I Did Not Choose This War...

[Jeremym27]

We have our TT set up for the year at Bowdish lake campground in RI. Last year was our first and had a good time.

This year started off even better, until I got my visitor. Every morning at 5 am (on the dot, this thing must wear a rolex it stole) I hear knocking on my TT door. Then it moves to the bathroom door (exterior) then moves to the back window, then finally goes to the window over the table in the kitchen area. Each morning in this same order.

The first morning this happened I was pissed that someone was pranking me at that hour of the morning. If only it were that easy. Pranksters would eventually move on; instead I'm now engaged in a war I never chose.

Every morning a woodpecker does this ritual and finishes by using its claws to grab onto the window over the table and hangs there staring into the camper. It looks all over the place like it has been trained by a burgler to case the joint and find out where the goods are.

It is a big bird, over a foot tall and 2 foot wingspan. It is fearless. We make eye contact and it just stares me down. I yell at it and it just gives me a mocking look and won't budge. No matter how many Dirty Harry movies I watch and despite demanding that my doctor put me on testosterone treatments; I have never once won a staring contest against it. I'm considering having tear duct surgery to improve my chances, but I think I would lose my amateur status and no longer be eligible for the Olympics.

You may think I'm crazy, but I believe it has plans to replace me and live happily ever after with my girlfriend.

It's become personal. One of us will not survive to the end of camping season; I'm just not sure which one it will be.

My therapist says I should just accept it as part of the family. My AA sponsor says we should get a six pack and pull an all - nighter with a BB gun. My priest assures me that I will be forgiven for whatever transpires as long as he gets his cut. My attorney now demands that I pay a large retainer in advance and thinks I should get my estate in order.

My question to you is, what do YOU think I should do???

6463
6464

[poncho62]

Hmmmm....I was going to call BS until I saw the pics....2ft woodpecker?

Anyways...I will send my 6ft rabbit over, Harvey might be able to help

[Jeremym27]

It's not 2 ft tall, but it's wing span is. Don't let the size fool you, I'm convinced it is going to shatter a window the way it pecks on them. Grrr!

[JRTJH]

The Pileated Woodpecker is a HUGE bird and in Michigan, is an endangered species. If you do go the "6 Pack/BB gun all nighter" route, don't advertise your actions !!!

We have a pair that have taken over our lake. From what I've read, each pair require about 20 acres of forest, thrive in areas of "soft wood" and "decaying trees". The pair near us took down a 12-14" diameter dead poplar tree in our back yard in about 3 days. First they started near the middle, knocking out "fist sized" chunks of dead wood. Moved up, then down the trunk searching for carpenter ants (their preferred food source). By the time they were finished, about all that was holding up that "swiss cheese like" poplar tree was the skeleton like maze of holes...

About the size of a big crow, they are a daunting bird. I wouldn't want to get on the "angry end" of that beak !!!!!

Possibly the one that has become your "friend" is trying to lay claim to it's territory and protect it from other birds ? It may be attempting to "dominate" the bird it sees in the reflection in your windows? Possibly a couple of days of covering the outside of the windows with a nonreflective covering (taped on paper bags) may discourage it from the fight ???

Good Luck,

[Jeremym27]

Yeah, it's a good sized bird for sure. If they were in your backyard you know the sound they make pecking. Imagine how loud it would be on your TT! Not a great way to wake up.

[Jeremym27]

Now that you mention it, it is a pair of them. One sits in a tree nearby (I'm guessing the female?) While this one does battle with me.

[hankpage]

Like John said, He is at battle with the bird in the mirror. I have a pair of Cardinals that attack my windows every spring .. first the male to win his lady and then the female to protect her nest. Once the young fledge they all just hang out and leave colorful deposits on my white vinyl fence.
I would try clear plastic taped to the offending windows for a while to discourage his visits. Good luck and don't watch any Alfred Hitchcock movies, Hank

Let us know what happens .... if we don't hear back, we know who won.

[hankaye]

Jeremym27, Howdy;

Happy to hear you found a friend "bouncey: !

Did a quick Google search and found these links;

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/pileatedwoodpecker.htm

and

http://birding.about.com/od/birdbehavior/a/Stop-Woodpecker-Damage.htm

First one needs to understand their enemy, then one needs to know the ways to deter them... :cool:

hankaye

[Murphsmom]

We haven't had to deal with woodpeckers, but we have had an ongoing battle with cliff swallows. They make their nests under the eaves of the house and then proceed to "decorate" the front of the house and the large picture windows. Over the years the only things we have been able to use that consistently deter them are plastic garbage bags. We shred them the long way and fasten them under the eaves. I don't know whether you have any way of doing something like this, but it might work on woodpeckers, too.

