More on woodpeckers, large and small

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 09 December 2010 12:37

This week’s column is about woodpeckers, large and small, good and “bad.”

“We frequently see the woodpeckers in our yard or at least the big holes they leave,” writes Denise Pereira of Ridgefield, who sent the accompanying photo of a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers.

The other day, for only the second time, she saw two together. “They were there for a couple of hours and didn’t seem to interact. The lower one went all over the tree seeming to establish his own hole. The upper one seemed oblivious to him as he pounded away at his established hole. I wondered if it is unusual to see them in pairs.”

Pileated Woodpeckers are monogamous and, while seeing a pair is hardly an every-day thing, it is not a “rare” sighting. And, as mentioned two weeks ago, Pileateds are becoming more numerous in our region as the trees — live and dead — become more numerous.

Noisy pair

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Leslie Riback of Weston also spotted a pair. “After eating nonstop for four days, I decided it was time to take our dog, Josefina, for a walk,” Leslie writes. “I saw these enormous birds with red crested heads. There were two of them. The reason I knew they were there is because they were amongst the loudest birds I have ever heard. They flew away in opposite directions but kept up their loud calling. Having looked at the woodpecker page in my bird book so many times, I knew what they were right away. What a thrill to actually see a Pileated Woodpecker and a pair, nonetheless.

“We have a bird feeder, which attracts all the typical native birds. I am always on the lookout for something unique and exciting and this was it. A good 15 years ago, a blue tanager flew into our house when the front door was open. That was a bit more exciting than this but I’ll take the Pileated Woodpecker sighting any day. I couldn’t get over their size and how loud they are.”

Fake owls

John McGinley of Wilton read the recent column on house attacks by our smaller species, like Downey and Hairy Woodpeckers. “I have for many years successfully used a fake owl against woodpeckers attacking houses as well as shiny wood stove pipes in which they see another, rival (?), bigger woodpecker. The best of these owl imitations is one where the head wobbles in the wind. There are others, which look like an owl from all four sides.

“Also pecking at a house once, was a titmouse! They secrete nuts under wood shingles and in other places around the house. Sometimes I suppose they even try to “dig” a hole. Once, after a wooden roof had been replaced, the titmouse sadly pecked away for days trying to find his now lost caches. The ‘owl’ sent him away.”

Mirror, mirror...

Vera Karger of Monroe has her own solution for woodpecker attacks.

“About 2 1/2 years ago we had a woodpecker problem. The industrious fellow made several holes in one place on our house siding. It’s an old, old house so perhaps it was easier for him to open up several holes.

“We had the house painted, a good two-coat job; thought it might keep the bird away, but no, one day he was back, chipping away at the edge of some boards close to a spot where he’d been before.

“We tried pie plates which easily blew off but also seemed not to work; we knocked on the inside wall when he began on the outside wall, thinking it would keep him away, but to no avail.”

She thought a mirror might help, but it couldn’t be glass. Finally she found a sturdy, shiny plastic, sold by Interstate Plastics (Interstateplastics.com, Bruce Luber, 1-866-899-5139, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

“I explained my purpose to Mr. Luber and he said it would be best if they did the drilling of holes for the picture wire to go through for hanging, because the plastic might crack if a layman tried it. I ordered three pieces, each about a foot square, to put in two different places on the house. For the place that seemed most attractive to the woodpecker, we put two back-to-back for weight, so as not to blow down in a strong wind. The one we hung singly is anchored partially behind a floodlight. So far, so good!”

Coming up

Kakapo Parrot Day, lecture & a film about the world’s rarest parrot species, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2 to 5 p.m., $10 donation, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich.audubon.org, 203-869-5272 x239

Family Winter Bird Watch, learn about Project Feederwatch, Saturday, Dec.11, noon to1:30 pm, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, RSVP to Ted: 203-869-5272 x230. Greenwich.audubon.org

Peekskill Christmas Bird Count, led by Saw Mill River Audubon, Saturday, Dec. 18, dawn to dusk, register at 914-666-6503, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Stamford-Greenwich Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, Dec. 19, pre-dawn to 5 p.m., Greenwich Audubon, call Ted Gilman to join a counting team, 203-869-5272 x230; info at www.audubon.org/bird/cbc

Bronx-Westchester Christmas Bird Count, Dec. 26, dawn to dusk, various locations, contact Saw Mill River Audubon for information, 914-666-6503 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Bird Tours, with Connecticut Audubon, Tanzania, Jan. 10-22; Cuba, March 1-13; Costa Rica, March 18-29; Galapagos Islands, April 9-18; Mount Auburn, Cambridge, Mass. May 13-15; Martha’s Vineyard, May 26-29; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 860-767-0660.

“First Sundays,” bird walks open to all ages and skills, at Greenwich Point, with Meredith Sampson, first Sunday of the month, through May, 9 a.m. sponsored by Wild Wings, Inc., Bruce Museum and Audubon Greenwich, 203-637-9822.

Copyright 2010 by Jack Sanders. Send sightings or comments to: jackfsanders [at sign] yahoo.com, or to Bird Notes, Box 1019, Ridgefield, CT 06877; or call 203-438-1183, extension BIRD (2473), and leave a message with your report, spelling your first and last names and telling us your town. If you need help identifying a bird, try your local nature center. If you find an injured bird, call wildlife rehabilitator Darlene Wimbrow of Redding, 203-438-0618, Wildlife in Crisis of Weston, 203-544-9913, or Wild Wings of Greenwich, 203-637-9822. The columnist’s website is www. sandersbooks. com.