News: Woodpeckers, Nuthatches & Chickadees

[Kinderchick]

... It's kind of heart wrenching because as a bird lover, you can see the view of a couple of woodpeckers just trying to eat and nest. As a human, you can see the view of a congregation just trying to keep their building intact and their expenses down.  Is there a win-win solution here? ...

I agree with you, bcf, I, too, wish there could be a "win-win" solution.

[eagle63_1999]

My sick brain isn't working these days but to bad they couldn't somehow capture the birds and send them elsewhere.

[birdcamfan]

I guess while we enjoy watching webcams and appreciate the beauty of nature, not all interactions between humans and other species are positive. It's kind of heart wrenching because as a bird lover, you can see the view of a couple of woodpeckers just trying to eat and nest. As a human, you can see the view of a congregation just trying to keep their building intact and their expenses down.  Is there a win-win solution here? Not likely.

[jadoo]

...i'm not sure i entirely agree;  sounds horrible to go out and kill two birds with a gun, but, $26,000 damage?  Wow...pileated woodpeckers are not a threatened species, and we don't seem to have any problem with the deaths of all the birds being fed to the peregrines and their young...peregrines will defend their territories to the death, and we humans are also a recognized species, we do have some rights.  It's not like moving the church is a viable or reasonable option...(not trying to be offensive, not trying to bait anybody, just offering an opinion)...

[sami]

Seems to be a problem with "conservation" officers. They seem to be all too ready to shoot something. It certainly wasn't our intention to get the birds killed - we just wanted them to move on, and were looking for more solutions than we had been able to come up with on our own.

[carly]

. The news report indicated that Manitoba Conservation suggested the only solution would be to shoot the birds. Too bad. But it doesn't sound as if there is anything else that can be done to preserve this historic site.

 If Manitoba Conservation thinks the only answer is to kill something..then they need to drop the 'conservation' from their name. 

It's a building...wood and materials..nothing of substance like an animal with a beating heart and a warm touch. No offense but memories are in the heart, the mind and the soul not enshrined in wood or brick or mortar.  Pretty sure the guy in the sandals was opposed to buildings like that and in fact I"m certain there's some lengthy discussion about people missing his whole point by thinking that a building or a spire is what matters in life.     

[Kinderchick]

Heard about your church and the damage the Pileated Woodpeckers are doing to the spire on the CBC news while I was driving home from work today, sami. The news report indicated that Manitoba Conservation suggested the only solution would be to shoot the birds. Too bad. But it doesn't sound as if there is anything else that can be done to preserve this historic site.

[sami]

Pileated Woodpeckers can be most destructive, this one was found a few years back just off Osborne near Morley and did mager damage to the tree at the back lane. They are about the size of a big crow if that helps.

http://www.pbase.com/photosbydennis/image/56218295

Woody Woodpecker! And I really do believe they cause such damage just because they can! Not for lack of anywheres else to go - there are several acres of untouched bush behind the church for them to work on. Except that maybe they have and nobody has gone back there to check. Mourning doves and merlins are much nicer birds.

[photosbydennis]

Pileated Woodpeckers can be most destructive, this one was found a few years back just off Osborne near Morley and did mager damage to the tree at the back lane. They are about the size of a big crow if that helps.

http://www.pbase.com/photosbydennis/image/56218295

[Kinderchick]

...these particular birds just took a fancy to the church. I doubt it had anything to do with their religious affiliation!

LOL, Sami!

[birdcamfan]

In the nearby forest, it might be helpful to leave the dead trees standing. They are very attractive to woodpeckers of all types. Perhaps someone cleaned up the forest a little bit too well and removed an alternate source of food and shelter. We have left them up on our property at Winnipeg beach and the woodpeckers and flickers seem to like them. The added bonus as that we had Red Headed Woodpeckers last summer. We've never had them before. It's really too bad that they have attacked your church, it's hard for most churches to just keep the doors open never mind paying for costly repairs.

[The Peregrine Chick]

It wouldn't be a matter of just removing the spire - the front section  (entry way) and bell tower  would then have to be removed. As a historical site, there would be some problems with getting permission to change the church in that way. The site has been checked for insects, and apparently none were found.

There are all kinds of trees around - this is a wooded area - these particular birds just took a fancy to the church. I doubt it had anything to do with their religious affiliation!

I remember doing some research on pileated woodpeckers, they are very particular in their choices, probably because they live year-round in a relatively harsh environment, well usually live in a very harsh environment   

I'll be interested in hearing what eventually works Sami!

[sami]

It wouldn't be a matter of just removing the spire - the front section  (entry way) and bell tower  would then have to be removed. As a historical site, there would be some problems with getting permission to change the church in that way. The site has been checked for insects, and apparently none were found.

There are all kinds of trees around - this is a wooded area - these particular birds just took a fancy to the church. I doubt it had anything to do with their religious affiliation!

[des]

I thought the site had a few more ideas.
Why don't you just cut your losses and get rid of the spire?
The money could no doubt be put to better use. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Thanks, Des. Unfortunately, noise did not deter the birds, even ringing the bells didn't scare them off. Because of the height of the spire, the amount of the damage wasn't recognized at first, and the morning after the first seven or eight holes were patched, three more , including one through a patch, appeared by noon.These were determined birds! The repair consists of taking off the top part of the spire (requiring a special crane because of the height), bringing it down to the ground to repair and replace the supports inside, cover the outside with metal and then with shingles. We are wondering if there might then be a new breed of woodpeckers - with crumpled beaks from trying to peck through the metal........

Pileated woodpeckers are non-migratory and very territorial.  They are boreal cavity nesters and their territories typically contain a number of cavities for them to use.  Some they have "dug" out for nesting, others for roosting, feeding, some for the young after fledging, some for bad weather, some for good, you get the idea.  Your spires may be one of the few things in "their" territory that they can make cavities in ....  Or they may be telling you you have wood-boring insects in your spires - that is their primary food source as I recall.  Its possible they are doing you a favour