If you try it, please get us a picture. Friends refer to our place as "the house with eyelashes". Better that than the one with unwanted whitewash.

[Jim & DJ]

You may think I am nuts but go to Walmart childrens toy section and purchase about 6 of the little rubber or plastic SNAKES (12 inches or so) they sell. Tape them in various area's the birds frequent and it just may solve your problem.

Keeps the wayward things away from my front porch hummer feeded. Try it before you laugh !!!!!!! "bouncey:

[outwest]

You may think I am nuts but go to Walmart childrens toy section and purchase about 6 of the little rubber or plastic SNAKES (12 inches or so) they sell. Tape them in various area's the birds frequent and it just may solve your problem.

Keeps the wayward things away from my front porch hummer feeded. Try it before you laugh !!!!!!! "bouncey:

I was gonna suggest the same thing. When I was a kid, we lived in a house with cedar siding. The woodpeckers loved pecking it until my dad hung rubber snakes on it.

Works best if only the head is affixed and the body of the snake is left loose to where it can move in the breeze

When NASA had troubles with woodpeckers attacking the foam on the shuttle, they spent millions trying to scare them away when all they needed was a box of dime store snakes *laf*

[KanTC]

In addition to the toy rubber snakes, you can also try a life-sized (yard ornament) plastic owl. The owl is a predator, and
the owl ornaments are commonly used in garden areas to keep birds & small critters away! We had trouble with birds
roosting in a tree next to the driveway (leaving UN-welcome gifts on our vehicles), so DH put an owl in the tree. ;)
Given that you're in a c/g (can't damage their trees), maybe you could nail the owl to a 4 ft tall post (on a base), and
move it around as needed. Check the gardening section of your favorite big box or hardware store.

http://www.mainstsupply.com/product.cfm/4/13/76215

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/dalen--ship-s-decoy-owl--245191

http://www.ehow.com/how_7695957_decorate-home-life-sized-owl.html

Terri, the Chevy co-pilot :)

[b.d.m]

first, that woodpecker looks like a condor, or some sort of raptor / prehistoric bird.

Now on to the problem.. Air Soft Gun.. isn't going to kill it but will spook it enough to encourage it to move on. Do a amazon search.

It also works well on chipmunks, squirrels, and other small pests, but is next to useless on large determined raccoon.

Also with the airsoft gun IF you happen to miss the bird and hit the window its not going to break it or harm it in anyway.

[dandjh1958]

I just wanted everyone to know that after reading this post I had a nightmare last night..... Giant varmints were eating all our lawn furniture cushions as well as all our electrical wiring and giant woodpeckers were attacking our roof. Sounded like machine gun fire inside the trailer!!

I think I'm taking a break from the forum and going camping..... I'll be sitting in the trailer at night, with my 1000 candle power spot light by my bed, chanting: "it was only a dream..... it was only a dream...... it was only a dream....."

Happy camping!!

[JRTJH]

dandjh1958,

Maybe you didn't get the "word".... Keystone builds Hideouts that are "pecker-wood-proof" You're safe as long as you don't hang a wooden sign by your door

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/thanksgiving/turkey-ride.gif (http://www.sherv.net/)

[KanTC]

.......Now on to the problem.. Air Soft Gun.. isn't going to kill it but will spook it enough to encourage it to move on. Do a amazon search.

It also works well on chipmunks, squirrels, and other small pests, but is next to useless on large determined raccoon.

Also with the airsoft gun IF you happen to miss the bird and hit the window its not going to break it or harm it in anyway.

Granted, I've never camped in RI (where the OP's RV is located), but IMHO it seems unlikely that a c/g would appreciate,
nor allow, campers shooting at the local critters of any kind. :eek: That may possibly land someone in "a heap of trouble",
and especially if/when it's a protected bird as previously mentioned?

Terri, the Chevy co-pilot :)

[vampress_me]

So, depending on how the woodpecker is "gotten rid of", my husband wants to know if it tastes like chicken... :D

[LuvsPalmTrees]

I live in Michigan and camp in very wooded state parks. I hope I don't encounter any of these beautiful birds. They would scare the hell out of me. But, I would love to watch them in the wild, not on my TT.

[Triplespool]

You may think I am nuts but go to Walmart childrens toy section and purchase about 6 of the little rubber or plastic SNAKES (12 inches or so) they sell. Tape them in various area's the birds frequent and it just may solve your problem.

