house either.

If it's only one hole, it's a nest. If they're poking holes all over
the house, you have a hidden food source.

At some point the woodpeckers (there's no such thing as one), will
start advertising for mates. This usually consists of drumming. If
you want to hear a god awful racket, check out an advertising
woodpecker drumming on an aluminum downspout. This is a common problem
and it gets on peoples' nerves very quickly. If you think woodpecker
drumming is cute, I guarantee that your neighbor won't like _your_ cute
woodpecker's antics.

There are several ways to get rid of woodpeckers that are not harmful
to the pecker. Some people use a plastic owl or other bird of prey to
scare away the woodpecker. There are also noise activated plastic
spiders, big ones, that climb up and down a wire in response to the
noise. This is very effective in stopping the drumming - at least
until the pecker finds another location nearby.

Start with the owl.

R

It's pretty important that no one know you "got rid" of the woodpecker.

You might end up in jail.

I only suggested non-harmful ways, so I'm not sure why you're getting
your knickers in a twist. The suggestion of jail time suggests you
believe that all woodpeckers are protected.

The red-cockaded and ivory-billed are the only two woodpecker species
protected under the Endangered Species Act. Considering that the
ivory-billed was thought to be extinct until only a short time ago it's
probably safe to assume the pecker in question is not one. The
red-cockaded woodpecker excavates nests in living trees (only
woodpecker species to do so) and lives in social groups. It's not one
of those either.

If you were referring to the Migratory Bird Conservation Act or the
Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, there are indeed a wider variety of
woodpeckers that fall under their protection. As I am not suggesting
the OP hunt them, take eggs (if any), disturb the nest, or start a
black market trade in the single woodpecker they've seen, those laws
don't apply.

R

"RicodJour" wrote in message
ups.com...


It's pretty important that no one know you "got rid" of the woodpecker.

You might end up in jail.

I only suggested non-harmful ways, so I'm not sure why you're getting
your knickers in a twist. The suggestion of jail time suggests you
believe that all woodpeckers are protected.


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.



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wrote in message
ups.com...
Actually, Flickers are on the large-ish side when it comes to
woodpeckers. Here's a picture of a Flicker excavation (handily shows a
Flicker, as well):
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/bird...Nest_Cavi.html


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.


The perspective isn't great in that picture, but Flickers can approach
the size of small crows.

If your woodpecker is small, you might want to consider Downy:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAbou...oodpecker.html


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.



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"cybercat"

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.


The perspective isn't great in that picture, but Flickers can approach
the size of small crows.

If your woodpecker is small, you might want to consider Downy:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAbou...oodpecker.html


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.

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
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.


What a cool idea!



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On 3 Nov 2006 09:59:14 -0800, "RicodJour"
wrote:

red-cockaded woodpecker excavates nests in living trees (only
woodpecker species to do so) and lives in social groups. It's not one
of those either.

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."

Oren wrote:
On 3 Nov 2006 09:59:14 -0800, "RicodJour"
wrote:

red-cockaded woodpecker excavates nests in living trees (only
woodpecker species to do so) and lives in social groups. It's not one
of those either.

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.....

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...?

R

This 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:
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.

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

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.



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