Keeps the wayward things away from my front porch hummer feeded. Try it before you laugh !!!!!!! "bouncey:

Jim&DJ,
I have plastic snakes and a owl in my barn. It does work for a while, but for me it lasted for 6 months. Now the birds land on top of the owl. :banghead:

[crash]

Funny you say that my neighbor has problems with squirrels eating his apples,pears and peaches off his trees,he too tried the owl trick and it worked for awhile now the squrrils set on top of the owl eating the fruit "bouncey:I will try and get some picture of that funny stuff.

[CUFFS054]

Y'all are scared of that little thing? Come on down here to GA and meet "Blue". A very old, very large, very near sited peacock who annually wages war with any vehicle that has shiney, reflective chrome. Watching my neighbor trying to fight back during the battle of the Durango had me laughing so hard tears were running down my leg!

[mespro]

I too had woodpecker wars, on my cedar cabin in the mountains. Started with a female pecking a 4" diameter hole in the side at the top of the second story, pulled out a ton of insulation (all over the place). Then layed eggs. I got out the ladder and put a plug i cut from a tree branch and sealed it up. Next weekend it had pecked out half the plug and part of the side. Did the same thing. Next I bought a mechanical OWL that was motion activated , head moved and hooted. Plug was pecked out again. Next was the snakes, plug out again, Finally I bought a huge light weight nylon net with holes about 1/2 " square and draped from the eave to the ground about 1 ft from the wall. This discouraged for about one week. The wood pecker would then hop from the side of the net over to the hole and peck it out again. I finally called Game and Fish and they gave me a permit to shoot it with a pellet gun. End of Story.

[LuvsPalmTrees]

Hi CUFFS054 - we had a neighbor who had a very large male goose. He use to come over to our house and attack our cars - he liked the chrome bumpers. His name was Burt. He chased us for about 2 years - then we did not see him any longer. I think he became dinner.

[antiqfreq]

I hope the situation is being resolved by the poster without any endangerment to the bird.

I, too, have had bird problems in the past. A lovely male cardinal for two years wreaked havoc on my big pane kitchen window. He would crash into it several times a day. I thought for sure he'd kill himself. After two years he was gone.

But not to be outdone by the squirrels and deer - all our plums, pears and blue berries were gone before picking time was even here ! Dang, I hate when that happens.

Jo

:eek:

[robo]

Wonder how he would taste with sweet and sour sauce or maybe soaked in italian dressing for a day or two then grilled. Ok gotta go dinner time

[gspman]

pileated woodpecker

[gspman]

LOL, just realized how old this post was...my apoligies

[JRTJH]

Yep, that "peckerwood" died of old age about 3 or 4 years ago.

[Marke]

I have used both the owl and the snake trick keeping gulls off a boat. (Speak of a mess). The trick is to move them around from time to time. The birds get used to them being in one spot. So once every few weeks move them. I don’t know if those giant woodpeckers you have are like sea gulls and pelicans who produce out one end about three times what they take in the other. Good luck and let us know.

[JRTJH]

I have used both the owl and the snake trick keeping gulls off a boat. (Speak of a mess). The trick is to move them around from time to time. The birds get used to them being in one spot. So once every few weeks move them. I don’t know if those giant woodpeckers you have are like sea gulls and pelicans who produce out one end about three times what they take in the other. Good luck and let us know.

This thread and the discussion of those woodpeckers is from 2014.

[bobbecky]

Regardless of how old this thread is, it was still very entertaining to read. I can empathize with the original poster, as, we are in Arizona doing our snowbird thing, and we have a much smaller woodpecker here, Gilded Flicker, and they occasionally get together of several RV's and try to outdo each other pecking on the top of the A/C units, first one, then they stop, and somewhere else in the area another one plays his game, and this can go on for maybe a half hour. This is a very irritating way to be woke up in the morning. :(

[Marke]

Quests I’ll have to pay more attention next time. Sorry about that.

[CampNBrew2]

Quests I’ll have to pay more attention next time. Sorry about that.

No need to apologize. It is relevant information for others still today. This is what forums are for.:)

[LHaven]

Regardless of how old this thread is, it was still very entertaining to read. I can empathize with the original poster, as, we are in Arizona doing our snowbird thing, and we have a much smaller woodpecker here, Gilded Flicker, and they occasionally get together of several RV's and try to outdo each other pecking on the top of the A/C units

I grew up in RI, and never saw a woodpecker in the wild until we came to AZ in 2000. Indeed, they are early risers and extremely loud. It occurred to us after we wired up a timer-driven light to regulate our chickens' laying behavior that our woodpecker problem decreased dramatically. Turns out woodpeckers are attracted to buzzing noises (they think it's a hive) and the outdoor timer we mounted on the shed puts out a constant low-level buzz, so now they largely leave the house alone in favor of attacking the wooden coop some distance off. I understand they can often "hear" AC electric wiring all by itself.